Anglican Life April 2014

download Anglican Life April 2014

of 16

Transcript of Anglican Life April 2014

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    1/16

    1

    facebook.com/anglicanlife anglicanlife.blogspot.ca twitter - @anglicanlife

    A Section of theANGLICANJOURNAL

    APRIL 2014 NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

    Photo:Shutterstoc

    k

    -SognoL

    ucido

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    2/16

    2

    Easter GreetingBishop Percy Cofn

    The Rt. Rev. Percy Cofn

    BishopWestern NewfoundlandOut of the many holy

    sites visited on a recenttrip to the Holy Land twoscenes keep reappearing.The rst scene is where itall began: Capernaum onthe Northern end of theSea of Galilee where Je-sus said to Simon (calledPeter) and his brotherAndrew, Come, followme. The second scene

    is just a gun-shot to thenorthwest in the smalltown of Tabgha on theshore of the Sea of Galileewhere Jesus, in his thirdpost-resurrection appear-ance, reinstates Peter aschief among the Apos-tles. There is a time lapseof about three years be-tween these two pictures.

    What happened in be-tween? Many, many thingsbut out of the many, onehaunts me in this season:

    Peters dream. Peter hada dream that he mightbe deeply involved withsomeone who was goingto change the world. Withthat dream came also thedoubt that the likes ofhim could be associatedwith the Holy One thatthe Carpenter from Naz-areth turned out to be.Many people who havesince become famous haddreams. Mother Theresadreamed that one day

    she would touch a poorchild in Calcutta. Gandhidreamed that there mustbe a non-violent way toregain his country from

    the British. Dreams arenot just for those whosedreams made them fa-mous. Many dream thatsomehow, someway theirlives might make a dif-ference if they hoped,prayed and worked hardenough. Yet we have to becautious because dreamshave been known to crashand burn.

    Peter has professedJesus as the Messiah, theChrist. Peter said that even

    if he had to die with Jesushe would not deny him. Ata charcoal re in the courtof Caiaphas Peter said tothose who had detectedhis Galilean accent, I donot know the man. Theunknown sherman fromthe North who had wit-nessed the healing of thesick, who had seen theglory of the Lord and thekibosh put on evil deniedhis lord to the point ofheartbreak. Thats what

    happens when dreamsdie. Peter did what wewould do when troubleand trial come our way; werevert to the beginning ofthat experience.

    Peter went back sh-ing, back to Capernaumand we too would go backhome. It is truly home be-cause it is the point wherePeter rst began to dreamand it is here Jesus ndshim by another charcoalre on the shore of the Sea

    of Galilee. Thus the inter-rogation ensues, Do youlove me In this most in-timate conversation Peterdiscovers that failure willnot dene his life. Resur-rection power will.

    You and I need to ex-perience what Peter ex-perienced. We need toacknowledge the real painof our past, to receive thecostly love and forgive-ness of Jesus and get onwith our Baptismal Cov-

    enant. Do you love me?Feed my sheep.

    By faith we rise withJesus in baptism.

    Church of the Primacy of St. Peter on the Sea of Galilee. The traditional site where JesusChrist appeared to his disciples after his resurrection and, according to Catholic tradition,established Peters supreme jurisdiction over the Christian church. Photo via Wikipedia

    Ministryin Twillingate

    Submitted byThe Rev. Ray Brett

    The first six months ofministry of the Rev. JoanneMercer, among us, has beenvery active and fruitful. Ina parish so geographicallydispersed - Twillingate Is-lands, New World Islandsand Change Islands - it isoften very difcult to haveuency in all activities. Nev-ertheless with the involve-ment of so many faithful

    lay workers, her ministry isdeeply appreciated.

    Ministry to the hospitalpatients, the home shut-insand to the senior citizens

    manor has continued on aregular basis by both pastorand laity.

    Christmas was fully cel-ebrated in worship and fel-lowship. The Rector gave awonderful Open House atthe Rectory. St. Peters ACWshared a luncheon at the R&JRestaurant. St. Marys con-gregation held a congrega-tional hot turkey dinner withall the trimmings, followedby music and a sing-a-long.

    The Mens Fellowship choseto donate their would-beparty cost to the CharlesPretty Memorial Fund.

    On January 24, the Mens

    fellowship served a deliciousJiggs Dinner at HerringNeck and raised around$2000. They also plan otheractivities to provide fundingfor a cabin at Mint Brook.This is all part of the CharlesPretty memorial Fund, inhonour of his memory.

    The annual meetings willsoon be held and we believethe scal year will show us infair standing.

    There is a sad decline in

    youth and middle age par-ticipation, but the seniors areremaining faithful.

    May God Bless us all inour daily lives.

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    3/16

    3

    facebook.com/anglicanlife anglicanlife.blogspot.ca twitter - @anglicanlife

    Godly Playin Labrador West

    Submitted byThe Rev. Jolene Peters

    From February 27th-March 1st 2014, the An-glican Parish of LabradorWest joined together withCarol United Church tobegin a new and excitingprogram for the childrenof these parishes.

    The Anglican andUnited church is jointlyowned in Labrador Cityand it was decided asthe congregations sharethe same building andworship space, it wouldbe ideal to share in a pro-gram for the children. TheRev. Jolene Peters of theAnglican Parish and theRev. Wayne Cole of the

    United Parish approachedthe congregations withthis new venture in Chil-drens Ministry. The re-sponse was inspiring andthe excitement spreadinto the community. TheLabrador West Ministeri-al Association graciouslycame on board with us

    and contributed to halfthe start up costs for thisprogram.

    We strongly believein Godly Play and what itcan do for the children ofthese communities. GodlyPlay teaches children theart of using Christian lan-guage - parable, sacredstory, silence and liturgi-cal action - helping them

    become more fully awareof the mystery of Godspresence in their lives.

    Godly Play TrainersKathy Peddle and DonnaRonan along with GodlyPlayer Barbara Boonecame to Labrador West fora three day core trainingevent where we trained

    eleven Story Tellers. Thosewho attended left feelingexcited and enthused tobegin this program andwe look forward to all wewill experience togetherand all the wondering thatwill happen in LabradorWest as we engage thechildren with Godly Play.

    The Womenof Easter

    As I sit down to writethis, I am thinking a lot about

    women. I have been hearingof tragedies concerningwomen in the news and Iwill soon be helping withtwo services that will be ledpredominantly by Chris-tian women. All of this hasturned my thoughts towardhow Jesus treated womenand how they figured inHis ministry. To Him theywere never inferior or sec-ond-class people. He ad-dressed them just as franklyas He addressed everyoneelse, but always with thesame unconditional love

    and respect.Recently, I was involved

    in a couple of discussionsabout what evidence thereis in the New Testament topoint to the fact that Jesusresurrection actually tookplace. I told the others inthe conversation that oneof my favorite pieces ofevidence for this is thatwomen were the rst to goto the tomb and report onit. Given the culture of thattime, if men were makingup the story, they wouldnever have given that placeof honor to what at thattime were considered to bemere women.

