May 2008 A Section of Anglican Journal
SUMMER’S COMING TO SASKATCHEWAN!
photo contributed
Camp Harding Campers enjoy the sun and the water
Camp Harding Summer Schedule
Camp Harding Registration Form
Junior Camp, ages 6 to 9 years
Surname_________________________
(Junior campers must be born before December 31, 2002.) July 6 to 12 Intermediate Camp, ages 9 to 12 years July 13 to 19 Teen Camp ages 12 to 15 years July 20 to 26 Junior Mini Camp ages 6 to 9 July 27 to 30 All camps are co-ed. Cost: $150.00 A $15.00 non-refundable registration fee must be sent with the registration form. The remaining $135.00 is due the first day of camp. Junior Mini Camp cost will be $75.00 for three days. Please mail registration forms to Lee Perrin, P.O. box 1568, Maple Creek SK. SON1N0
Summer Fun at Camp Okema by Steve Mitchell Summer is fast approaching and it will soon be time for fun at Camp Okema! Register now to reserve your place at camp, and to take advantage of early registration. Registrations received before May 15 receive a $20 discount, and if you bring a new to Okema camper with you, you will enjoy a further $20 discount. All of the registration details can be found in the Okema brochure, which can be downloaded at www.okema.ca. You are encouraged to register early for the family camps (July 1 - 5, and Aug. 1 5). These unique camps are likely to fill up
quickly as people attend from throughout the province and from out of province, and cabin space may be at a premium. Of course, you are always welcome to bring your own camper accommodations. Some special features of these camps are that the children may be placed in cabin groups, with counselors supervising the children day and night, and with other camp staff providing activities. This gives the parents or grandparents a chance to relax, while still enjoying the company of their children. And the kids get to have a camp experience, with parents close enough to provide any needed security. Last year Teen Camp (July 21 - 27) was
Let’s Make a Hat! by Sheila Harris YORKTON (QuA) - 'Let's make a hat" was heard around Pelly Deanery as the Anglican Church Women (ACW) of Holy Trinity prepared for their New Hat tea recently. Many remember when women always wore a hat to church and to many other functions. Hats were part of each woman’s wardrobe. And especially at Easter time everyone got a new hat. For the Hat Tea letters were sent to all congregations in the community, the Pelly Deanery and to women's groups inviting them to "make a hat." Saltcoats ACW entered 10 wonderful hat creations all made from recycled hats and materials. Hats were judged in the three categories of Vintage,
Outrageous, Elegant and Children. Cash prizes were given to the winner's group or to a favourite charity. The Yorkton Regional High School entered hats they made as an Art project. Their hats were very outrageous and were for display only. It was a wonderful spirit filled afternoon especially when everyone chose a hat and paraded around the hall singing Irving Berlin's Easter Parade.
photo Al Stupak Right: Ladies of Yorkton and surrounding area parade their new home-made hats for the Holy Trinity ACW Hat Tea held recently in March.
close to capacity so again early registration isrecommended. A new feature for Teen Camp this year will be an optional overnight canoe out trip. A new camp this year is the Scrapbooking Camp (Aug. 6 - 9). This camp allows for two days of uninterrupted scrapbooking (of course, you can also enjoy a swim, read a good book, worship, visit, and eat to your hearts content!) so bring your supplies and let the fun begin! Some programming will be provided for children accompanying a parent. For information on rates for accompanying children, contact the registrar (382-8447). It's going to be a good summer at Camp Okema. See you there!
Given Name______________________ Date of Birth_____________________ Gender
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Age at time of Camp______________ Address__________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ Phone Number(s)__________________ _________________________________ Camp Attending Junior July6 - 12 Intermediate July13 -19 Teens July20 - 26 Junior MiniCamp July 27 -30 Parent or Guardian _________________________________ Address__________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ Phone___________________________ Signature _________________________________
2 - The Saskatchewan Anglican, May 2008
Bishop’s Message
Diocese of Saskatoon Announcements and Upcoming Events
The Right Rev. Rodney Andrews Bishop of Saskatoon “Here are the itchy questions the young people would like to ask you when you come for your parish day next week.” I was pleased to learn that the young people, some of whom I confirmed on my last visit, were thinking about God and their faith. Their questioning was profound. They asked questions some teachers and writers spend their lives trying to answer. I spent the day visiting with members of the churches in Senlac and Evesham. In the evening the Evesham parish gathered for a BBQ on the Ellwood farm near the Saskatchewan/Alberta border. Desserts were served and everyone gathered in the living room. We spent a delightful evening talking about God and our Christian faith. The first question from the young people was “If God is good why do bad things happen to innocent people?” I begin by saying there are various ways to approach this question. Some people say, “It was meant to be. It was their time. Their number came up.” Others might say, “It was an unfortunate accident. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” How do we deal with this as Christians? We talked about the opposing philosophies of determinism and indeterminism. The determinist would say that every event is completely determined by causal forces. This is the theory that every happening in nature and human history throughout the whole course of time, past and future, is predetermined by natural or divine necessity. All that happens has to happen as it does. The destiny of every human being is unalterably fixed by God. This theory has taken various forms in human history. Freud said humans were driven by a hidden world of instincts, drives, urges, primitive longings and biological needs. Marx said history was strictly determined by economic forces. Calvin held a theology of predestination. This life view says that life is determined and a person is controlled by outside forces. He or she cannot be blamed or held accountable for what they do. Life is guided by iron rails. Humans are powerless to control the path of the tracks so we are not responsible for where they take us. The young people still seemed to be following the discussion, so I talked about the opposing philosophy of indeterminism. Any given event or happening is not determined until it has happened, when it will no longer be a future event but past history. The past alone cannot be changed. Occurrences are alterable provided they lie in the future. When something happens, other histories were possible and could just as well have happened. The decision between alternatives is an open one until it is made.
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. 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. Visits by the Bishop for April, 2008 The Right Reverend Rodney Andrews, Bishop of Saskatoon, will be conducting the following visits: Wednesday, May 7th, Parkland; Sunday, May 11th, Biggar; Thursday, May 15th, Humboldt; Sunday, May 25th, Parkland. photo contributed
The Right Reverend Rodney Andrews, Bishop of Saskatoon So what is the Christian view of all this? I come down on the side of indeterminism. Humans have the freedom to choose between right and wrong, good and bad, virtue and evil. If not, none of us is responsible for our actions. The Christian view is that we are free, but we are free and responsible. We are responsible before God for how we use freedom of will. We are accountable for how we use the freedom of choice God gives to us. We have the freedom to say 'yes' or 'no'. We can choose a goal of good or evil, for or against God. This does not mean God is disconnected from his creation. I believe that God hears our prayers, inspires us and assists us to make decisions. I also believe we are responsible for the decisions we make. If responsibility is eliminated, the whole meaning of human existence disappears. We had a very deep discussion that evening. As I made my way home late at night, I reflected on how the young people had helped us to focus on the meaning of life and the nature of God. + Rodney Bishop of Saskatoon
A priest told his congregation, "Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17." The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the priest asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Every hand went up. The priest smiled and said, "Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying."
