44 TheAnglican TheAnglican
COMMENT COMMENT
This also been a time of germination Our has Faith-Our Hope is changing lives
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t didn’t take long for the came across a pastoral letnovelty of living in selfter from the Bishop of isolation to wear off. While Toronto to the clergy and the idea of working from laity proposing a signifihome seemed appealing at cant fundraising effort. In it he first, what with an easier proposed a graduated schedcommute, a longer morning ule of offerings to achieve a coffee with Mary, dressing substantial goal and an indidown rather than dressing up, it only took a vidual appeal to each church family in the week or so for the reality of isolation to sink diocese by a member of their parish “to in. Thank goodness electronic knock at every one’s for door and rouseconnectivthe inity. We learned quickly to everything. habitants to devote a smallZoom portion of what There is bestowed not only an efficiency theso God has upon them toabout promote medium, but there is also the intrigue of great a work.” at That leastletter peering into each other’s living the came from John Strachan, rooms, studies or the dining rooms1854! to catch first Bishop of Toronto, in January a glimpse of home – meetings from time to The Our Faith-Our Hope: Re-imagine time being interrupted a child or spouse Church campaign beganby with an idea I first or the cat.toElectronic portalsago. have us proposed Synod a decade Askept it graduconnected, sanewe and able to keep work-aally took shape, determined that it would day going. But there are limits, as we the be a life cooperative program shared between discover. A fatigue set in after the hustle diocese and parishes that responded to the and bustle of of God’s Holy Week generosity many and giftsEaster to us toand en-the deep recognition that this COVID-19 run a gage God’s mission. We identified the goalsisof marathon and Local not a sprint. And we wonder, Strengthening Parishes, Building the How long, Lord, howRevitalizing long? Church forO Tomorrow, Our InOne of my escapes while living in the heritance and Giving to Others. state self-isolation garden. TheofCanadian Northhas hasbeen manyour clergy and Outside our kitchen window is a lilac lay catechists in charge of parishes whotree. work Since thea middle March, have watched without stipend.of Many are Iisolated in comwith joy the to life, small buds munities thattree facecome traumatic pastoral issues slowly sprouting, pushing through the end including, unfortunately, the accumulated of what seems awith lifeless branch. One branch pain of dealing multiple suicides. The in particular taps the window when the Diocese of Toronto made a grant of $500,000 wind is blowing – anHope invitation, from Our Faith-Our (OFOH)oftosorts, fund to a request from the Council of the North and Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples to hold regional circles where clergy and lay leaders could come together for mutual learning, support and refreshment. So far, 276 have participated from half a dozen dioceses. Grants ranged from $500 to $100,000. The Diocese of the Arctic, for instance, brought peo-
BISHOP’S DIARY ARCHBISHOP’S DIARY B y B ishop A ndrew A sbil BY ARCHBISHOP COLIN JOHNSON ple from 48 communities together. The feednotice that life is returning in the garden. back has been astounding. It makes a differThe brown wilted leaves left behind by ence in peoples’ lives. autumn are letting go to green shoots pokThe Anglican Chaplaincy for the Canadian ing up through the surface of the earth. The Forces elected its first full-time bishop to prorains of April soaked the soil in preparation vide episcopal care for regular and reserve for May flowers. The gardenand reminds us chaplains and their families, to military that our nature is not to stay inside, cooped personnel across the country. It only became up and self-isolated forever. possible because of an initial endowment of And what is true of $500,000 from OFOH. our own nature is true of the $500,000 Church,grant too. For 50 OFOH days after the Another from to the resurrection appearances, the early Church Primate’s World Relief and Development remained, as instructed, in isolation. Wait Fund (PWRDF) supports new work in materfor the thatinthe is sending nal andpromise child health theFather developing worldto you.midwifery You will receive the the Holy and services inpower remoteofnorthern Spirit, Jesus said to them. They waited, communities in Canada. Ours is the largest prayed, watched and prepared for the single gift any diocese has ever given today when they could