    After the Sabbath, atdawn on the first day ofthe week, Mary Magdaleneand the other Mary went tolook at the tomb. There wasa violent earthquake, foran angel of the Lord camedown from heaven and,going to the tomb, rolledback the stone and sat onit. His appearance was likelightning, and his clotheswere white as snow. Theguards were so afraid of himthat they shook and becamelike dead men. The angelsaid to the women, Do notbe afraid, for I know thatyou are looking for Jesus,who was crucied. He is nothere; he has risen, just as

    he said. Come and see theplace where he lay. Then goquickly and tell his disciples:

    He has risen from the deadand is going ahead of youinto Galilee. There you willsee him. Now I have toldyou. So the women hurriedaway from the tomb, afraidyet lled with joy, and ran totell his disciples. SuddenlyJesus met them. Greetings,he said. They came to him,clasped his feet and wor-shiped him. Then Jesus saidto them, Do not be afraid.Go and tell my brothers togo to Galilee; there they willsee me. (Matthew 28:1-10NIV)

    This speaks to me be-cause it demonstrates thatwomen were equal to oth-ers in Jesus ministry andamong His disciples. WhenI hear stories and reports ofhow women are treated inother cultures, in our ownsociety, and even in theChurch, I feel that Jesusmust weep. And when theyare girls who are not yetwomen, but are abused,sold and murdered, I canfeel His righteous anger.

    Jesus is the yardstick bywhich we must all measure

    how we treat each other. ToJesus, we are all equal in Hislove and entitled to shareequally in His grace. He isour Lord and Risen Saviour,and we are Easter women.

    Stella Walsh

    Columnist

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    4/16

    4

    RememberingCanon Ralph Billard

    NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

    ANGLICAN LIFE in Newfoundland and Labrador is the newspaperof the Anglican Church in the Province of Newfoundland andLabrador. A co-operative effort of the three Dioceses inNewfoundland and Labrador, it is publishes ten issues each

    calendar year with an independent editorial policy.

    Anglican Life is a section of the Anglican Journal

    Editor:The Revd Sam Rose8 Croydon StreetParadise, NLA1L 1P7Email: [email protected]

    Advertising Rates and other information may be obtained from:Bishop Donald Young34 Fraser Road, Gander, NL, A1V 2E8Phone: (709) 256-7701Email: [email protected] Rates:Newfoundland and Labrador: $15.00Outside the province: $20.00International: $25.00

    New subscriptions, cancellations, & changes of address shouldbe sent to:CirculationThe Anglican Journal (attn. Bev Murphy)80 Hayden Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 3G2

    (416) 924-9192 (O) (416) 925-8811 (fax)Email: [email protected]

    Each parish is responsible for maintaining its own subscriptionlist - please notify your parish ofce of any changes. Changessent to parish ofces may take months to take effect. Pleasealso send your updated information to Circulation at theAnglican Journal (above) or to Don Young at 34 Fraser Road,Gander NL A1V 2E8.

    Articles and photographs: Send to the Editor (above)

    Letters to the Editor:Send to the Editor, Sam Rose (address as above). All lettersmust include the writers name, address, and telephonenumber. Telephone numbers will not be published. AnglicanLife does not publish letters under nom de plume. Lettersshould not exceed 300 words (one double spaced typewrittenpage), and are subject to editing at the discretion of the editor.

    These policies were adopted by the Anglican Life Committee.

    Layout & Design by: Sam Rose (with fantastic help fromSaskia Rowley!)

    Printed and Mailed by:Webnews Printing Inc.

    8 High Meadow PlaceNorth York, ON, M9L 2Z5

    Circulation: 20,486

    The Rev. Sam Rose

    Editor

    An gl ic an Li fe lost a

    faithful friend and support-er with the death of theReverend Canon Ralph Bil-lard on March 2, 2014. HeservedAnglican Life, andits predecessor, the New-foundland Churchman,forsixteen years. Bishop Mar-tin Mate appointed CanonBillard as Diocesan Editor in1990 and he served underthree Editors-in-Chief andthree Bishops. His last Edi-torial from 2006 is reprintedbelow as a tribute to him. Inthis editorial, Ralph wrotehow much he enjoyed hiswork, and talked of theimportance of communica-tions in the life and work ofthe Anglican Church in thisprovince. He was a passion-ate advocate for this Churchnewspaper and he will trulybe missed. Your prayersare asked for his wife Kay,children Kathie and Michaeland numerous family andfriends. Rest eternal grantunto him, O Lord, and maylight perpetual shine upon

    him. Amen. - The RevdSam Rose, Editor.

    Communica-tion is at the heartof everything thatwe do. It seemsthat all my life I havebeen involved inthe communica-tion industry inone way or anoth-er. From being, as ayoung boy, a news-paper carrier forthe Western Star,

    to Editor of ourHigh School Year-book, to writingTwin-Town Notesfor the WesternStar, to editingnewsletters for theRadar Technicianspublication, andparish newslettersin the various par-ishes served, to ac-tually training andworking as a RadioOperator in my first ca-

    reer and still holding anAmateur Radio Operatorscerticate.

    So, it wasnt by acci-dent that in 1990 I became

    appointed as Associate

    Editor of the, then, New-foundland Churchman(now, of course, AnglicanLife.) The experiences Ihave enjoyed, the learningopportunities of which Ihave availed, especiallyby attending the AnglicanEditors Association annualconferences where work-shops were always a majorpart of the agenda, and theopportunities afforded meto write and to edit havebeen a richly rewardingpart of my life.

    I have continued asAssociate Editor since myretirement from parish min-istry in 2000. I feel that it isnow time for me to resignthis particular activity. Ihave tendered my resig-nation as Associate Editor,effective January 1, 2007,to Bishop Pitman who is re-sponsible for appointmentsof this nature in the Dioceseof Eastern Newfoundlandand Labrador.

    So, there it is. I suspect

    my final editorial typeitem for Anglican Life. I

    want to thank Bishop Mate

    for the appointment inthe rst place, and BishopHarvey and Bishop Pitmanfor allowing me to contin-ue. Also, a thank you to

    the three Editors-in-Chiefand the several AssociateEditors from the other twodioceses with whom I haveworked over the years. Anda great, big thank you tothe readers , many of whohave been kind enough tocompliment me from timeto time on my contributionto this paper.

    The importance of thistri-diocesan paper to thelife of the church in New-foundland and Labrador

    should never be under-estimated . For years Ihave maintained at nearly

    every ManagementCommittee meet-ing three major fac-tors about AnglicanLife:

    1) It is one ofthe symbols of uni-ty within the threedioceses; it is thebest evangelismtool that we pos-sess as a tri-dioce-san family.

    2) It is the onepiece of church lit-erature that getsinto every Anglicanhousehold in New-foundland and Lab-rador once a monthfor ten months ofeach year.

    3) It is a reec-tion of the life of thechurch in the threedioceses.

    I am glad tohave been part of this very

    important ministry. Com-munication is at the heartof it all.

    - Ralph Billard

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    5/16

    5

    facebook.com/anglicanlife anglicanlife.blogspot.ca twitter - @anglicanlife

    Easter GreetingBishop David Torraville

    The Rt. Rev. David Torraville

    BishopCentral Newfoundland

    In The Word AmongUs, Year A, Vol. 1, HerbertODriscoll point outs theactive verbs and vivid im-ages of our Easter read-ing from Acts (10.34-43)and summarizes the read-ing in the following way:

    God sent a messageby Jesus.

    That message spread.God anointed

    Jesus with power.He went about doing

    good and healing.We are witnesses to

    all this.They put him to death.God raised him from

    the dead.He appeared to us,

    who are witnesses.We ate and drank with

    him after he rose.He commanded us to

    preach.

    Everyone who be-lieves in him is forgiven.