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
Integrity Saskatoon Meetings are held at St. James on the second Saturday of each month at 7 p.m. Cursillo Ultreya Pot Luck and Eucharist; All Saints, 1801 Lorne Ave.; Friday, May 23rd, 6:30 p.m. Christ Church Drama Project's Second Season The Christ Church Drama Project is well into its second season and this year is presenting “An Evening of Short Comedies” on May 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 2008. Christ Church Anglican is located at the corner of Ave E and 28th St W, Saskatoon. Tickets are $10, available at the door, McNally Robinson Booksellers or by calling 242-0165. For more information, visit the Drama Project's web site: http://christchurchdramaproject.blogspot.com. (Editor's note. For more details concerning the Drama Project see larger article elsewhere in this issue) Saskatoon Correctional Centre Mr. Peter Oliver, the Chaplain at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre is seeking Anglicans interested in being representatives on a committee working on restorative justice and reconciliation and from church groups interested in leading worship, Bible study etc. on a regular basis. The Saskatoon Correctional Centre is also attempting to raise $4000 to cover the cost of a wood carving as a center piece for their chapel; anyone interested in making a contribution to this effort is asked to contact Mr. Peter Oliver as well. He may be contacted at 956-8865 or poliver@cps.gov.sk.ca. “Generation 2008”, a five-day National Anglican Youth Ministry Forum, will be held June 10th to 15th, 2008 at Huron University College, London, Ontario. “Generation 2008” is intended t renew, equip and empower Canadian Anglicans who are involved in ministry with youth. Information is available at: www.generation.anglican.ca. Joint Anglican and Lutheran Worship Conference A national worship conference will be held in Montreal, June 25th to 28th, 2008. For information: www.WorshipConference2008.org; for registration inquiries: registrar @ Worship Conference2008.org; or, to volunteer contact Lyndon Sayers at info@Worship Conference2008.org New Rector of All Saints' Church The Venerable Richard Spencer, Archdeacon of Saskatoon and Chair of the Diocesan Finance Committee, has announced his retirement as Rector of All Saints Church, Saskatoon, effective August 31, 2008. Applications for a new Rector of All Saints Church, Saskatoon, will be received until May 15, 2008; for details please see the notice on the diocesan website. The St. George's Bishop Fuller ACW Bake Sale will be held on Saturday, May 3rd from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the 8th St. CO-OP, Saskatoon. The St. George's Annual Spring Garage Sale will be held in the Parish Hall Friday, April 25th from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 26th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donation of household items, books, records, tapes and CDs, electronics, clothing etc may be made Thursday, April 24th from 9:30 a.m. on.
Managing Editors: Fred Stephens, 51 - 10th St. NE, Weyburn SK. S4H 1G8 Phone 306-842-7235 Email: skeditor@yahoo.ca Qu’Appelle: Barbara-Lynn Dixon, 41 Angus Crescent Regina SK S4T 6N1 Phone: 306-525-6935 Email:bldixon@accesscomm.ca Saskatoon: Peter Coolen, 820Avenue I South Saskatoon SK S7M 1Z3 Phone: 306-244-0935 Email: ptrcoolen@sasktel.net Saskatchewan: The Reverend Christopher Snook, P.O. Box 198 Paradise Hill SK S0M 2G0 Phone 306-344-5405 Email: snook.chris@gmail.com
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 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069670 A Section of Anglican Journal
The Saskatchewan Anglican, May 2008 - 3
Three New Canons for the Diocese of Saskatchewan Staff PRINCE ALBERT (Sask) - Three senior priests of the Diocese of Saskatchewan Park Buck, Wayne Sturgess and David Smith - were honoured on March 30 by being installed as Honorary Canons of the St. Alban's Cathedral, Prince Albert. The Rev'd Park Buck of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Cumberland House, has been named to Archdeacon Paul Canonry which was vacated with the November death of Senator Myles Venne. Canon Buck, 50, served for 10 years as a Lay Reader. He studied at the Okema Lay Readers School for 15 years and at the James Settee School for 3 before his ordination in 1986. Canon Buck has four grown children, Blair, George Joseph and Kendrick. His wife Mary (nee Pelley) died on January 5 in a motor vehicle accident. The Archdeacon Paul Canonry was named in honor of Archdeacon Sir Jeffrey Paul, a native of Ireland and graduate of Cambridge University, who as Archdeacon of Saskatchewan travelled the Diocese for 50 years before retiring at age 71 in 1954. The Rev'd Wayne Sturgess of St. Matthew's Church, Tisdale, has been named Emmanuel College Canon. Canon Sturgess, 59, has served in three parishes in the Diocese of Saskatchewan. Following his ordination in 1991, he was Incumbent of the Parish of Spiritwood,
moving to the Parish of Birch Hills & Kinistino in 1993 and Tisdale in 2004. Married to Janet (nee Haggett) in 1967, they are parents to Jeff and Amy, and now indulgent grandparents to a growing brood of youngsters. Canon Sturgess is an appropriate recipient of the Emmanuel College Canonry, having graduated with a degree in Theology from the College in 1991. Emmanuel College was founded by the first Bishop of Saskatchewan, John McLean, at Prince Albert in 1879. The Rev'd Dr. David Smith , 51, has been named Bishop Newnham Canon. He succeeded Canon Sturgess in the Parish of Spiritwood in 1995, and moved to the Parish of St. George, Prince Albert in 2002. A graduate of Victoria College, University of Toronto (BA Hons. 1980), Dalhousie University (MA 1983; Ph.D 1991), and Wycliffe College, University of Toronto (M.Div. 1991), he married the Rev. Tracey Lloyd, then Incumbent of Leask, in 1997. They have two children, Carolyn, 8, and Kathryn, 6. Canon Smith, an authority on the theology of St. Augustine, is currently Acting Principal of the James Settee College for Ministry. The Bishop Newnham Canonry is named for the Rt. Rev'd Jervois Newnham, Bishop of Moosonee (1893-1903) and Bishop of Saskatchewan (1903-1921). The service of installation took place at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 30, 2008 at St. Alban's Cathedral, Prince Albert.