break into the world PWRDF in its 50+ year history. Becauselike of the bud onfederal what seems a lifeless branch. matching government grants, that We hear about the themillion. book ofSafe gift created a value of day overin $2.5 Acts, chapter And suddenly from deliveries and 2. proper health care are heaven now there came a sound like the rush of a available because of your generosity. violent wind, and itthe filled the entire house Parishes around diocese have been wherephysically they wereaccessible, sitting. Divided tongues, made youth work is beas of fire, appeared among andpioa ing funded, leaders are beingthem, trained, tongue rested on each of them. Allhave of them neering ministries in new contexts been were filled the Holy Spirit and began to planed and with an amazing array of creative projspeak in other languages, as the Spirit gave ects have been undertaken locally because of themFaith-Our ability. Hope – not just because of the Our Out into the streets went, but breaking financial resources nowthey available, also into the of world to tell out their souls the because a reinvigoration of imagination and commitment. We have succeeded in remarkable ways. While not every parish participated, the vast majority did – and achieved more than many had thought possible. Some of the parishes did not formally join the OFOH project because they were already in the midst of substantial funding efforts. Others added to their
greatness of the Lord. No fear, no hesitation, goals to meet parish capital needs and did no second thoughts – out they went like spectacularly well. Taking that into account, they couldn’t wait. Like being given the allat least $50 million in new funds has been clear after 50 days of self-isolation. Can you contributed to ministry in the diocese and bepicture that? yond in the last seven years, over our regular Have we not been doing the same in offerings and FaithWorks contributions. this time of imposed isolation and quaranWe are a different diocese because of that. tine? Have we not been preparing, prayYes, the money has helped us fund new mining, watching and learning how to be the istries, adapt old buildings, engage in new Church separated from each other? Have mission, support vulnerable people in we not been learning again, or perhaps for Christ’s name. More than that, though, it has the firstbuild time, what it means to be people, faithfulalhelped relationships between when all thatto we are used to doing is taken lowed people share personal stories, idenfor a time: touch, closeness, intimacy, three tified and trained new leaders, built up confidimensions rather than just two. This time dence, and assisted people to articulate and of seclusion has, I hope, also been a time of share their faith. germination. have by been I have been We changed theexperimenting experience. I with newconfident ways of reaching outclearly and supportam more in speaking about ing one another. We have moved our my faith and my commitment to it.beyond I have discomfort azones to try new things, experiment covered new capacity to give generously. I and take risks for amazing the sake Anglicans, of the gospel. have met the most heard One day, the will be One their stories andall-clear been moved by given. their faithday, we Iwill berejoiced permitted to open our doors fulness. have in the creativity and and break into the world. One day, boldness ofback vision of people and parishes we will aroundoccasionally the altar, break (and yes,gather to be honest, disapbread, pour andour speak shalom pointed by a out few).wine I think church is in to a one another with deep joy. And when that different place because of Our Faith-Our day finally comes, I pray that we will not Hope. We have begun to re-imagine church. lose what we havegrateful learned,towhat we have I am profoundly you and the gleaned fromlike thisyou time of have separation. I pray many people who made and are that thisa time of germination will deepenof making difference in our world because our collective resolve to be theI am Church. I your faith in Jesus Christ. And especialpray that through ministry will ly grateful to the layour leaders and others clergy in heardiocese the tapping at the orand door and our who took thewindow initiative rose know life in Jesus Christ. to it sonew graciously. The campaign is now officially concluded, but the allocations continue and the mission God invites us to share is still on our doorsteps. As my first paragraph noted, this was not the first financial campaign, nor will it be the last – the work of the Church is not over. Let us continue onwards in faith and in hope.
