MAY 2016 Anglican Life

8/18/2019 MAY 2016 Anglican Life

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1MAY 2016

in Newfoundland & Labrador

A Section of the A NGLICAN JOURNAL

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

May 2016

What’s Come Over You?

P h o t o C o p y r i g h t : R o b e r t Y o u n g P h o t o g r a p h y

The Most Rev’d Percy Cof n

Archbishop Western NewfoundlandA professor at a

University received a callform from a very upsetparent. “How dare you,”the man began, I amholding you personallyresponsible for this.” Theprofessor replied “Me?Responsible for what?”“Yes, you,” answered theparent. The father of this

promising engineeringstudent was outragedbecause his daughter,d e s t i n e d t o b e aProfessional Engineer,was going to chuck itall in and head out intothe mission eld to helpa poor country recoverfrom a natural disaster.

“Isn’t that absurd?”shouted the father. “Mydaughter already hasa B.Sc. in engineeringfrom your prestigiousinstitution and she isgoing off to dig ditchesin Haiti. You, as Chaplain,have encouraged herto do this. I hold youresponsible.”

T h e s t u n n e dChaplain said, “Me?What have I done?” Thefather continued, “Youingratiated yourself toher, lled her head withall that religion stuff.She likes you; that’swhy she’s doing thisfoolishness.”

T h e C h a p l a i ncounted to ten andreplied, “Now listenhere. Was it not you whohad her baptized? Wasit not you who had herattend Sunday School

and Catechism? Was itnot you who broughther for Confirmation?Was it not you who senther to Summer YouthCamps?”

“Well yes,” the father

said, “but…”“Don’t but me,” said

the Chaplain, “it’s yourfault that she believedall that religion stuff;it’s your fault that she’sgone and thrown it allaway on Jesus and theHoly Spirit, not mine.”

“Yes,” said the father,“But all we wantedwas for her to be an

Anglican.”“Sorry”, the Chaplain

c o n c l u d e d , “ y o umessed up and theHoly Spirit made her adisciple.”

This is a situation

that frequently stemsfrom unacceptablebehaviour, and it isa timely story for theFeast of Pentecost. Theearly followers of Jesushad been shocked withfear and hid from sightbut had now brokenout and were callingattention to themselvesby their odd behaviour.

The scripture puts itsimply, “They werefilled with the Spirit.”These people had beengifted with the dynamicpower of God––a powerthat revitalizes and

refreshes, a power thatcomforts and heals, sothat they went forth andproclaimed what theyhad heard and seen andhad become.

We received thatsame Spirit when wewere baptized into thedeath and resurrectionof Jesus. This is whathappened when we

were grafted into theliving body of Christ. Ifwe received the sameSpirit as did the firstdisciples then whycan’t we do marvellousdeeds? We have theassurance from St .Paul who claimed that,“to each is given themanifestation of theSpirit for some bene t.”Where violence and

hatred prevail acts ofkindness and gentlenessbecome heroics acts.Wherever we witnessgreed let our generosityspeak volumes. Thinkabout how the Kingdomof God might be madeknown if we lived with theother fruits of the Spirit: joy, peace, patience,goodness, faithfulnessand temperance.

God has not heldback the Holy Spirit fromus. We are endowed

with her fullness for itis by this Spirit that theworld can be changedand now it is our turn toshow other what’s comeover us. That’s the costof discipleship.

Loving Spirit,loving Spirit, you have chosenme to be--- you have drawnme to yourwonder, youhave set yoursign on me.

Common Praise 657

Image © M. Kaempfer / Shutterstock.com


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MAY 20162


Canon Cluett to Receive TitleOf Provost EmeritusSubmitted byThe Rev’d Dr. Alex Faseruk

At the upcoming Convocation of Queen’s College on May 12,2016 at 8:00 p.m. at St. Mary the Virgin Church, the Corporation ofQueen’s College has voted to bestow the title of Provost Emerituson the Rev’d Dr. Frank Cluett. This is the rst time that this title willbe bestowed by Queen’s College.

Canon Cluett has served the church faithfully for decades! Hewas born in Belleoram and following graduation from Queen’sCollege in 1959 was called in the parishes of Topsail, Greenspond,Buchans, and Corner Brook, as well as The Ascension in Hamilton,Ontario. Canon Cluett was the Provost of Queen’s College, Facultyof Theology, for nearly 20 years. In 2005, he was the very rstrecipient of the degree of Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa)awarded by Queen’s College and this year, in honour of hismeritorious service to his alma mater, he will receive this additionaltitle, which is so richly deserved.