St. Paul Breakfast Club Celebrates 20 Years of Service
Confirmation with Innovation at St. James Regina Staff REGINA - "After church one Sunday, there were a lot of comments about how confirmation classes used to be. Mostly about how long they used to be. And how dry. And there were certainly no bunnyhugs involved," says Rev. Malcolm French, interim priest at St. James. This year the classes were different. "Instead," he continued, "the five young candidates worked on their own time, at home, on the computer. And the direction and content was provided in a weekly blog from the interim priest. Using the blog allowed us to incorporate some really creative teaching tools from near and far," said Fr. French. "We had links to the BBC religion site, to the Diocese of Texas, to New Zealand and we had video content made by Episcopal priests in New York and Georgia." Jenna Ackerman, a member of the confirmation class notes that "This year I was confirmed on the Saturday Vigil. Malcolm French was the minister who taught our class. Malcolm tried something new by making a confirmation blog. He posted many Web-sites for us to surf and look for information to read. Then he also typed out other stuff that wasn't on a Web site for us to read. He added a couple of videos from You Tube for us to watch. Overall I thought the blog was great because with my busy schedule I can read some of it in my spare time. When we finished church on Sundays we would have a Confirmation class for about an hour. We
would discuss that week's blog, Malcolm would quiz us on some of the stuff he posted. Also with this blog the five of us students could post messages to each other if we needed help or had questions. For me I found Confirmation over the internet to be a lot more fun because we didn't have a book we had to read. Fr. Matthew's videos from You Tube were my favourite. Also on Sunday we got a lunch to eat while we discussed the blog which was a huge bonus." But where do the bunnyhugs come in? Each of the children and Fr. Malcolm received a special bunnyhug. On the back of the shirt, there are the Anglican Communion's Five Marks of Mission: To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom To teach, baptize and nurture new believers To respond to human need by loving service To seek to transform unjust structures of society To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth Says Fr. French: "On the front of the shirts is an icon of Abraham and Sarah entertaining their angelic visitors, except the angels are all wearing hats and dark glasses. This iconographic oddity will make sense to fans of the movie The Blues Brothers. Underneath the icon is a quote from Dan Aykroyd's Elwood Blues that gets to the point of confirmation and Christian initiation: 'We're on a mission from God.'"
by Tannis Patterson
photo Vivian MacIntosh
Phyllis Ilsley prepares scrambled eggs for the twentieth anniversary meal of the St. Paul's Breakfast Club. Organized in 1988 the Club has been serving breakfast every Friday morning with the help of volunteer groups. At the present time the groups include the RCMP veterans; staff and students of Ranch Ehrlo Society and the Central, 35th and Maple Leaf Lions Clubs.
REGINA - St. Paul’s Breakfast Club celebrated its twentieth anniversary on Good Friday this year. A special Easter breakfast including anniversary cake was prepared and served by volunteers to an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd. The Breakfast Club was organized in 1988 with the intent of providing a hot, nourishing meal to anyone in need. Originally, breakfast was served once a month, on the third Friday, as this was “an in between cheques’ date. Soon it grew from once a month to every Friday year round, often serving over 100 people. Making this possible are five other host groups who take turns preparing and serving breakfast each Friday. They are the RCMP veterans; staff and students of Ranch Ehrlo Society and the Central, 35th and Maple Leaf Lions Clubs. The Breakfast Club offers a unique service to the community as it is the only hot breakfast program offered in Regina.
Lay Readers Licensed in Prince Albert Staff PRINCE ALEBRT (Sask) - Lay Readers from across the Diocese of Saskatchewan came to Prince Albert on March 30 for their annual licensing service. The Rev'd Wilfred Sanderson, former President of the Diocesan Lay Readers Association, preached an elegant sermon drawing on the connection between Jesus' proclamation of peace to the frightened disciples following the resurrection to the work of his ministers today. Bishop Burton addressed the lay readers and expressed his gratitude for their ministries, underscoring its importance to the mission of the Diocese. Three Canons were also installed at the service - Rev. Wayne Sturgess, Rev. Park Buck and Rev. David Smith. The service was followed by a dinner in the Cathedral Hall provided by St. Mary's Church, Birch Hills. In a meeting before the dinner, Mrs. Theresa Sanderson was elected President of the Lay Readers' Association.
photo Betty Wagner
The St. James Regina confirmation class of 2008 poses for a photo in their "bunnyhugs." On the front of the shirt is an icon of Abraham and Sarah entertaining their angelic visitors, except that the angels are all wearing hats and dark glasses. Underneath the icon is a quote from Dan Aykroyd's Elwood Blues that gets to the point of confirmation and Christian initiation: "We're on a mission from God." From the left Lauren, Brydan, Rev. Malcolm French, Devan, Reid and Jenna.
A Christian lady had to do a lot of traveling for her business, so she did a lot of flying. Flying made her nervous, so she always took her Bible along with her to read and it helped relax her. One time, she was sitting next to a man. When he saw her pull out her Bible, he gave a little chuckle and went back to what he was doing. After awhile, he turned to her and asked, "You don't really believe all that stuff in there do you?" The lady replied, "Of course I do. It is the Bible." He said, "Well, what about that guy that was swallowed by that whale?" She replied, "Oh, Jonah. Yes, I believe that, it is in the Bible." He asked, "Well, how do you suppose he survived all that time inside the whale?" The lady said, "Well, I don't really know. I guess when I get to heaven, I will ask him." "What if he isn't in heaven?" the man asked sarcastically. "Then you can ask him." replied the lady.
4 - The Saskatchewan Anglican, May 2008
Diocese of Qu’Appelle Chancellor Appointed to the Bench
photo Camera One
The Honourable Peter Whitmore
Staff REGINA - Peter Whitmore Q.C. has been appointed a Judge of Her Majesty's Court of Queen's Bench for Saskatchewan. He is a lawyer who was with McKercher McKercher & Whitmore LLP in Regina. Mr. Justice Whitmore received a Bachelor of Laws in 1974 from the University of Saskatchewan, a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University in 1971 and a Doctorate of Canon Law in 2004 from the University of Emmanuel College, Saskatoon . He was admitted to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1975. Mr. Justice Whitmore was with McKercher McKercher & Whitmore LLP. since 1989. Serving as Chancellor for the Diocese of Qu'Appelle since 1988, Whitmore was one of a team of lawyers who advised Anglican negotiators during the residential schools accord. His legal expertise has been invaluable to diocese. Peter Whitmore is a member of St. Paul's Cathedral.