Now is the time to be light in the darkness
G Archbishop Finlay was a privilege Serving
od is good. Never has in-the-flesh belonging, community and relationship been more important in the collective consciousness of our generation. broad As a planet, weinviting peoplesmile, are in firm handshake andto a crisis of identity, working the word “welcome” understand how we are individuals within arefixed the memories we community when we are in self-isolahave when I first tion and quarantine. In theAngela wordsand of AdriFinlay,Resources, Bishop of enne Rich frommet herTerence poem Natural Toronto, in Ithe summer ofso “My heart is moved by all cannot save: I was beginning my minmuch has been1997. destroyed. I have to cast my istry as the incumbent St. Joseph of lot with those who, ageofafter age, perversely, Nazareth, Bramalea. power, reconstitute with no extraordinary we entered his office, there was a theWhen world.” warmth andmoved genuineness experienced Time has forward since Richby both of us in our first meeting with Bishop Finlay. courageously penned those words, yet the He wasofvery in getting to know us power herinterested poetry creates a timelessness and our young We shared the stories that lends that family. verse to today. The first time our Christian and family life.new It Iofheard it, it wasjourneys set to music and I was was a pleasure engage withithim and have a to the choir thattowas singing – Women sense of the careCounty. and support he ofOut Loud, ofpastoral Haliburton We sang it fered clergy for andthe their families. I hadbeloved, no idea as a lament loss of a dearly that it six years I would beI working closely and took mylater breath away; found myself with him it asintensely, his executive and disliking as itassistant pulled my heart Archdeacon York. as I grew to know the out. Over theofyears, I got to know as heand wasthe affectionatechoir members,Terry, the music, humly called, when I became a member the Posbling experience of having my ownof heart tulancy Committee and to a regional dean. He expanded, I have come deeply resonate gave the wiseliminal counsel and offered with experience ofgood beinginsight on theinto challenging matters Church. threshold between thatfacing whichthe brings life His and was a calming voice and a non-anxious presence. He offered strong episcopal leadership in the diocese, both pastorally and morally. He was a model of deep faith and prayerful thoughtfulness, and was genuinely concerned about the well-being of the clergy and laity under his episcopal leadership. In the spring of 2003 I received a call from the Archbishop’s office inviting me to meet with him. I thought I was going to be invited to sit on another committee of the diocese. He
A
BISHOP’S OPINION By Bishop Riscylla Shaw
that which moves us quite literally into the world-to-come. In early April, Her Majesty the Queen exBISHOP’S OPINION pressed her deep gratitude to the healthcare and essential workers been pulling BY B ISHOP Pwho ETERhave FENTY together to provide critical supports during quickly got to the purposeMy of our meeting and the COVID-19 pandemic. heart is moved asked I was willing be considered by theifsacrificial andto heroic presenceas of athe candidate for executive first responders, police,assistant the care and and essenarchdeacon. position had become tial workers,The including nursing home vacant staff, when Archdeacon Colin Johnson was elected personal support workers, the employees at suffragan bishop. I was surprised when he grocery marts, gas stations, funeral homes, met with me just before the health clergy conference online counsellors, mental professionthat year and offered me the position. als, clergy, volunteers young and older, and was amore privilege distinct honour to soItmany who,and through perseverance serve as hisor executive assistant and archdeaand actual virtual presence, are providing con. I got toassistance. know Terry even better and life-saving learned much continued from him. Iby witnessed the this depth The Queen saying that of his faith and his concern as foran every parish in unity will be remembered expression the diocese. He showed compassion, particuof “our national spirit, and its symbol will be larly for the marginalized and minorities the rainbows drawn by children.” Every in time the and in community. I seeChurch a rainbow, it the is a wider visceral experience of Archbishop Finlay veryordisciplined in being on the brink ofwas seeing understandhis He worked longmore hours andI paid ating work. something so much than can ask tention to detail, thoroughly reading docuor imagine. In the beautiful description of ments, or hear, any material needed for Ezekielletters 1:28, we “Like the appearance meetings. It was alsoclouds evident he cared of a rainbow in the onthat a rainy day, so deeply for the wider Church and appreciated was the radiance around God. This was the the importance of ecumenical appearance of the likeness of relationships. the glory of the One of the qualities I admired about Terry was his willingness to make time for people. He made himself available to clergy and laity who needed to meet with him. I was often asked to join him in meetings with others, and it was evident that he always listened intently. Terry was a pastor, mentor, friend and confidante. Another quality I admired in him was his humility. He engaged with people in all stations of life. He was as comfortable talking