Good Friday and Easter in the Parish of Rose BlanchSubmitted byThe Rev’d Jeffrey Petten

On Good Friday, the con rmation candidates of St.Michael & All Angels, Rose Blanche, and St. George’s,Burnt Islands, made the Passion of Christ come alive fortheir respective congregations. They were phenomenal intheir reenacting the story of our salvation.

One of the things that is ongoing within the Parishof Rose Blanche is a sewing/knitting ministry. It wasstarted during the time when The Rev’d Canon KrisGosse and his wife Pamela were in the parish. Ithas since continued. In this ministry, the parish hasundertaken such things as making quilts for cancer

patients, making memory quilts for dementia patients,knitting nger puppets, and more things than one canever imagine. This Easter, a group of ladies made anEaster Banner for St. George’s Church, Burnt Islands.

Passion Play in Burnt Islands

Passion Play in Rose Blanche back row : Shirley Keeping & Winnie Mundenfront row : Arlene Keeping & Susie Munden

P h o t o T a m m y B a t t i s t e - F a r r e

l l

P h o t o v i c k i H a r r i s - H a r v e y

P h o t o S h i r l e y K e e p i n g / W i n n i e M u n

d e n

Canon Cluett pictured here as Queen’s College Provost

P h o t o © B i l l H a r r i s / Q u e e n ’ s C o l

l e g e


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3MAY 2016


Part Four of the series on formation and theological education in our three dioceses:

Piety and Service

The Rev’d Gregory Mercer

Columnist

A Further Look at the Education for Ministry CoursMarie Smith

Guest Columnist In the article printed

in February 2016 issueof the Anglican Life, Itouched brie y on EFM(Education for Ministry).I would like to take a littlemore time to elaborateon this very worthwhilecourse.

The Education forMinistry study courseis published by TheUniversity of the Southin Tennessee, USA. Theuniversity is an accreditedSchool of Theology, andEFM is an extensionprogram which reachesthousands of people allover the world. “The EFMprogram provides people

with an opportunity todiscover how to respondto the call to Christianservice and carry out theirministries.” (quoted fromthe Prospectus for theEFM program). We areall by our Baptism calledto be ministers, but thatdoes not mean we allhave to be ordained.What this program doesis provide us with theknowledge we need tobe informed lay persons.As the church movesinto the future, we arefinding that we arelooking more toward thegrowth and developmentof a different form ofministry through theactive participation ofthe laity. EFM does nottrain a person to the

extent of being readyfor ordination, but itdoes prepare one tobe a knowledgeableparticipant in the ministryof Jesus.

As I mentioned inmy previous article,EFM is not your typicalBible study, howevera requirement of thecourse is that you read theOld and New Testamentsin the first two years.The course runs over anine-month period foreach year of study forfour years, and includesabout three hours perweek of class. You signup for one year at atime. The participantsare assigned readingswith correspondingcourse material and are

responsible for settingthe i r own lea rn inggoals. Class discussionand guided reflectiongive the students anopportunity to deepentheir understanding ofthe material. The mostimportant part of thestudy is the developmentof skills in theologicalre ection. As the skillsare sharpened and ourbeliefs are examined,we come to realize thatour faith traditions andour relationship to ourculture play an importantrole in our ministry, andthis makes us moreaware of the many waysin which we can showChrist’s love to the world.

When I decided tostart the EFM program, I

was a bit nervous aboutwhat I was getting into.I thought it would bedifficult, and I worriedthat I may not measureup to the challenge.However, it did not takevery long before I wasfully engrossed in thetopic and looked forwardwith great anticipationto our next class. Notonly did I thoroughlyenjoy the material, butthe discussion time andtheological reflectionswere most engagingand informative. Aftercompleting the course,I c a m e a w a y w i t hrenewed enthusiasmand appreciation for myplace in God’s ministry.

Both of my parentswere religious people,but it was my motherwho taught me to prayand introduced me

to pious acts such asbowing my head whenI say the name of Jesus,and bowing before theAltar at the time of HolyCommunion. Sincethen I have learned afew more acts of pietynot the least of whichis blessing myself atthe invocation of theTrinity, genuflecting atthe words of Institutionwhile celebrating theEucharist, and bowingagain at the mention ofChrist’s humility whilereci t ing the NiceneCreed, just to name afew.

These pious acts arenot for show, nor are theyin any way displays of

exaggerated religiousemotionalism. And inspite of the fact that mostof the time they come tome automatically, theyare not artificial, norare they void of anyconscious involvement.They are an integral partof my love and devotionto God.