Cycle To Walk (for Polio Awareness) Staff REGINA - On April 12, 2008, Ramesh Ferris will depart from Victoria, British Columbia and travel more than 7,200 kilometres by hand-cycle to Cape Spear, Newfoundland Labrador. Ramesh Ferris is the son of Bishop Ron Ferris, Diocese of Algoma. Ramesh contracted polio in infancy and was placed in an orphanage; the Ferris family adopted Ramesh and brought him to Canada where he received the surgeries and rehabilitative support that have allowed him to walk with braces and a cane. But Ramesh has gone far beyond walking; he has become one of Yukon’s elite athletes. In order to help other polio victims Ramesh has decided to hand-cycle across Canada in order to raise awareness about the disease and to raise funds for polio eradication and rehabilitation He has called his project Cycle to Walk. Ramesh will have his team of six people, travelling in two motor homes and an SUV. They begin their journey in Victoria and will travel through Qu'Appelle Diocese, stopping in Regina on or around May 30. For further information go to <cycletowalk.com>. (from Tuesday Newsday)
Holy Trinity Yorkton Holds PWRDF Sunday Service by Marilyn Pachal YORKTON (QuA) - Holy Trinity's congregation recently held a Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) Sunday Service as a way of raising awareness with the theme Enough for All. One of the members, Tony Prokop, had a collection of rainbow memorabilia so the church was decorated with rainbows which symbolize God's everlasting covenant with the whole of creation. The service encouraged all to pray and the Call to Worship and Prayer of Invocation was led by Joyce Bagley. A highlight of the service was the children forming a Web of Creation demonstrating the interconnectedness of each unique part to the whole of creation. The Rainbow Covenant, led by Norah Wasacase, was a call to act; it gave assurance of God's everlasting covenant with all creatures, noted that it was the responsibility of all to prevent destruction and it showed the need for each person to confess his/her part in putting the earth at risk of death. A homily by Marilyn Pachal warned of the imbalance to which those especially in the wealthy developed countries have contributed. But she also gave encouragement that there is hope through supporting organizations like PWRDF and their partners such as Kairos and Act International. A simple meal of water and rice was served in the parish hall following the service where the video The Strength of Many Hands was viewed.
IN MEMORIAM Mrs. Jesse Summerfield and Mr. George Stobbs Staff MEADOW LAKE AND BIRCH HILLS (Sask) - Two faithful members of the Anglican Church in Saskatchewan died recently. Mrs. Jesse Summerfeld, 94, of Meadow Lake, died in her sleep on St. Patrick's Day after walking home from her parish's Irish Stew dinner. Mrs. Summerfeld's involvement in Holy Trinity Anglican Church spaned over 70 years. She married to Albert Summerfeld in the Church in 1937. Over the years she was a Sunday School teacher, a member of the altar guild and a vestry member. She was an active member of the Meadow Lake ACW, serving terms as President and Treasurer. Jessie was greatly involved in the community life as well. She belonged to the Hospital Auxiliary and the Book Club. She was a member of the Royal Purple and the Eastern Star for over fifty years. She enjoyed handicrafts and has made many gifts. Jessie was very instrumental in composing the “60 Years of Memories” book and in planning the 60th anniversary of the church in 1991. She has contributed many pictures and stories for the church archives. Mrs. Summerfeld was made a member of the Order of Saskatchewan in 1996. Mr. George Stobbs, a pillar of the Church of St. Mary and St. Ann, Birch Hills, and widower of former President of the Diocesan ACW, Mildred Stobbs, died on March 18, leaving a large family of seven children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A veteran of WWII, Mr. Stobbs farmed in the Brancepeth district before moving to Birch Hills in 1977 to operate with Mildred the M&G Family Shopping Centre in Birch Hills. Mr. & Mrs. Stobbs travelled the world together following their retirement in 1979. Apart from being a loyal churchman, Mr. Stobbs was a lifetime member of the Masonic Lodge and an enthusiastic golfer and curler.
All Saints and St. Mary Regina Families Celebrate Palm Saturday
photo Marilyn Pachal
A group from Holy Trinity Yorkton participate in a Primate's World Relief and Development Fund Sunday Service. Showing a Web of Creation that demonstrates the interconnectedness of each part to the whole of creation are from the left Caelon, Sharon, Ciara, Shayla, Shea, Hannah, Donna, and Jade.
photo Marja Hordern
Mckenzie Millar paints a picture of a palm branch at the third annual Palm Saturday event sponsored by the family ministries of All Saints and St. Mary in Regina. By Marja Hordern, Shelley Baron, and Sandra Dowie
photo contributed
Dancers Dominique Chartrand and Katrina Currie present a reflection in movement for Good Friday to music entitled Gethsemene composed by David L. McIntyre.
REGINA – On the day before Palm Sunday over 90 children, youth, and adults gathered for Palm Saturday, an event put on jointly by the Family Ministries of All Saints and St. Mary. In its third year, this four-hour event included an interactive dramatic presentation of Holy Week, singing, crafts, snack, fellowship and lots of fun. Held at All Saints' church, a new activity this year was a slide show presentation by the youth in grades 6, 7 and 8. Armed with digital cameras, the youth searched the church and grounds for images of crosses. They returned with some amazingly inspirational photos and managed to find crosses in some surprising locations. The event wrapped up with the slide show being presented along with the song What if God were one of us? It was a very effective display that gave everyone present new eyes to see the symbol of Christ's cross in our midst.
The Saskatchewan Anglican, May 2008 - 5
Christ Church Drama Project's Second Season in Saskatoon By Thomas Nieman
photo Alvin Yau
Qu'Appelle's Bishop Gregory Kerr-Wilson dons blue jeans and plays his guitar at a contemporary worship celebration at All Saints Regina recently. From the left the music ministry are Bishop Kerr-Wilson, Rev. Trish McCarthy, Conrad Hewitt, Art Howell, Aubree Erickson, Andrew Ballentyne, Kate Humphreys, Asha Kerr-Wilson and David Levett, drums. Not shown are Kyla Kerr-Wilson and Stephanie Davis, piano.
News from the 'Church that Pennies Built' By Tracy Harper When this article first appeared in the March edition of the Saskatchewan Anglican a large portion of the text was inadvertently deleted. The article is printed in full below, with sincere apologies. BIRCH HILLS (Sask) - Just over ten years ago the church of St. Mary's/ St. Anne's was built. It was the first of its kind and it is unique in two very special and important ways. Firstly, two different denominations and congregations built it: the Anglican Church congregation and the Roman Catholic congregation. At the time the Roman Catholic church was renting space from the Anglican church, but the Anglican church was in need of repair and wasn't quite what the two congregations needed. So it was suggested that the two churches work together to build a new, shared church. On October 22 of 2007, we celebrated the tenth anniversary of that decision. We held a joint service, which included both the Roman Catholic Bishop, Bishop Blaise Morand and the Anglican Bishop, Bishop Anthony Burton, and guest preacher Fr. Wayne Sturgess, to mark the occasion. The evening started with a time of fellowship, memories, and good food, followed by an anniversary service, ending with tea and more visiting. It was a wonderful blessing and a time of great hope, that yes we can be 'one holy, catholic, and apostolic church'. The service started with Father Chris Harper leading the procession of the Bishops into the church and then each Bishop took part in blessing the many stations of the church and gave great words of encouragement, blessing, and hope. Fr. Wayne Sturgess
gave a beautiful sermon on the great hope of one family and more insight on the beginnings of the project as he was one of the priests who helped fulfill the dream. That was the first of our celebrations and was a time to recall all those who worked so hard to have this dream come true. That is where it started, and that takes us to the second unique quality about the church, the main fundraising was the donation of pennies, and was known as “The Church that Pennies Built.” There were many people working very hard for this dream. There were many donations of coins and pennies sent from all over the world to this small town church. It was our pleasure to recognize a very hard working couple, Bud and Dora Austin on Sunday, January 20, 2008. They were monumental in the project as they would roll pennies by the wheel barrel full and take them into the bank for deposit. If it had not been for these two, who knows how long it would have taken to build the church (we all know how much fun rolling coins is...). They did this diligently each Sunday and had the deposit ready for Monday morning. Sadly, Dora passed away this last September, and though not personally at the presentation, I am sure she was there in spirit. It was an emotional time for Bud and the congregation, but we wanted him and his family to know that all their hard work and sacrifice did not go unnoticed. Ethel Rutherford and Fr. Chris Harper presented Bud with two commemorative plaques, one for home, and one for the church. Once again, we would like to thank Bud and Dora Austin for their gift given to our church. Thank you, “Our Penny Angels.”