    In February I was veryfortunate to be in Galileeand to walk the beachwhich is remembered asthe beach where Jesusmet his disciples after hisresurrection, and servedthem breakfast. I sat onthe rock which is com-memorated as the rockon which Jesus servedthe breakfast and I walkedthe beach where Jesus

    asked Peter Do you loveme? As I sat and walkedand prayed and enjoyedthe warmth and gentlebreeze, all around werefellow Christians; a Kore-an group, Indians, Brazil-ians, Japanese, Canadi-ans and Americans, eachreading scripture andpraying.

    I realized then that thepower of this experiencewas not that I could walkthe beach and read scrip-

    ture, not that I could sit onthe rock and pray, not thatin my minds ear I couldalmost overhear the con-versation of Peter andJesus; the power of thisexperience is that alongwith those on the beachfrom all around the world,I am a witness and that Ihave been commanded

    to preach. The power of

    the experience is that wemust walk back up thathill from the beach, get onour buses and get on withour lives. We have beenforgiven and our faith isnot a personal passiveexperience to be livedquietly on the beach butan active engagementwith God and the world.

    Easter is that timewhen we are called torecommit ourselves tothe faith that was evident

    on that beach 2000 yearsago. It was a faith sharedamong only eleven re-maining disciples, butthrough their response,and with Gods grace, thefaith spread such that tothis day people from allaround the world returnto that beach and gatherin churches at Easter to berenewed.

    In this Easter season,may Gods grace ll you,that your faith may bless

    and inspire you and thatyour living of that faithmay be an inspiration toothers.

    Find out more at

    www.anglicanfoundation.org

    imaginewhat you could dowith $10,000

    If you have an amazing ideafor engagingyoung leadersaged 18 30 in ministry,evangelismor mission,send us a proposal.

    5 grants of up to

    $10,000

    for new initiatives

    in 2015

    submit by

    September 1, 2014

    Imagine what youcould do with $10,000

    Beginning in 2014,the Anglican Founda-tion of Canada will setaside $50,000 each year

    to encourage and fundinnovative ministry-re-lated projects througha Request-for-Proposalsprocess. Responding toVision 2019, this yearsfocus is new projects thattrain young adult leadersin ministry, evangelism, ormission.

    5 one-time grants

    of up to $10,000are available;

    Projects will benew initiatives un-dertaken in 2015;

    Target is 18-30

    year olds, lay orordained; Leadership skills

    and project out-comes are to bespecific and im-pactful;

    Projects requirethe endorsementof a diocesan bish-op in the AnglicanChurch of Canada;

    Proposals submit-ted in response tothis request do not

    count as one of thethree submissionseach diocese is al-lowed per year;

    Submission dead-line is September1, 2014;

    The AFC Board of Di-rectors will review pro-posals in November 2014and announce thosereceiving grants in earlyDecember.

    For more information,please visit:anglicanfoundation.org

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    6/16

    6

    A Christians journey through cancer

    In the valley of

    Shadow part TwoThe Rev. John Watton

    Guest Columnist

    Green patients chairswait in a corner of eachsmall examination roomat the Cancer Clinic inSt. Johns. I never sat inone until I was asked to.For my rst time in thatdubious seat of honour,

    an oncology team com-prised of doctors, nurses,specialists and studentswere all gathered in thisone place. One physi-cian spoke about thetreatments I was about toundergo while the otherslooked quietly at me, as-sessing my reaction.

    We are going tomake you very, very sick.

    The chemotherapywould be among thehighest doses ever givenin our province. I wouldstart off in the Ganderclinic for two doses thenbe admitted and isolatedfor a 120 hour regimen ofmore Chemotherapy. Iwould be helped as bestthey could, to keep megoing. Once recoveredenough, I would travelto St. Johns for radia-tion interspersed with

    more chemotherapy .This cycle would be re-peated several times inthe hope of destroyingthe tumour. Each roundof chemotherapy wipedout my white blood cells,my weakness and vulner-ability compounded byserious radiation burnsfrom the inside out ofmy neck. I could not eator swallow for weeks ata time, and had to ght

    against malnutrition, in-fections and dehydration.I became helpless. Thestaff at the Cancer Clinicsin Gander and St. Johns

    was attentive, encourag-ing and sympathetic tome and my wife Karen,who never left my side.They went above thecall of duty, and kept megoing.

    Beyond family, onlythe Vestry and Wardensof our parish knew aboutmy illness. After my di-agnosis and treatmentswere outlined I spoke to

    the congregation duringa very emotional Eucha-rist to disclose everydetail. We have a strong,trusting and loving fel-

    lowship among the lead-ership and membershipof the Cathedral . I felt itimportant for my Churchfamily to be part of thewhole journey. I believedthat Jesus would use

    all of this to strengthenand bless the Church.

    I told everyone that Iwas about to take a longwalk through the Valley of

    The Shadow and wouldmake sure that they kneweverything that was hap-pening. I started an on-line blog to honestly

    share my physical, mentaland spiritual challenges.I wanted to make surethat people got the rightstory, and I honestly be-lieved, that even in dark-ness and despair, Gods

    love would

    be found bysightings andglimpses ofGrace in theValley of theShadow. Ihad no ideaat the time asto just howdark, lonelyand painfulthis journeywas to be.

    G o o dwishes andlove pouredin for the nexteight monthsf r o m o u rPar ish andbeyond pro-viding botha sustainingenergy, andmuch materi-al to pondertheologically.

    I t is noteasy to por-tray the en-tirety of mytheologicalreflection ina short arti-cle, but let me

    leave you with these twocontrasting memories foryour own reection.

    Many people wouldsay something like this to

    me: Rev. John, you willbe all right. God wontlet anything happen toyou. He still needs you todo so much more work

    . Good words. Well in-tentioned and somewhatcomforting. Somewhat.

    When I began my or-dained ministry yearsago, one of the rst sickpersons I ministered to

    was a lady in the finalstages of cancer. Ill nev-er forget the incrediblesadness in her eyes orher plea: I dont under-stand why God is lettingthis happen to me. I haveserved Him well, and stillhave so much to offer.

    I have journeyedas best I could, partway through the Val-ley with some people.But no other person canever get you through tothe other side.

    Whatever brokennessor illness that causes yourpain, is yours. You arethe only person who canwork it out with God. Oth-ers who love you will tryto share it, carry it for you,and weep with you. ThankGod for those people.They are Sacramental.They are glimpses of blue

    sky on a rainy day, theirlove is a healing powerand because of them,the journey can becomebearable...even beau-tiful, as God makes Hispoint for your life known.

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    7/16

    7

    facebook.com/anglicanlife anglicanlife.blogspot.ca twitter - @anglicanlife

    Sharing Anglican Lifein Forteau, Labrador

    2013 saw many peo-ple travelling within theParish of Forteau to shareAnglican life around thechurch community. Wewould like to share someof this life with you.

    On Old ChristmasDay, January 6th, St. An-drews celebrated TheFestival of Nine Lessons

    and Carols (1918) asadapted from Kings Col-lege University Chapelin Cambridge, England.The festival; originallydesigned in 1880 bythe late Rev. E. W. Ben-son, was arranged fromancient sources for aChristmas Eve service,and has remained virtu-ally unchanged for over130 years. Among mil-lions of people who have

    celebrated the festival,it has become a Christ-mas tradition for many.Beginning with Once inRoyal Davids City, it isa joyful way to share inheart and mind the storyof the Christ-Child anda way to remember allthose who rejoice withus, but on another shoreand in a greater light.