Pious acts are arecognition that we oweeverything to God, thatGod is the Author of lifeand of everything good.God alone is at the top,hence, to God alone isdue the entire devotionof a person’s life: bothworship and service,and every act of pietythat recognizes God’splace in our lives. Butif our piety has nothingmore to show outsidethe walls of the churchbuilding, then it callsinto question the verynature of religion itself.The apostle James saysit best, “Religion thatis pure and undefiledbefore God, the Father,is this: to care fororphans and widowsin their distress, and tokeep oneself unstainedby the world” (James1: 27).

Maria Skobtsova, atwentieth-century nunremembered in Russiaas Mother Maria, said,“At the Last JudgmentI shall not be asked

whether I was successfulin my ascetic exercises,nor how many bowsand prostrations I made.Instead I shall be asked ifI fed the hungry, clothedthe naked, visited thesick and the prisoners.”

(Excerpt from “CommonPrayer, A liturgy forOrdinary Radicals.”)

As important as piousacts are, they were nevermeant to be con ned toworship and sanctuaries.Liturgy at its best is whenit is made a visible witnessto the world around us.Piety and service are notseparate acts, but partof the total package ofone’s devotion to God.It is reverence joinedwith love of God that

nds expression in good

works.The act of giving God

daily service arises fromand ows out of the workof cultivating piety, whichis the rousing of one’sspirit toward God dailyin both reverence and

love. When we makeit our daily calling, ourchief aim, to rememberour Lord’s goodnesstoward us, then it is onlynatural that our heartsrespond in gratitude withacts of piety and service.It all starts with payingcareful attention to God’sgoodness and favourtoward us, and thentelling God “thanks.”

Thank the Lord formy dear mother whotaught me to bow myhead when I invoke thename of Jesus, and whoshowed me by examplewhat it means to live theChristian life.

Image © Tribalium / Shutterstock.com


4/16

MAY 20164


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Bringing The Church To OurSeniors in ClarenvilleSubmitted with photograph bySherry Russell

left to right: Vinie Stanley, Phyllis Gosse, June Butler, Norma Dean, the Rev’d SheilaSceviour, Pauline Hynes, and Joyce Smith.

The Worship, Education, and Mission Committee of St. Mary’s ACW,Clarenville, recently initiated a visitation program of visiting one seniorACW member each week during Lent.

The rst such visit was held on Saturday, February 13th at the homeof 92 year old Mrs. Vinie Stanley, a long serving member of St. Mary’sACW, who still knits and crochets tirelessly for her church.

The visit began with communion and a Lenten message deliveredby Deacon Sheila, and was followed by a “cup of tea” and “chat”.

What better Lenten activity could there be than reaching out toseniors who aren’t able to regularly attend worship and meetings to

remind them that they are still respected and cherished members ofour organization?

This Fragile Earth–Our Island Home

Kevin Smith is a gift planningconsultant for the Anglican Churchof Canada. He can be contacted at709 739-5667or by email:[email protected]

Kevin Smith

Columnist Occasionally, when

we read EucharisticPrayer #4 in the Book ofAlternative Services, wecome across the words:

The vast expanse ofinterstellar space,Galaxies, suns, the

planets in their courses,and this fragile earth,our island home

This immediatelyreminds me of ours tewardship cal l ingto protect our earth,our environment, andreminds us as to just howpoorly we are managingthat goal. This issue isalso an important partof the Marks of Missionwhich calls on all peopleto safeguard the integrityof creation and sustainand renew the life ofthe earth. Oftentimes,we pay lip service tothese calls, and younotice this especially ifyou have done walkingin the country on a hikeor a shing expedition.Cans, bottles, and otherlitter abound in the mostpristine of places.

All this was raisedto my consciousnessrecently when I wasreading an unpublishedmanuscript by LynneMarie Hickey, a writerwith a linguistic air andan accomplished painter

from Hant’s Harbour. Shewrote a fictional shortstory about a housecat named Oliver whowas separated fromhis family near Portaux Basques, and thefollowing excerpt is aconversation betweenthe main character andQueen Lynx.

One day when theywere explor ing the

paths near the lynxden, the Queen gavean angry hiss. “What iswrong?”Oliver asked.

“Do you see thatbright, shiny thing on the

path”? She asked.“Yes, I do,” said Oliver.“It is a piece of glass

from a bottle. Humansuse bottles for drinking.”“It causes many problemsfor our animals and ourforests.”she replied.

“How does that littlething cause so muchtrouble?” asked Oliver.