-SASKATOON- Christ Church Drama Project is well into its second season, and this year is presenting “An Evening of Short Comedies” on May 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 2008. For this presentation, the first act includes three short vignettes by Saskatchewan playwright Donald B. Campbell. Don has had his work performed at Fringe Festivals in Saskatoon and Edmonton, Twenty-fifth Street Theatre in Saskatoon, the Globe Theatre in Regina and the Saskatchewan Playwright Centre's Festival of New Plays. The second act features “The Actor's Nightmare” by American author Christopher Durang, a comedic look at every actor's worst fear, that of being thrust on stage with no preparation or warning. David Creelman, who has theatre training and experience in Canada and the United States, is directing all of the short plays. Since the Drama Project's inception in June of 2006, there have been two improv
comedy nights (complete with decadent dessert), two presentations of classic radio plays from the 40's and 50's, and our first major production of a full length play, “Rehearsal For Murder” also directed by David Creelman, in May of last year. Audience responses have been very positive. We continue to build in all aspects of performance, by first constructing our own removable stage and flats, combining veteran and apprentice actors on the stage and drawing from the wealth of resources within the Christ Church community and beyond. The group is committed to providing a quality product for our growing audience's enjoyment. Come out and join us for an evening of laughter on May 1st, 2nd and 3rd at 8 pm at Christ Church Anglican, located at the corner of Ave E and 28th St W, Saskatoon. Tickets are $10, available at the door, McNally Robinson Booksellers or by calling 242-0165 For more information, visit our website: http://christchurchdramaproject.blogspot. com.
photo Bev Gatzke
Rev. Jim Tait, with his wife Darla, holds a gift from the people of St. John the Baptist, Gull Lake, at a recent gathering to say farewell. Mr. Tait is leaving as rector of the parish of Palliser where he has served for the past two and one/half years. Bishop Gregory Kerr-Wilson attended along with members of the congregations from Shaunavon and Gull Lake; as well Father James Owolagba, St. Ann Roman Catholic; Pastor Gord Willison, Alliance Church and Rev. Beb Diduck, Knox United Church were present.
Meet Michelle Busch, the Lead Server at St. Paul’s Cathedral Staff
photo contributed
Michelle Busch
REGINA - Michelle Busch is head server at St. Paul's Cathedral and has been a server for nearly 10 years. She takes the leadership role with all the servers for special liturgical holidays such as the Easter Vigil or Christmas Eve. Then Michelle will make lots of lists and call lots of people to fill the very important duties of the servers within the service. There will be needed a thurifer, a crucifer, those who light the candles and those who assist the clergy. Michelle knows how to help the service run smoothly. Michelle Busch is 20 years old and after two years in university she is now finishing at SIAST in the Office Education program. This year she was accepted to be part of the Mayor's task force on Accessibility Working as a camp councillor for several years and assistant camp director this past summer, she has enjoyed the duties of supervising campers, explaining to campers what is on the menu during meal times and organizing and running activities during camp. Some of the activities for the campers were, archery (using balloons taped to the targets), sailing,rock wall climbing, swimming. at an outdoor pool, making hemp necklaces, creating masks, making small treasure chests out of popsicle sticks and a mind boggling obstacle course. Her two favourite sports are bowling and curling. Just recently she returned from playing in the Curling Westerns in British Columbia held in Qualican Beach. Michelle was on one of the two teams from Saskatchewan; her team placed fifth out of eight and the other Saskatchewan team placed sixth. "All in all it was an awesome experience for me. I'm sure If I get the chance to go next year I will," she says. "But the main point was we got the message out to the sighted world that visionally impaired people can curl." Michelle Busch has been visionally impaired since birth due to a brain haemorrhage. Michelle is legally blind. A new challenge awaiting her is getting her first guide dog. In May she's getting the chance to spend a month in Oregon at the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus to learn how to work with her helper dog. These dogs are chosen for their calm temperament and willingness to please their handlers. Michelle is very excited about this upcoming experience.