    On January 18th, St.John the Evangelist cel-ebrated a service begin-ning the week of Prayerfor Christian Unity. Parishmembers and membersfrom other Christian de-nominations travelledeast and west to join inprayer for Christian uni-ty and to reect on thewords of Jesus, ThatThey May All Be As One.Following the service,everyone shared tea,sandwiches and sweetsprepared by the ACW of

    Capstan Island.On March 8th, many

    members of the parish at-tended the World Day of

    Submitted byThe Rev. Norman Cutler

    Prayer service with otherChristian denominationsat the Living Waters Pen-tecostal Church, EnglishPoint. Through the min-

    isterial association herein Forteau we are ableto plan for a number ofecumenical services and

    the Anglican communityis always willing to traveland share in this part ofchurch life.

    On September 14th,after travellingin high windsa n d r o u g hseas, St. LukesACW Districtheld their an-nual meetingin the parish.A terric meet-ing was sharedby all the ACWmembers inpraye r , fe l -lowship, andb u s i n e s s ,while plentyof food, fun,skits and sto-ry-telling wasenjoyed by all.The meetingended withHoly Eucha-rist and reec-

    tions of Godspresence tous in creationthrough wind,

    re, earth and light.On October 5th& 6th,

    the people of the parishwere honoured to wel-come our bishop, Bishop

    Percy Cofn. The serviceof Holy Conrmation wascelebrated as the wholeparish joined in prayer to

    support the candidatescoming forward to re-ceive the Laying on ofHands with Bishop Cof-n. As part of their ed-

    ucation and instruction,candidates had visitedall the parish churchesto learn about the sac-raments, symbols, rela-

    tionships, structure andhistory within the churchcommunity. It is very en-couraging to see many

    of our Anglican youthcontinuing to serve inthe life of the church afterconrmation.

    On December 22nd,the chi ldrensChristmas pag-e ant f rom St .Pauls Church wasdeeply movingfor all of us as ourchildren in wordand action repeat-ed the story of theChrist-Child. Thechildren recitedChristmas vers-es while actingout the lives ofMary & Joseph,the shepherds,and the wise men.Christmas hymnswere sung. Chil-dren prayed whiles t a n d i n g a n dholding handstogether in a cir-cle to lead every-

    one in the LordsPrayer. Theyserved fantasticmufns following

    their pageant.On December 24th,

    Christmas Eve serviceswent quite well with 300people in attendancealong with students andvisitors home for theChristmas holidays. Andon the eve of Old Christ-mas Day 2014, the peo-ple of the parish onceagain travelled to sharetogether in The Festivalof Nine Lessons and Car-ols at St. Peters, Forteau

    On January 19th, 2014Holy Baptism was cel-ebrated in the parish.Holy Baptism is not cel-ebrated often any morebut when it is, somesponsors may commit totheir vows by proxy. OnJanuary 19ththough, theparents of our most new-ly baptized asked if oneof the sponsors couldbe present by proxy

    but commit to their vowswith the newest of tech-nology using Skype. Weall felt a positive impactof this new experiencewith Skype technology.Everyone present sharedthe prayers and renewedtheir own baptismal cov-enant with a strong surgeof the presence of theHoly Spirit by Skype.And many people trav-elled to be present tosupport our most newlybaptized child; JaylynStacie Davis-Andersonin the traditional way andby modern technologyby Skype. And its fromthe old I travel to thenew. Keep me travellingalong with you. JuniorPraise. (1986). One morestep along the world I go.

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    8/16

    8

    New Church Hallfor Bay St. George

    All stories submitted byDiana Swift

    The spacious new hall for the parishof Bay St. George owes its origin to avery basic decit: the old church had nowashroom facilitiesindoors or out. Peo-ple had to fend for themselves outdoorswhere they could, says rectors wardenWayne Morris, who chairs the buildingcommittee. And thats no small challengein a Newfoundland winter.

    That humble need led to the con-struction of the nearly completed churchhall, 30 feet by 46 feet, which has akitchen, storage rooms and a large spacefor meetings and Sunday schoolnot tomention the facilities that catalyzed theproject.

    The meeting space will be more thanwelcome. So far this year, our churchgroups have met in a retirement manor,a motel and someones home. Wevebeen all over the map, says Morris. Thatsituation will be remedied when the hallopens its doors in April or May. With thestructure, roof, vinyl siding and electrical,

    water and septic systems now in place,only the interior remains to be nished.Were waiting on estimates from tradespeople now, Morris says.

    After investigating thrifty work-arounds such as excavating space for ahall beneath the church and subdividingthe back of the church, the buildingcommittee soon realized the buildingsstructure would not permit either ofthose options.

    So with a loan and a grant from thediocese of Western Newfoundland, theparish turned sod on the new venture inJune of last year. We also applied tothe Anglican Foundation and it gave usa wonderful grant of $6,500 and a loanof $10,000, says Morris. So far wevespent about $40,000 in materials andlabour, and weve had some volunteerlabor go into it as well.

    Work proceeds apace on nishingthe halls interior. Then we have todecide on a name and the rules andregulations of use, says Morris, lookingahead to the grand spring opening.

    The New Sa realistic chur

    On Easter Sunday, long-time parishioners of theformer St. Michael and All Angels church in down-town St. Johns will feel as if theyve come home.Even though theyll be worshipping in a brand-newsuburban building, the pulpit, pews and altar fromtheir former inner-city site will await them like oldfriends. Theyve been in storage for four years sincewe sold the old building, says the Rev. Sam Rose,rector.

    The modern St. Michael sits on 1.5 acres at theentrance to the 10,000-home Kenmount Terrace sub-division. Its more realistic 320-seat capacity replacesthat of the 900-seat Art Deco church built in 1956during the post-war population explosion. From the1960s to the 80s, the demographic shifted to thesuburbs, and the building became an unaffordable,if beautiful, destination church for loyal parishionersnot living in the neighbourhood, Rose explains. Thequestion became: are we just going to try to maintain

    the church and keep on going or are we going to befocused on mission?On the market for almost three years, the church

    sold for $1.6 million in 2010 to Mark Dobbin, a scionof the provinces wealthy helicopter-manufacturing

    The sparkling new church hall beside St. Georges willopen this spring. Photo courtesy the Rev. Terry Rose

    Shaped for the future: the new St. Michael and All AngSt. Johns.Photo: Courtesy the Rev. Sam Rose

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    9/16

    9

    facebook.com/anglicanlife anglicanlife.blogspot.ca twitter - @anglicanlife

    Making a difference

    in Newfoundland and Labrador

    . Michaelsh for the times

    mily who wanted to turn it into a youth athleticntre. I gave Mark the tour and as he was lookingt over the pews, he started counting, says Rose,m going to put four volleyball courts where yourws are, he said.Originally destined to stand on a parcel of dioc-

    an-owned land in nearby Mount Pearl, the newurch ran into regulatory roadblocks when they deemed the site not serviceable for water andwage.

    Since 2010, the parish has been worshipping atrnells Funeral Home, but in a welcome changet September, it was able to hold its annual Patronalstival worship in the partially nished church. Ineping with current needs, the parish is planningpartner with a non-prot day care organizationprovide 32 affordable childcare spaces in the

    urch hall.The building project received a $100,000 loan

    d a $4,000 grant from the Anglican Foundation.he nancial support of the foundation was a crucialrt of our overall budget, says Rose. The moneyisted us in fully nancing our building project andare very thankful for this tremendous resource.