“When animals walk

on it, they get their pawscut and they sometimesdie because the cuts getinfected. Other creaturesthink it is ice or water andlick it…..terrible cuts totheir tongues and lipscause so much pain. And then worst of all the sun shines on the glassand its rays are broughttogether by the broken glass and it can start afire. The flames spreadand our forests can bedestroyed. Do you seeall those black stumps atthe top of the hill?”

Oliver looked up.“ A f o r e s t f i r e

happened there last year because of a glassbottle left by a camper.The great Queen sighedwith sadness….. “manyanimals died in that re,Oliver. And it will takemany years before thebeautiful trees return.”

As they walked alongin silence, Oliver felt herdeep sorrow.

What a creative andinteresting way to discusspollution in the forestand so refreshing to seeit through the eyes of ananimal! In fact, my laststatement comes fromanother character in thebook, a small spectacles-wearing mouse namedJohnny who complains:

I do wish peoplewould take their plasticbags and garbage backto their own houses whenthey picnic on our island.

This fragile earthis our island home. AsDavid Suzuki laments,“I hope there’s a happyending. That’s all I haveleft. Hope.”


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5MAY 2016


ANGLICAN LIFE in Newfoundland and Labrador is the newspaper ofthe Anglican Church in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.A co-operative effort of the three Dioceses in Newfoundland andLabrador, it is publishes ten issues each calendar year with anindependent editorial policy.

Anglican Life is a section of the Anglican Journal

Editor:Mrs. Emily F. Rowe9 Darling StreetSt. John’s, NLA1B 1V7Email: [email protected]

Advertising Rates and other information may be obtained from:Bishop Donald Young

34 Fraser Road, Gander, NL, A1V 2E8Phone: (709) 256-7701Email: jointcommittee@n d.net Paid Subscription Rates:Newfoundland and Labrador: $15.00Outside the province: $20.00International: $25.00

New subscriptions, cancellations, & changes of address should besent to:Circulation The 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 of ce of any changes. Changes sentto parish of ces may take months to take effect. Please also sendyour updated information to Circulation at the Anglican 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, (address as above). All letters must include

the writer’s name, address, and telephone number. Telephonenumbers will not be published. Anglican Life does not publishletters under nom de plume. Letters should not exceed 300 words(one double spaced typewritten page), and are subject to editingat the discretion of the editor.

These policies were adopted by the Anglican Life Committee.

Layout & Design by: The Editor

Printed and Mailed by:Webnews Printing Inc.8 High Meadow PlaceNorth York, ON, M9L 2Z5

Circulation: 19,000

Prayer Quilts BlessedSubmitted byDale Decker

On March 6th, 2016, nine prayer quilts were blessed by the Rev’d Kay Short

at the morning service at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Norris Point.The quilts were made by the Bonne Bay North Prayer Quilt Group, and arenow ready to be distributed.

Pictured holding the quilts are Brenda Major, the Rev’d Kay Short, and Doris Randell.

St. Peter’s Youth ChoirSubmitted byJack Morgan

The junior choir at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Upper Gullies, CBS recentlymade their inaugural appearance at a venue outside their home church.The choir were invited to sing at the World Day of Prayer Service at St.Thomas of Villa Nova Roman Catholic Church in Manuels, CBS. The ecu-menical service is held, on a rotating basis from year to year throughoutCBS by participating Churches. The choir received a warm reception and

many compliments by those in attendance.

In the photo L-R: Sheldon Baird, Brandon Lawrence, Dalila Scott, Katie Scott, Joshua Taylor,Terri Lynn Baird, Jennifer Warford, Austin Scott and on keyboard, Choir Director, Dr. VickiGreenslade. Missing from photo: Daniel Button, Anna Halley, Julie Halley, Bethany Scott,Emily Young, Sarah Young and Regan Scott.


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MAY 20166


102 Years of (Combined)Service in Long BeachArticle and photograph byDiane Vey Morawski

St Marks churchin Long Beach ,TrinityBay, celebrated twodedicated ACW womanat their church serviceon February 28th, 2016.Sylvia Vey received a 50year service plaque, andGwen Peddle receiveda 52 year plaque fortheir involvement in theACW and the churchin Long Beach. Bothwomen, who are alsosisters-in-laws, havebeen very dedicatedvolunteers of the ACW,taking on various rolesfrom president, treasurer,and secretary, and theyare a lso dedicatedchurchgoers to all thechurches in the southwest arm parishes.

Congratulations toboth women for theirselfless service to Godand their community.