6 - The Saskatchewan Anglican, May 2008
The Theologies of Beauty and Brokenness Thoughts from the 54th Annual Canadian Theological Students' Conference and the Truth and Reconciliation Tour, Vancouver. By Dr. Lee Sinclair, Senior Stick, College of Emmanuel and St. Chad. Thought-provoking. Challenging. Revelatory. These three words describe my reactions during the 54th annual Canadian Theological Students' Conference held at the Vancouver School of Theology on March 1st to 7th. The theme of this year's conference was ÅgGod in the City: Faces of FaithÅh and had as its objective the bringing together of theological students to “read, observe, and experience the dynamics of the global city through lecture, discussion, and site visits, while also building ecumenical connections”. As the week unfolded I began to contemplate the theologies of beauty and brokenness that emerged during the conference; this article relates some of my reflections. God's relation to the world, with specific reference to the theology of beauty, is quite evident in Vancouver; the mountains, ocean, trees, flowers, and cleansing rains were a constant reminder that the firmament shows God's handiwork (Ps. 19). Those of us who are Anglican (accompanied by a few who were not) shared in the beauty of the Eucharistic feast at St. Anselm's Anglican Church on Sunday morning, the first full day of the conference. A few days later, all of the conference delegates experienced the beauty of the Evensong liturgy at St. James Anglican Church after touring Vancouver's downtown east side. This area of the city is one of the poorest in the country, and has a visibly large homeless population, many of whom live with mental illness and substance addictions. There is beauty in the face of the drug addict with whom I shared lunch at the First United Church soup kitchen; perhaps she would have been a model under different circumstances. There is beauty in the hearts of those who, living the gospel message, work to bring hope, healing, and help to the more than 2100 homeless and 5000 drug addicts living in the downtown east side. Each drug addict, each homeless person sleeping in a pew at First United, and each person who gives aid through provincial or church organizations is loved by God, as we are reminded in the Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich when she states “God loved us before he made us; and his love has never diminished and never shall” (Ch. 86). The theology of brokenness is
residing in the downtown east side. We remember at each Communion that God was here among us in Christ, in whose body we share in the breaking of the bread, and through him “God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross” (Col. 1: 20). It is a message of hope, and an affirmation of God's love. While that matters to me, a highly educated, well-fed, warmly sheltered, cleanly clothed seminarian, I wonder what it means to Troy who had come in out of the rain to eat at the soup kitchen at First United, or to Chantal, one of the many addicts who came to safely shoot up heroin at the needle exchange while I was visiting that day. Yet as clearly as I see God in the breaking of the bread, I saw God in the brokenness of people's lives and in the many stories I heard about “self-medicating” in order to ease the pain of traumatic life events or abusive childhoods. Psalm 22 (vs. 23) tells us “For he [God] does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them”. God is not hiding his face from the poor in downtown east side Vancouver; God is working through clergy and laity who serve those in need by providing services (such as healing worship services and the youth music program at St. James; foot-washing clinics and free hair cutting at First United; job training at the Union Gospel Mission), shelter (free housing for the mentally ill and addicted at the Portland Hotel Society), meals (First United; Union Gospel Mission), and medical care including detox and early treatment (Insight). The theology of beauty, as expressed in the use of sacred spaces, was countered by the theology of brokenness in the two churches we visited, St. James Anglican and First United. St. James is an architecturally beautiful church. It is an active parish, Anglo-Catholic in tradition, with a definite commitment to the sacredness of and reverence for the holy vessels, the altar, and the interior of the sanctuary; doors to the church are locked between services in order to protect the property. One block away is First United, a church that does not have a congregation in the traditional sense (there are no Sunday services and no parish register). Their sacred space is not the building but the community of people in the downtown east
side, and the sanctuary is used mostly as a sleeping area for the homeless. The theology of brokenness is seen in the struggles of the church administrators in defining the use of their sacred spaces. St. James staff is concerned with the message their locked doors send to the homeless, and that the sanctuary is used only during daily offices and Mass. First United Church staff is concerned with the lack of worship services, the use of the sanctuary space as a sleeping area rather than a worship space, and the misuse of the sanctuary in inappropriate sexual or bodily function ways. Brokenness and beauty were evident in a very different sense during the Truth and Reconciliation evening held at the Museum of Anthropology on March 5th. The majestic totem poles that provided the backdrop for the speakers was a visual representation of the theology of beauty as demonstrated in the creative and artistic giftedness of the totems' carvers. Throughout the Truth and Reconciliation evening survivors reminded us of the brokenness of individual lives, families, communities, cultures, and traditions as a result of physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse suffered by many residential school students during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; the over-representation of First Nations peoples among the homeless and addicted of Vancouver's downtown east side is evidence of the continued effects of brokenness. The theology of beauty was demonstrated in the prayers spoken in the Musqueam and English languages at the beginning of the evening; the theology of brokenness was seen in the prayers that expressed feelings of hurt and desire for healing. After much reflection on my experiences in Vancouver, I have begun to realize that God's grace mediates in and between the theologies of beauty and brokenness. An example of God's grace in action was seen at the meeting between a theology student and an addict, one of the hundred or so people who came for lunch at the soup kitchen. In the course of their conversation, they discovered that they were both from Newfoundland, within 10 kilometers of each other. This was also an example of God's grace in the ministry of presence. As theology students, we learned that we could not “fix” any of the homeless, addicted or mentally ill people we saw during our visit and that there is no single solution to their circumstances, but we could walk with them briefly and listen to their stories.
Photo - Lee Sinclair
Lee Sinclair with the Most Reverend Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada during the March 5th, Truth and Reconciliation Tour at the University of British Columbia.
Talking with the people of the downtown east side, meeting them non-judgmentally where they are without an ulterior motive of trying to convert them, sharing lunch at the soup kitchen, and especially remembering that we are all broken in some way defined for me the ministry of presence. Our baptismal vows provide the foundation for the ministry of presence, since we are called to “seek and serve Christ in all persons” as well as to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being”. In retrospect, I am not sure I was able to see Christ in the homeless, the addicted, and the mentally ill of the downtown east side, probably I need to spend more time with them, but my experiences there and at the Truth and Reconciliation Tour illumined the theologies of beauty and brokenness in thought-provoking, challenging and revelatory ways.
St. Aiden Moose Jaw Receives Unexpected Help Staff
What do you say when you hear: “We have never met but we heard you were fundraising to renovate your church. May we help you?” St. Aidan Anglican Church, Moose Jaw answered “Yes!” and were treated to a lively concert by Country Blend on March 1, 2008. The five member band out of Baldur, Manitoba performed traditional country and country gospel music delighting the audience from the moment they stepped on to the stage. The St. Aidan renovation project is addressing much needed maintenance in addition to changes to reflect the needs of people today which include improving accessibility for all, church offices at street level, renewed the liturgical space and new rooms for Godly Play and the youth. Keeping mission and outreach at the heart of the renovation project, the parish shared proceeds from the concert with Hunger In Moose Jaw. This is an organization that supports children and their families through educational and nutritional programs that nurture children’s potential. They focus on those in need and currently provide over 200 lunches daily to children in Moose Jaw schools.
photo contributed
Country Blend Band from Baldur, Manitoba. Left to right: Henry Martens on the guitar, Dianne Lodge and Evelyn Ramage vocalists, Joan MacKay on the piano and Cyn Lodge in the back on the drums.
The Saskatchewan Anglican, -May 2008 7
Celebrating a Shared Ministry at St. Andrew/Trinity in Rosetown
Notes and Events -Diocese of Qu’Appelle May, 2008 Bishop Kerr-Wilson is pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Sandy Mowat as interim priest of Big Country Parish. Sandy and Carol Mowat will be returning to Canada the end of April and their first service in the parish will be on Trinity Sunday, May 18. The appointment, which officially beings May 15, is for a two year time period.
photo Joan Scandrett
Enjoying the evening at St. Andrew/Trinity, the Anglican-Lutheran shared ministry in Rosetown, from the left on the first row are Rev. Dan Fournier, Allen Hettrick, Karen Wersch, Evelyn Staples, Chris EwingWeisz, Eleanor Seib, Dave Seville and Verla Potter. On the second row are Ken Wersch, Gay Hunt, Adella Litzenberger, Tom Weisz, Ed Litzenberger and Fred Potter.