    Making church accessible for all thanks to the AnglicanFoundation. Photo courtesy the Rev. Eric Squires

    Making Churcheasier for seniorsWhen St. Clements, a 100-year-

    old church in Champneys West onTrinity Bight, burned down in the1950s, the present wooden struc-ture went up in its place. For all itspostwar modernity, the new buildinglacked an indoor restroom. Therewas an old privy out back, but peopledidnt like to use it, says the Rev. Eric

    Squires, rector.Now the shunned privy has been

    torn down, replaced by an indoorwheelchair-accessible facility at theback of the 120-seat church. Witha project grant from the provincialgovernment paying for labour anda $1,700 grant from the AnglicanFoundation going toward buildingmaterials, the washroom and watersystem were installed last June.

    At about six by nine feet, witha large door and good angles formaneuvering wheelchairs, the elec-

    trically heated facility has had areal impact. Its been an importantaddition because our congregationis mainly elderly, and some peopleare in wheelchairs or have cognitiveproblems. They need easy accessto a washroom, says Squires, whothinks the new amenity may evenhave boosted attendance.

    About 18 months ago, Squirescame out of retirement from nearbyCatalina parish to serve the threecongregations. Champneys West isone of 12 picturesque communitieson Trinity Bight, about 40 kilometresfrom Bonavista.

    Port Rexton parishs three Angli-can churches all lie within seven ki-lometres of each other. The congre-gations move around from church tochurch every week, says Squires. Thenew facility at St. Clements has madeit a more appealing destination.

    www.anglicanfoundation.org

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    10/16

    10

    Judge NotA lesson learned

    Ron Clarke

    ColumnistDuring Christmas I was

    sitting in my car on a busySt. Johns street one day,just watching the peoplestream by. My daughterMelanie had gone to anearby shop. After a fewminutes I noticed a paletired-looking man nearby,sitting on a small box, in asnow bank.

    He held out a smallChristmas stocking towardsme, obviously expectingsome money from pass-ers-by.

    Hes a bum, I quick-

    ly concluded, looking formoney for cigarettes, or,worse still, for liquor ordrugs.

    So, I decided to ignorehim.

    But, there was some-thing in the way he lookedat me that made me feelguilty. Perhaps he reallyneeded money for food, ormedicine. He didnt lookwell.

    Judge not that you bejudged my co nsci ence

    stated. And then I remem-bered Jesus-In as much asyou have done it unto theleast of these youve doneit unto me.

    If this man were reallyJesus, I thought, would Ihesitate to give him money?I would be so honored anddelighted to do so!

    All this time the manhad not spoken to me. Per-haps he couldnt talk?

    Then I rememberedthe Bibles saying that of-tentimes we meet withangels, unawares. Thatsuggests that sometimesangels (even Jesus himself,maybe) appear before us,disguised as needy mor-tals looking for help. Howoften, I wondered have wemisunderstood, wa lkedaway and missed a gloriousopportunity?

    Just then my daughterarrived. Seeing the beggar,she without hesitation, gavehim, as a good Christianshould, a generous dona-tion.

    Another very important

    lesson learned, I believe,not only for me, but for allof us.

    It is more blessed togive, we are told, than toreceive. And God loves acheerful giver.

    Having a negative atti-tude towards others, beingall-too-ready to misjudge,may cost us far too much inthe end!

    Photo:Shuttersto

    ck-Photograp

    hee.eu

    Burin Holy Trinity ACW held their annual Christmas Dinner at the church hallagain this year. A delicious hot turkey dinner was prepared and served by the

    spouses of the members. Following dinner was a wonderful evening of fel-lowship and songs accompanied by Rev. Terry Caines on his guitar. Again this

    year, instead of exchanging gifts, the value of the gifts was donated to RonaldMacDonald House. Submitted by Shirley Beck

    Friendly VisitorsMount Pearl celebrates

    Submitted byJean Nash

    February 28, 2014,marked the 30th Anni-versary of the ParishNetwork Visitors at theChurch of the Ascen-sion. During these 30years, parishioners withthe PNV have made(and continue to make)monthly visits to Seniors

    who are no long able toattend church worshipdue to age, sickness,or some other infirmi-ty. These dedicate d

    members, during theirvisits, share the newsof the parish, lend alistening ear, deliver thechurchs bulletins, andenjoy each others com-pany. Robert Nurse andCindy Button, two of theoriginal group formedat the Annual GeneralMeeting in 1984, are stilla part of this very vibrantministry.

    In the photograph:Back row (left to right):Phyllis Cooper, Shir-ley Cooper, MargaretYetman, Cindy Button,

    Canon Sheppard, JeanNash, Marion Thomas,Doris Piercey. Front row(left to right): Phyllis For-ward, Stewart Button,Robert Nurse, ClarenceLoder. Missing fromphoto: Derrice Bellamy,Netha Stone, and RubySlade.

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    11/16

    11

    facebook.com/anglicanlife anglicanlife.blogspot.ca twitter - @anglicanlife

    Maundy ThursdayJesus washes our feet

    The Rev. Michael Li

    Columnist

    According to mostChristian tradition, on

    Thursday during HolyWeek Jesus met in theUpper Room with Hisdisciples in order to ob-serve Passover. The LastSupper provides thescriptural basis for theHoly Eucharist.

    In Jesus time, thedusty and dirty condi-tions of the area andthe wearing of sandalsnecessitated foot-wash-ing. The disciples weresurprised when they sawJesus take a basin of wa-

    ter, and wash their feet.Jewish servants did notwash their masters feet,though Gentile slavesmight do it. It was a lowlydomestic task, and Jesusdid it! Jesus probablyused one basin of waterand washed the feet ofHis twelve disciples.

    Jesus knew that therewas a competitive spiritin the hearts of His disci-ples. In fact, within a fewminutes, the men were

    disputing over which ofthem was the greatest(Luke 22:24-30). Jesusgave them an unforget-table lesson in humility.The foot-washing wasonly an example. MostAnglicans do not believein the literal interpreta-tion of the Bible.

    Today, there is noneed for us to practiceliteral foot-washing. Wewear shoes, not sandals.We have paved roads

    and sidewalks, not dustypaths. Besides, if I were

    going to wash peoplesfeet at a Maundy Thurs-day service, I would haveto use a clean towel, anda clean basin of water foreach person. Symbolismlooses its signicance if Icould not use the sametowel and the same basinof water for all people. IfI were to use one basinof water, who would liketo be the last one to bewashed?

    The foot-washing wasonly an example of ser-

    vant hood. Jesus calledHis disciples to the way ofservice. Christian serviceenables us to say No!to the worlds games ofpromotion and authority.It abolishes our desire fora pecking order. In thechicken pen there is nopeace until it is clear whois the greatest and who isthe least and who are inbetween. All believersare in the same rank - theservants of Jesus.

    Jesus took the placeof a servant. He servedHis followers. Humilityis not thinking lowly ofyourself; it is simply notthinking of yourself at all.We should not seek forhonour, thirst for praise,lust for power, and de-mand to have ones ownway. Jesus saw dustyfeet. He was concernedabout the needs of oth-ers. His example helpsus to see the needs of

    others.Our Christian callingis not to go do what Je-sus did - to wash the feetof others. Our calling isto do what Jesus said - tolive out the Great Com-mandment. Jesus callsus to the ministry of thetowel. May our love forJesus and for others ndexpression in deeds andwords. The strong willprotect the weak. Thehealthy will look afterthe sick. The learned will

    educate the unlearned.The young will care forthe old. The followersof Jesus will continue toshare the Gospel mes-sage with others.