LORD.” Rainbows are springing up all over the place in chalk on pavement, in windows on poster paper, like universal arrows pointing to hope. They bring colour into our lives and remind us of the living presence of God in our engaging earthly pilgrimage, bringing love, and with persons on the peace, street corner or drop-in centre as he was hearts with persons mercy and compassion to our and serving in our public office. selves and to our minds, to individual One of the challenges faced wasusthe communities. Let them he encourage to not Church’s position human sexuality. While lose heart, but to on keep the faith. in office he upheld the doctrine and discipline The transparent nature of rainbows can of On leaving officiated bethe likeChurch. a sign pointing usoffice, to seehe truth beyond in a same-gender for which he had the immediate, tomarriage, look for wisdom through to be disciplined by his diocesan who very real grief and anger, to seebishop, the possibiliwas his archdeacon, executive ties once of a future together one step atassistant a time. and bishop. In receiving the admoniNowsuffragan is the time to harness our imaginations tion, he told his to successor inaoffice thatofhelife exand creativity, establish rhythm pected nothingspace less from him and that he was that includes for miracles, the quiet, exercising his episcopal ministry responsibly. joyful presence of colour in a rainy sky, the I believe that Archbishop Terence was leaddelicate opening of our hearts to new life. ing the direction of more Now is diocese the timeintothe strengthen as being disciples of welcoming to those who were vulnerable, Christ, to learn again the familiar Word, to marginalized, voiceless in thetominority. study and pray. Now is and the time hold up He made a very significant in darkthe hope for one another, to bedifference light in the life of Now the Diocese of Toronto. It know is not your surprisness. is the time to get to ing, soul.therefore, to hear and read the very complimentary many have shared Some go reflections on lengthythat pilgrimages to have about their experiences of him. He exercised this opportunity, others go to great lengths a servant throughout ordained to avoidministry it… I encourage youhis to be kind tolife, and for that give thanks to God forYou his are exyourself, to we be gentle with yourself. ample. I was privileged and honoured to have a beloved child of God, being born each mohad theKeep opportunity to know him as my bishment. the faith. op, mentor and friend. The Church has been blessed to have had him as a faithful bishop. He will be missed and leaves a legacy of exemplary leadership, humility, compassion and profound faith. We are grateful to his family for having shared him with the Church and assure them of our prayerful support. We give Archbishop Terence Finlay back to his Creator God with the same graciousness we experienced of him. May he rest in peace and rise with Christ in glory.
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May 2020 June 2017
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The Anglican Church In the Anglican Communion: A global community of 70 million Anglicans in 64,000 congregations in 164 countries. Archbishop of Canterbury: The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, Lambeth Palace, London, England SE1 7JU. In Canada: A community of about 600,000 members in 30 dioceses, stretching from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland and north to the Arctic Ocean. Primate: The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls, Church House, 80 Hayden St. Toronto, ON M4Y 3G2 Tel: 416-924-9192 In the Diocese of Toronto: A community of 254 congregations in 210 parishes covering 26,000 square kilometers. Of the nearly 5 million people who live within the diocesan boundaries, 376,000 claim to be affiliated with the Anglican Church, with about 80,000 people identified on the parish rolls. The diocese is home to many ethnic and languagebased congregations, including African, Caribbean, Chinese, Filipino, French, Hispanic, Japanese, and Tamil. The City of Toronto has a large population of aboriginal peoples. Bishop of Toronto: The Rt. Rev. Andrew Asbil York-Credit Valley: The Rt. Rev. Jenny Andison Trent-Durham: The Rt. Rev. Riscylla Shaw York-Scarborough: The Rt. Rev. Kevin Robertson York-Simcoe: The Rt. Rev. Peter Fenty The Diocese of Toronto: 135 Adelaide St. E., Toronto, Ont., M5C 1L8 1-800-668-8932/416-363-6021 Web site: http://www.toronto.anglican.ca