"Virtual Water" innovator looks at water usage in production Professor John Anthony Allan from King's College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies has been named the 2008 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate. Professor Allan pioneered the development of key concepts in the understanding and communication of water issues and how they are linked to agriculture, climate change, economics and politics. People do not only consume water when they drink it or take a shower. In 1993, Professor Allan, 71, strikingly demonstrated this by introducing the "virtual water" concept, which measures how water is embedded in the production and trade of food and consumer products. Behind that morning cup of coffee are 140 litres of water used to grow, produce, package and ship the beans. That is roughly the same amount of water used by an average person daily in England for drinking and household needs. The ubiquitous hamburger needs an estimated 2,400 litres of water. Per capita, Americans consume around 6,800 litres of virtual water every day, over triple that of a Chinese person. Virtual water has major impacts on global trade policy and research, especially in
water-scarce regions, and has redefined discourse in water policy and management. By explaining how and why nations such as the US, Argentina and Brazil 'export' billions of litres of water each year, while others like Japan, Egypt and Italy 'import' billions, the virtual water concept has opened the door to more productive water use. National, regional and global water and food security, for example, can be enhanced when water intensive commodities are traded from places where they are economically viable to produce to places where they are not. While studying water scarcity in the Middle East, Professor Allan developed the theory of using virtual water import, via food, as an alternative water "source" to reduce pressure on the scarcely available domestic water resources there and in other water-short regions. The USD 150,000 Stockholm Water Prize will be presented August 21 in the Stockholm City Hall. H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is the Patron of the Stockholm Water Prize. <http://babel.national.anglican.ca/exchweb/img/clear1x1.gif>
Environmental Stewardship Following is a bulletin concerning a KAIROS action alert, which as been forwarded courtesy of PWRDF, a member of the KAIROS organization. It is published here for the benefit of those who look after church or diocesan investment portfolios. Every year KAIROS prepares a shortlist of shareholder proposals filed with major Canadian and US companies on key social and environmental issues. This year we're focusing on proposals that address two major issues of concern to Canadian churches: climate change, and corporate responsibility in the extractive industries (e.g. mining, oil and gas). Some examples of shareholder proposals filed in 2008 include: · The Sisters of Ste-Anne of Montreal have filed a resolution with the world's largest gold producer, Barrick Gold, whose massive Pascua Lama mining project on the ChileArgentina border presents potentially serious environmental risks to both countries. · EnCana, Canada's largest independent oil and gas producer is being asked by one of its shareholders to incorporate the cost of carbon emissions into its business strategy. If you're the treasurer of a church congregation or religious community, a pension trustee or even an individual investor, please take a moment to review your investment portfolio and join other faith-based investors who will be supporting these resolutions. Proxy voting is an important part of your stewardship of God's resources. To access the KAIROS Shareholder Action Alert 2008, please visit: <http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/corporate/shareholder/KAIROS_Shareholder_Action _Alert_2008.pdf> For more information, contact Ian Thomson, Program Coordinator, Corporate Social Responsibility, 1-877-403-8933 ext 229, ithomson@kairoscanada.org <mailto:ithomson@kairoscanada.org>.
The congregation of St. Mary the Virgin, Whitewood would like to invite all former parishioners and clergy to their 125th anniversary celebration on June 21 and 22, 2008. For information please contact: Phyllis <phewma@sasktel.net> or call Dennis at 306.696.2601. May 3 The Holy Trinity Yorkton Anglican Church Women will host a Strawberry Tea. May 3 The congregation of St. Paul's Cathedral will celebrate 20 years of their annual Strawberry Fair with crafts, collectables, baking, nearly new clothing, linens and children's book and toys available. So come to the Fair. May 31 The St. Matthew Regina congregation will have the Lawn Sale at the church building.
Mountainside farmers turn to technology for water supply By Mahjabeen Chowdhury Farmers need water. It is a basic need, not only to water their crops but also to drink and to cook. It is a long, steep climb from the rivers and streams in the valley up the mountain slopes in the Cordillera region in The Philippines where poor, indigenous farmers try to eke out a living. Englanded is a community of small vegetable growers. Each household owns an average of 1.3 hectares of agricultural land, most of consisting of small, terraced plots on the mountain slopes. Englanded community organization was formed in 2007 by the community development program of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP). The organization was formed in response to a request by those farmers to address the water supply problem. There has recently been a growing threat to their livelihoods as the government encourages foreign investors to purchase land to grow vegetables on a larger commercial scale. In Englanded community, one such investor from England built a huge greenhouse on four hectares of land. Farmers were told that this operation is organic and poses no environmental threat. Farmers doubt such claim. Farmers use traditional methods of farming, although they use chemical fertilizers and pesticides sometimes, as encouraged by the Department of Agriculture's extension service. They still depend heavily on the market to procure seeds and other agricultural products. This tends to make their farming operations expensive. Nevertheless, some of their traditional methods of pest control are still practiced, such as planting a diversity of crops and practicing crop rotation. It is good, for example, to plant potatoes after cabbage. Another traditional method of pest control is called dia-digma that allows farmers to allow certain types of natural molecular life on the vegetable plots to eat away harmful pests. This knowledge of diadigma is passed down generation after generation.
In 2007, the village farmers approached the ECP's diocesan office to find out if they could receive some technical help to provide easier access to a water supply. All the members of the farmers' families would walk down the mountain slope to the water catchment area to fetch water in plastic containers. Children carry small containers while women carry lighter containers and men carry heavy containers. All the households collect rainwater for their household use as well as to water the vegetable plots. They turned to the diocese to help them ease their water collection practices, also wanting to ensure running water supply to each participating household and their gardens. With technical and financial assistance from ECP they decided to dig a well and use an electric pump and pipes to supply water door to door. The farmers see a number of benefits in expanding the community organization beyond just addressing the water needs. The organization has created a space for them to come together to share information and concerns. They are concerned about the expansion of large commercial farming operations as well as cheap imports of vegetables from China. They will address such policy issues that have a direct impact on their lives and livelihoods. They would also like to explore technical options such as growing vegetables in greenhouses. They currently grow flowers in plastic greenhouses, using regular plastic sheets on steel frames, but often those greenhouses do not withstand strong wind. The creation of the farmers' organization has given them opportunities to pursue their ideas and aspirations. Ms. Chowdhury is the Asia Pacific Program Coordinator with The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund.
8 - The Saskatchewan Anglican, May 2008
A Message From the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad Editors Note: this is the most recent in a series of monthly contributions to the Saskatchewan Anglican from the faculty of the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad. These articles cover a broad range of theological and general interest issues as well as College news. This is the second part of a twopart article which began in the April issue.