    Readingthe Bible (part 2)

    The Rev. Everett Hobbs

    Columnist

    One of the pitfalls ofreading the Bible is toselect verses to prove ordefend a particular beliefor position. It often hap-pens when there are differ-ent sides to controversialissues. As you can nd averse or text to supportalmost any point of view, initself it is a fruitless under-taking. It also causes andpromotes division, as eachside takes an entrenchedposition, preventing de-bate and dialogue.

    For me pulling verses(proof texts) out of the Bi-ble just to make a point is amisuse of Scripture. Whilewe need to seek bibli-cal evidence for what webelieve, it needs to comefrom the Bible as a whole.Indeed, we need to startwith the Bible in the rstplace and attempt to readwithout preconditions and

    justifying our beliefs.There are a number of

    principles I recommend inreading the Bible. Firstly,to look for the revelation ofGod. We open the Biblelooking for the God who

    reveals himself throughthe text. This complementsthe revelation of God inJesus Christ and it entailsan encounter with the Godwe meet there. Second-ly, to look for the will ofGod, believing the Bibleto contain his will Toooften we conrm the willof God to certain partsof the Bible and therebytranslate his will into rulesand guidelines. The Bibleis more than a guide book:we need to see the biggerpicture.

    Two important factorsin interpreting scriptureare context and commu-nity. The Bible is an his-torical document writtenover a long period of timein conditions different thanours with a different world-view and culture. Thisis context and we gainmore insight into a pas-sage when we know itsbackground. The othercontext is the one we are inat this time. Whatever in-terpretation we gain fromthe biblical text, we then

    have to apply to our owndifferent situation. Contex-tual Bible study brings thecontext of the bible andthe context of the readerinto dialogue for the sake

    of transformation.We are also likely togain more from the Bibleif we read it together, thatis, as a community. Usuallywe read it alone, but weneed to complement thisby joining others, such asin a Bible study In the rstplace the Bible belongsto the Church, the com-munity, and her doctrinewas formed by the Churchmeeting as councils andsynods. We can also readthe Bible alone while stillreading with others by

    using commentaries andbooks about the Bible,and learning from othersthrough the tradition.

    The Anglican Commu-nion has issued a reportThe Bible in the Life ofthe Church. The studyof the Bible is never n-ished, each age must inits own way newly seekto understand the sacredbooks. You can down-load the report by Googlesearching the above titleor buy the book. It is agood resource for a parish

    and it has links to othermaterial.Martin Luther wrote,

    The neglect of Scriptureis one of the greatest evilsin the world. We do ev-erything else . . . but HolyScripture is neglected asthough there was no needof it. We read the Biblenot simply to interpret itbut to interpret life with itshelp. A C Thiselton writes, If the Bible is to transformus , it must be what Luthercalled our adversary,not simply conrming us

    in what we already are. Italso means reaching be-yond our small narcis -sistic world bounded byself-centered interests.

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    12/16

    12

    Memorial collageAll Saints Corner Brook

    Submitted byLinda Buckle

    In celebration of the50th Anniversary of AllSaints Church, CornerBrook, on October 5,2014, a Memorial HymnSing will take place duringthe 11:00am churchservice. With your helpa Memorial Collagewill be displayed. Thisproject will provide avisual depiction of theparishioners who are nolonger with us but con-tributed time, talent,and treasure to make All

    Saints Church, CornerBrook a reality through-out the past 50 years. Tohave an image of yourdeparted loved one in-cluded please providea 4x6 or smaller photoand name of that per-son - the photo will NOTbe returned. Deadlinefor submission of yourphoto will be Septem-ber 28th, 2014 in order

    to have it included in thisproject.Please send your in-

    formation through e-mailor regular postal ser-vice to: Linda Buckle, 21Osmonds Avenue, Cor-ner Brook, NL A2H1T4or E-mail: [email protected] orPhone 709-634-5694.You can also call Janetat the Church Office:All Saints Church, 42Clarence Street, CornerBrook, NL, A2H 1T4. Or

    visit the Church Web-site: www.freewebs.com/allsaintsparish or E-mail:[email protected]

    You are an ExecutorKnow whats next

    Kevin Smith

    Columnist

    This column contin-

    ues from last monthsdescription of the manytasks of the executorfor a persons Will. Mysource of informationis The Executors Guideof the Public Legal In-formation Associationof Newfoundland andLabrador.

    1. One of your dutiesas an executor will beto notify certain peo-

    ple and institutions ofthe deceaseds death.Notify beneciaries ofthe death and of theirentitlement under thewill. You may want toprovide beneficiarieswith a copy of the willand make an effort tokeep them informedabout the progress ofthe estate through pro-bate.

    2. Arrange for mail

    to be forwarded andcancel any magazinesubscriptions.

    3. Notify service pro-viders and cancel ser-vices such as cable orinternet.

    4. You will need tonotify any insurancecompanies with whichthe deceased carriedinsurance and cancel

    insurance if necessary.5. In order to havethe estate probated, youwill have to determinethe approximate valueof the estate. Reviewthe deceaseds nancialrecords and prepare adetailed statement ofall assets and liabilities.These may include realestate, personal prop-erty and bank accounts,as well as any debts.Valuating assets may

    also be required if thewill bequeaths certainportions of the estate toindividual beneciaries.

    6. Probate is the pro-cess by which the courtverifies the validity ofthe will and grants theexecutor the authorityto distribute the estate.In most cases, probateis required (e.g.. inorder to sell any realproperty, to transferstocks and bonds or toaccess large sums heldby banks and trust com-panies). An executor

    may want to considerconsulting with a lawyerto determine whetherprobate is necessary.Probate can also helpprotect the executorfrom potential liability,if another will is foundat a later date.

    In order to apply fora grant of probate, youwill have to providecertain information in-cluding the deceaseds

    name, marital status andoccupation at the timeof his or her death, andhis or her age at thetime of the execution(or signing) of the will.You will need to conrmcertain details that willhelp ensure the will isvalid and that you arethe only person entitledto a grant of probate.You will need to providea list of the names and

    addresses of any bene-ciaries under the willas well as an approxi-mate value of the estate.

    You will also need topay the probate fees.The fee is a percentageof the value of the es-tate.

    When you are writ-ing your Will, pleaseconsult with a lawyer toensure that it is donecorrectly and it will as-

    sist the executor greatlyin nalizing your affairsafter your passing.

    Kevin Smith is aplanned giving consul-tant for the AnglicanChurch of Canada andcan be contacted at 7096739-5667 or by email:[email protected].

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    13/16

    13

    facebook.com/anglicanlife anglicanlife.blogspot.ca twitter - @anglicanlife

    Easter GreetingBishop Geoffrey Peddle

    The Rt. Rev. Dr. Geoff Peddle

    BishopEastern Newfoundland & LabradorIt is the Sunday before

    Ash Wednesday as I writeand we are still in the deepof winter in Newfound-land and Labrador and allis cold and still outside.But by the time you readthis letter it will be April,the days will have length-ened, and nature will bestirring after a long winterof sleep.

    The regeneration of

    nature every spring aftera season of lying dormantcan be quite inspiring towatch and is a visible re-minder that summer is onthe way. It is very appro-priate that Easter alwayscomes in the springtime ofthe year. Easter is the greatfestival of the Resurrectionof our Lord - of discover-ing new life in the midst ofdeath - and every springnature seems to teach usthe same lesson.

    The Story of Eastertells us that just as our Lordovercame the power ofthe grave to return to life,so too can all who believein him. In churches acrossour Diocese we have avery special candle called

    a Paschal Candle. It is litevery Easter and burnsthroughout the Easterseason to remind us ofthe presence of the Risen

    Photo:Shutterstock-FranciscoAmaralLeitao

    DAMAFellowship Meeting

    Submitted byDean Churchill

    Men of the Dioceseof Eastern Newfoundlandand Labrador, mark yourcalendars for April 11 and12, 2014 for a wonderfulweekend of great food, fel-lowship and spirituality. TheDiocesan Anglican MensAssociation (DAMA) is onceagain sponsoring its Week-end for Men at Lavrock.The 2014 Weekend beginswith registration Friday af-ternoon, starting at 3:30p.m. Following a gatheringservice led by our chaplain,Reverend Edward Keeping,the wonderful kitchen staffat Lavrock will serve a ban-quet dinner sure to satisfyanyones hungry appetite.Our after dinner session willbe led by Reverend RobinTrevors. Cap off the nightwith a singsong or a gameof cards.

    Saturday morning startswith a service of Eucharistand Gospel music led by

    Rev. Keeping. The kitchenstaff will have coffee brew-ing for an early rise and willserve breakfast after theservice. For the Saturdaymorning sessions we havea presentation on CrimeScene Forensics and thena session with our bishop,Bishop Geoff Peddle. Besure to have your questionsready for the round table atthe end! Following lunch,DAMA will conduct its an-nual general meeting andelection of ofcers.

    To book your spacecontact your Mens GroupPresident or contact DAMAPresident Peter Stevensoneither through email at [email protected] or by telephoneat 709 753-8579. The dead-line for booking is Friday,April 4, 2014. The cost ofthe event, which includesmeals and accommoda-tions, is $50.00 per person.

    This event is open tothe men of any parish in

    the Diocese, regardless ofwhether they have a mensgroup that is a member ofDAMA. For the informationof those who have never

    attended, most of the men

    attending the Weekendcome to Lavrock on Fridayand stay until Saturday af-ternoon. Those who areunable to stay overnightcome for the Friday eve-ning events and then returnagain Saturday morning intime for devotions. This is agreat opportunity for menfrom parishes that might beconsidering the formationof a mens club to comealong and meet the mem-bers of established clubs.

    In addition to the an-nual Weekend for Men,DAMA holds three generalmeetings throughout theyear. The Winter GeneralMeeting was hosted by St.Peters, Upper Gullies, onFebruary 9, 2014. It waskicked off with a deliciousmeal of moose stew withpastry, followed by applepie and ice cream for des-sert with tea and coffee. Thegeneral meeting followed.President Peter Stevensonwelcomed everyone to the

    meeting and thanked theSt. Peters mens group forhosting the meeting andproviding such a scrump-tious meal. Our Chaplain,Reverend Edward Keep-ing, led the group with anopening prayer. TreasurerHenry Thorne presentedthe nancial report whichoutlined the monies raisedto go to the Diocese ofBelize for the purchaseof chairs and a public ad-dress system for St. MarksChurch, Hattieville. In April

    2013, a group of men fromDAMA went to Hattieville tohelp complete the churchwith materials purchasedthrough funds raised byDAMA. The meeting alsoinformed members of theplanning for our upcomingweekend at Lavrock. A ser-vice of scripture and gospelhymns ofciated by Rever-end Keeping concluded theevening. St. Peters Fellow-ship Band led the singing ofsome very uplifting gospel

    hymns and we were treatedto a very thought provokinghomily by Reverend RobinTrevors of All Saints Parish,Foxtrap.

    Christ in our midst. Itsame reminds us that thelight of Christ will alwaysovercome the power ofdeath, and bring hopeand truth and new life.

    May the unfoldingbeauty of spring thisyear always remind usof the Easter Story andthe promise of new life itholds for all of us.

    The Lord is Risen!He is Risen Indeed!Alleluia!

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    14/16

    14

    Ministry to seniorsin Carbonear

    Submitted byRex Cotter &Ken Murray

    St. James AnglicanChurch in Carbonearprovides a church ser-

    vice every third Sundayin the month to theLuxury Estates SeniorsResidence. The ser-vices are conductedby the licenced LayMinisters; Rex Cotterand Mary Meadus withmusic provided by KenMurray and CharlesMutrey. The servicesare usually low keyedwith much singing,scripture readings,prayers and a short

    message. The resi-dents enjoy the sing-ing, especially the oldtime gospel selections.However, we were trulyblessed to have Mrs.Mary Stockwood, a

    resident of the Homewho rendered a fewselections of gospelsongs on the Ham-mond organ.

    Mrs. Stockwood

    will be one hundredand one year youngon March 16/2014.She plays by note andhas no problem hit-ting every note. Shecommented that herfingers cannot moveas fast as they used todue to arthritis. Mrs.Stockwood was bornat Lower Island Cove,NL. She served as or-ganist in several UnitedChurches in the dis-

    trict of Northern Bay,Burnt Point and Low-er Island Cove duringher early days in theministry. She is truly aremarkable lady whogives thanks for her

    talent to God. Mrs.Stockwoods attitudeand her smile makesour service a laborof love. We are trulygrateful for the honor

    and privilege for Lux-ury Estates invitationto share our ministrywith the residents. Wehope they enjoy theservices as much aswe enjoy their pres-ence. We look forwardto our next visit.

    The above photowas taken on a Sundayafternoon service onFebruary 23, 2014. Leftto right in the photoare Lay Minister Rex

    Cotter, Mrs. Stockwoodat the organ and KenMurray Accompanist.

    Church Organistretires after 25 years

    Submitted byThe Rev. Edward Keeping

    In appreciation for 25years of dedicated serviceas organist in the Parishof St. Philip, Cecile Brad-bury was honored with aRetirement Celebrationon Saturday, February 22,2014. The choir members,on behalf of the Parishhonored Cecile with acelebration of dinner fol-lowed by special tributesby friends, family and cler-gy; and then an evening ofmusic and dancing.

    Cecile became organ-ist in our Parish in 1987when contacted by ourthen minister Canon BertCheeseman. She re-mained playing for a peri-od of twenty-ve years andis now looking forward toher much deserved retire-ment. In the past years,Cecile has given gener-ously of her time, energyand talent in the role oforganist and she too hasbeen very involved asan ACW member; vestrymember; choir member;

    and drama member. Ceci-les ability to bring a smileand laughter to her friendsis a gift in itself.

    After much laughter,stories and witty com -ments, Cecile spoke abouther past involvement with-in the church communi-ty (in and outside of St.Philips) and her years ofmusic with the youth of theprovince. She was verygrateful and humble to theParish for the marvelouscelebration of her serviceand only wished that hermother could have beenpresent for this event.

    Cecile was presentedwith a watch and a plaque(including her photo) in-dicating her many yearsof faithful and dedicatedservice. She gratefully ac-cepted with the acknowl-

    edgment she would beavailable on occasionwhen needed by the Par-ish.

    On behalf of the Par-ish we wish Cecile goodhealth and a relaxing andlong retirement.

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    15/16

    15

    facebook.com/anglicanlife anglicanlife.blogspot.ca twitter - @anglicanlife

    The Rev. Greg Mercer

    Columnist

    Stay the course

    Apparently a new

    book supposedly aboutJesus has hit the best-seller list. Entitled TheZealot: The Life andTimes of Jesus of Naz-areth, the book hascaught the eye of secu-lar critics. To be honestI have not read the bookbut I am aware of someof the book reviews andreactions by the Chris-tian Community.