Deuteronomy; Reinterpreting for Life and a Future; Part 2 (An edited version of a talk prepared for St Christopher's Parish, Burlington, November 2007) by Walter Deller, Principal, The College of Emmanuel and St Chad What was the moment of crisis that led to the origins of the book of Deuteronomy? Generally scholars have associated this book in one of its earliest forms with the moment in the reign of the young King Josiah when the high priest Hilkiah, during a period of repairs to the temple, discovers a 'scroll' of the covenant and sends it to the King. On hearing it read, Josiah is convinced disaster is looming. The message of the scroll is authenticated by the prophetess Huldah whom one tradition says was Jeremiah's aunt. Josiah sets about a major religious reform, centralizing all worship in Jerusalem, destroying the religious artifacts of the various foreign religions operating in Judah and Jerusalem, purifying the priesthood of unacceptable practices, having the law read in public and holding a Passover celebration. Now this account in 2nd Kings 22 to 23 comes to us from inside the Deuteronomic tradition, and so Josiah the purifier and reformer is its great hero. But let's set this into a broader historical framework. In 723 B.C. the prosperous northern kingdom, Israel, had been overrun by the Assyrians, and the people had been deported all over the near east. In 716 B.C. Josiah's great-grandfather, the great king Hezekiah had become ruler in the Davidic line in Jerusalem. During his reign the Assyrians attacked and besieged Jerusalem, and despite a mysterious withdrawal and deliverance, Jerusalem effectively became a vassal state paying tribute and taxes. During this period, the seen most clearly in both the breaking of bread at Eucharist, and the lives of the marginalized fled Assyrian encroachment and
Dr. Walter Deller, Principal, The College of Emmanuel and St Chad population of the southern kingdom grew to its greatest number (perhaps doubling or tripling). Judah experienced growth and economic prosperity, extreme taxation to pay tribute that burdened the poor most of all, and high political insecurity and anxiety. It entered into political alliances wherever it could, and the two kings who followed Hezekiah, Manasseh and Amon, introduced whatever forms of foreign religion they encountered that seemed to promise security and social stability. The biblical version of this history tells us a story of a people who worshipped one God, YHWH, the Lord, and who fell away into worship of other gods. Archaeologists and other historians suggest that the reality was more complex. It's likely that in the southern region known as Judah there was very little population earlier than this period and that religious practice was much more diverse and complex than the biblical accounts allow. There seems to have been a much stronger monotheistic strain in the northern mountainous region, associated with the egalitarian and traditional resistance there to the great and oppressive patriarchal hierarchical religion, Baalism. Baalism taught that men by nature had the right to dominate and use women, children and weaker men both economically and sexually in the family and in society.
Strategies and Themes of the Deuteronomic Reform Movement The High Priest Hilkiah's scroll discovered in the temple was likely Hilkiah's own strategy for a major political and religious intervention. The traditional association between the prophet Jeremiah and Hilkiah's family points us to the influence of key prophetic traditions on Hilkiah's own thinking about what was necessary for social and political stability as well as his own greater control of Judah's religious life. He waits a decade until he has the trust of the young king. He creates a document which draws together both the best of the ancient traditions of justice and egalitarian order (likely brought south over the previous century as northerners
violence). He frames it in a contemporary form like a political treaty or contract (the sort of thing the Assyrians forced on all their subjugated vassals, known as a covenant). Finally, he gives it a particular theological message of conditional reward and punishment based both the historical fate of Israel and Samaria a century before, and the most likely prognostications if the current international political directions continue by stating that obedience to the one Lord leads to prosperity and security, while disobedience and injustice leads to divine anger and political subjugation and deportation. He solidifies his own power and influence by introducing the notion that there is to be only one central place of worship and sacrifice in all Israel and Judah, not the hundreds of local sanctuaries that had been around for centuries, and that is to be Jerusalem. And he addresses the political anxiety and social fragmentation by creating a manageable social project which involves idol smashing, altar burning, and singling out and murdering 'wicked' or 'false' priests and leaders. Finally, to create a cohesive political unit from the disparate groups that have migrated into the region of Judah, he creates a culture of xenophobia and hatred of foreigners and their cultural and religious practices. Hilkiah presents this model covenant to the idealistic young king in his late teens, looking for some way to break free of the past and set his mark on the kingdom he rules. The document is prophetically authenticated by a wise elderly matriarch who also promises that Josiah will not suffer the worst fate promised in the book. Next thing, the Deuteronomistic movement is royal policy and gangs are out smashing altars and killing priests and grinding idols and pillars to dust. This is a very cynical but not implausible way to present what is happening. I think it's equally important for us to recognize that while complex and not always nice, human motivations go into this great moment of religious reform. It is also a moment of genuine and faithful response by the High Priest to a moment of national crisis and collapse. It worked in the short term, but we know from the biblical witness that the immediate strategy did not succeed in the medium-term. For after Josiah his descendants went back to their international politi
cal maneuvering with all its religious accompaniments, and in 587 B.C. Jerusalem was besieged and destroyed and the priestly and royal leadership deported to Babylon. But we know something else; in the long-term, this movement caught on with the poor and underprivileged, the “'am ha'ares” who were left behind because they were too insignificant to deport, and it continued in priestly and prophetic circles and became the frame for a new way draw together and retell the history of the Israelite people and their relationship with their unique God of justice and mercy. It's because Deuteronomy represents a genuine attempt by real faithful people in a moment of crisis to rearticulate their faith and to call other people back to the deepest roots and principles of that faith that it gets it so right, and simultaneously, as we can see in hindsight, get some of it so wrong; horribly and destructively wrong with a nuclear half-life that we still see today impacting on and destroying people in our own Anglican communion and other Christian communities. However much the final form of the book that we have in our canon differs from the earliest form of Hilkiah's day, key threads run through it that we know witness to the One God of Israel and of Jesus Christ, the God of the Exodus and of the Resurrection, the God of the prophets and of the apostles. In this God, justice, holiness, mercy and generosity cannot be separated from each other. The first section of the book concludes with a crucial description of who this God is and what sort of human community this God desires: “So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord your God and his decrees that I am commanding you today, for your own well-being. Although heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth with all that is in it, yet the Lord set his heart in love on your ancestors alone and chose you, their descendants after them, out of all the peoples, as it is today. Circumcise, then, the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stubborn any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not
partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God; him alone you shall worship; to him you shall hold fast, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise; he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things that your own eyes have seen. Your ancestors went down to Egypt seventy persons; and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in heaven.” For the God of Deuteronomy the whole measure of our love and faithfulness, the whole measure of our holiness, our justice and our mercy, is how we treat those three categories of people, namely the orphan, the widow and the stranger.
Springtime by Ivan Millard Springtime, its springtime And it’s warm out in the sun. Look at the snow, Watch it go, Washed away as the rivulets run. Forget those parkas and mitts and boots. Daylight gets longer, The sun gets stronger. Put away those shovels and touques Springtime, it’s springtime So take down those Christmas lights. Put them away ‘Till a November day It’s time to go flying kites But don’t get anxious and fret. We’ve seen the first crows But the ground’s still froze. So we can’t start yard work yet. Springtime, early springtime, It’s a time that I like best. Not much needs doing While summer’s renewing It’s a time for relaxing and rest. So let’s sit on the patio and talk. I’ll know summer’s here When a fly lands in my beer And the birds fill the trees by the flock. Springtime, late springtime Now begins the frustration So much to do Making things look new I prefer rest to restoration.