    The author, who is

    also a religious scholar,develops a convinc-ing and coherent storyof how the Christianchurch, and in particularPaul, reshaped Chris-tianitys essence, ob-scuring the very realman who was Jesus ofNazareth. Other re-views of the book sayit offers a scholarly andcompelling account

    of how Jesus the manevolved into Jesus theChrist. And this comes

    from a scholar who ad-mits in his book that heaccepted Christ intohis heart at an evan-gelic camp for teenssimply because he was

    just trying desperatelyto t in. It appears, atleast according to theresponse of Christians,that the au -thor, lacking afoundation onwhich to builda genuine faith,

    fel l prey tothe pervasiveskepticism ofour time andculture. Hence,th e a u th o r ,Reza Aslan, af-rms positivelythat Jesus andhis failed mes-sianic missionwere simplyre-imaginedafter his death.

    Such skep-ticism and criticof the Christianfaith is nothingnew but in re-cent years withthe advent ofhigh-speed communi-cations networking, so-cial media and the like,the news travels muchfaster and reaches manymore people in record

    time. Thats scary, es-pecially since Aslansview agrees with many

    experts in the fieldof historical study andcountless universitiesaround the world whosay that our Scripturescome from hundreds ofhands across thousandsof years with limitedconnection to any realhistorical events. I am

    not an historian but thatis utter nonsense.

    I am all for histor-ical criticism, in fact,for us preachers it isone of the tools we of-

    ten reference as properexegetical work whenpreparing a sermon.

    But such critical formleaves no room for rev-elation. Moreover, asWilliam Barclay wrote,we have an intellectualfaith. Fact is the Chris-tian faith is based uponan historical gure. WeChristians do care aboutevidence to back our

    belief in the Bible,including Christsresurrection fromthe dead. But rev-elation is also an

    important part ofthe historic faith.

    Like I said Ihavent read thebook and I cer-tainly dont knowMr. Aslans sto-ry but what I doknow is that theChristian faith hasbeen dealing withsuch critics sinceits inception over2000 years ago

    and yet the faith isstill going strong;still continues togrow. You cannotstop the truth. Itwas the apostlePeter himself who

    said to a counsel ofcritics, We must obeyGod rather than anyhuman authority (ACTS5:28). It was duringthe same council that

    one of the critics stoodup, a respected Phar-isee named Gamaliel,

    and responded, Keepaway from these men...because if this plan orthis understanding isof human origin, it willfail; but if it is of God,you will not be able tooverthrow them (ACTS5:38-39). We know therest of the story. TheArchbishop of Canter-bury, The Most Rever-end Justin Welby saidin his Forward to hisLenten Book for 2014,

    Indeed in the earlycenturies of Christianitymany of the accusationsagainst the church start-ed with the assumptionthat you could not seri-ously believe in a Godwho undertook such aterrible and dishonour-able death. The truth ofthe crucixion is shownas much as anything bythe fact that the earlychurch, despite these

    attacks, stuck to thestory come what may.(Looking through theCross by Graham Tom-lin, pg vii).

    By the time you readthis Holy Week is justaround the corner andthe Great Easter cel-ebration is only daysaway. Stick to the Story!It is so easy to allow ourlives to conform to con-temporary culture. Andthis goes for the Church

    as well. Christianity hasalways had its criticsand there is no reasonnot to expect them inthe future. However, ifChristianity is true thenit will not only survivebut will, in fact, flour-ish. The best thing thatwe can do is to staythe course and wherenecessary to accelerateour efforts to bring bothbelievers and doubters

    sound reasons to be-lieve Gods Word is trueand that Jesus is fullyalive. Happy Easter!

  • 8/12/2019 Anglican Life April 2014

    16/16

    16

    NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

    YES!I enjoy reading Anglican Life. Enclosed ismy donation of support:

    NAME _________________________________________TELEPHONE ( ________ ) _____________________________

    ADDRESS _______________________________________TOWN _________________________________________PROVINCE __________ POSTAL CODE ______________________PARISH ________________________________________EMAIL _________________________________________

    $25 $50 $100 Other $___

    Cheque Credit CardVISA Mastercard

    Card #____________________________

    Expiry (Month) __________ (Year) _________

    YES, I wish to receive an Income Tax ReceiptCharity Reg No. 107020232 RR0001

    Mail your gift to:

    Anglican Life34 Fraser Road

    Gander, NLA1V 2E8

    Method of payment:

    Signature__________________________

    The Perfect Giftin Port Saunders

    On December 15, 2013 St. John the Divine Anglican Church in Port Saundershosted an ecumenical Christmas Cantata entitled The Perfect Gift. The titleand several songs were taken from a musical drama written by Dan Zigler andElton Smith. A free will offering was accepted to offset costs. The amount ofdonations given enabled the group to send a portion of the proceeds to thePhilippines disaster relief fund. The choir of St. John the Divine have been put-ting on a Christmas Cantata for the last eight years with the past three seeingthe addition of a number of participants from other denominations. It has been

    getting great reviews from the people attending saying each one is better thanthe last. Cant wait to see what they do next year! Submitted by Marie Smith

    Thank you for taking the time to submit your photos toAnglican Life. Here are a few tips to make the process eas-ier.

    1. Take photos outside whenever possible. Natural lightmakes very effective photographs.

    2. When you must take indoor photos, place your subjectsagainst a light background if possible. The ash reectsoff the light background and helps to illuminate your sub-

    ject.

    3. Avoid taking photos in the chancel or other poorly litplace unless you have a powerful ash or, best of all, atripod. We receive many poor photos of clergy and laypeople with bright, overexposed faces and dark back-grounds. A tripod will make an excellent photo in a poorlylit spot.

    4. Try to take photos of a few people rather than manypeople at one time. Photos of large groups of people

    often lack enough detail. The readers only see a sea offaces.

    5. Remember that we print on newsprint, rather thanglossy photo paper, so that a poor photograph lookseven worse when printed on newsprint.

    6. Photos of people in action always look better than pho-tos of people posed stify for the camera. Sometimes youcannot avoid a posed photograph, but try to capture theaction shots whenever possible.

    7. Get close to your subjects with the camera. You will no-tice interesting details and you will avoid large expansesof background such as walls.

    8. For traditional camera prints, please forward these to

    the editor in order to be digitally scanned. Please notethat these photographs will not be returned unless aself-addressed stamped envelope is included.

    9. Please only select a few photos (e.g., three to ve) of aparticular event. Editors nd looking through many pho-tos very time consuming. Select those you consider to bethe best.

    10. We prefer digital photographs. If you have access toa digital camera, please use one and email the photo-graphs to the editor.

    11. Newspaper printing requires high resolution digitalphotos. This means lots of information in each photo.Most of the photos you see on websites are low resolu-tion photos. They are kept low because low resolution

    photos display well on computer monitors. It is also easyto send low resolution photos over the internet. This is notthe case with print media (newspapers, magazines, yers,etc.) These media types require high resolution. To dothis, set your resolution on your camera to high (consultyour camera manual for information on how to do this).Nowadays, with faster computers and more folks havingaccess to broadband internet service, it is easier to sendhigh resolution photos by email.

    12. Give each of your photos a le name which lists theplace, name, and people in the photo. Editors nd it hardto sort through a lot of photo les which just have jum -bled letter and number le names. Here is an example ofa good le name: Labrador West St. Pauls Garden PartyTwo Kids. This way, the editor knows before they open the

    le where it took place, etc. Choose several of the bestand the editor will choose from them.

    13. Send a word le with captions describing your pho-tos. Include who the photographer was, if possible, andwho submitted the photos.

    Photography Tipsfor Anglican Life