Happy Valley - Goose Bay

QuiltsArticle and photograph byArchdeacon Nellie Thomas

The St. Andrew’s Church Quilters Group in Happy Valley-Goose Bay felt thatthey wanted to reach out to the community and share God’s love. They feltthey would like to make quilts for Dialysis and Chemo patients at our local

Hospital.The Quilters Group made a total of eleven quilts, and a knitted blanket togive as well. Each quilt has been labeled with a Prayer for Peace and Healing.Archdeacon Nellie Thomas blessed the quilts, and now the quilts are readyfor their owners.

From left to right: Irene Bird, Francis Hughes, Archdeacon Nellie Thomas, Shirley Winsor, KarenGoudie. Missing from the photo: Lori Pope and Juanita Bishop.

CLAY 2016Article byHannah Shirtliff

Have you heard aboutCLAY? The CanadianLutheran Anglican Youth(CLAY) Gathering isthe Anglican Church’snational youth gatheringfor young adults ages14–19 in 2016 (bornbetween 1997 and 2002).Our next gathering takesplace in Charlottetown,Prince Edward Island,August 17–21, and allAnglican congregationsare invited!

CLAY was created in2010 as an expressionof joint ministry betweenthe Evangelical LutheranChurch in Canada andthe Anglican Church ofCanada. CLAY buildson the traditions of theCanadian Lutheran YouthGatherings to create ayouth-centred programthat empowers youngpeop le and bu i ldsChristian leadership. AtCLAY we’ll encounterscripture in meaningfulways, experience ancientand modern ways ofworship, learn togetheri n s p e c i a l i n t e r e s tforums, enjoy fantasticsocial events, exploreCharlottetown, makeconnections with youthfrom all over Canadaand celebrate our lifetogether.

W e w i l l b eexper ienc ing CLAYthrough the theme of“Not For Sale,” with afocus on three areas:salvation not for sale,human beings not forsale, and creation not

for sale. After CLAY,we wil l share whatwe experienced andlearned with others inour home communities.At the very heart of it,we are children of God,and we want to affirmand respond to God’sgrace and faithfulness inways that are intentional,practical and meaningful.

Youth can attendthe gathering as partof a registered hometeam. This is a groupo f y o u n g p e o p l efrom a congregation,parish, diocese or otherorganization, led by aPrimary Home TeamLeader (PHTL). Alongwith the PHTL, a hometeam includes youth andmay include additionalHome Team Leaders(HTL) and/or Leaders inTraining (LIT) that theircommunity sends alongwith them. For each adult(over 21) added to aHome Team, eight youthcan attend.

Online registrationopens February 1, 2016,and the final deadlinefor registration is June30, 2016. All registrationand fee information canbe found on our website,www.claygathering.ca .You can also like us onFacebook (CanadianL u t h e r a n A n g l i c a nYouth Gathering), orfollow us on Twitter (@claygathering). We’relooking forward to seeingyou in Charlottetown!

Western NL’s P.W.R.D.F.Diocesan Coordinator,

Mona Edwards, will host a fellowshipday, Saturday June 4th

at St. George ’ s Anglican Church,Cormack.

Parish representatives, those interested inbecoming representatives, clergy, etc. are all

welcome at attend.To register, or for more information, contact

Mona:Phone: (709) 635-4606

email: [email protected]: Mona@PWRDFmail: 140 Veteran’s Drive,

Cormack, NL A8A 2R1Meals provided by Cormack ACW.

Registration deadline: April 30th, 2016


7/16

7MAY 2016


The Burial of the Dead

The Rev’d Michael Li

Columnist The Bible does not

give instructions on how abody should be handledafter death. The mostcommon type of burialin the Bible was the deadbeing placed in above-ground tombs, for thosewho could afford it. For therest, bodies were buried

in the ground. In the NewTestament, tombs werestill the burial places of thewealthy. Please note thatboth burial and cremationare neither commandednor prohibited in theBible. It is best to leavethat decision to the familyof the deceased. Intoday’s society, the lawsof the land regardingdisposing of a body mustbe followed.

The Book of AlternativeServices (1985) statesthat , “Funerals areuniversal in the humanspecies, both historicallyand geographically” (p.565). Within the Christiancommunity, funeral ritesconsist of a number ofevents spread over aperiod of time. “They mayinclude such elementsas prayers in the home,prayers in the presence

of the body (whether inthe home or in churchor in an undertaker’spremises), the receptionof the body at the church,a liturgy of the word inan undertaker’s chapel,a liturgy of the word (andpossibly of the sacrament)in church, the committalof the body to the grave,the ames, or the sea, andthe disposal of ashes at alater date.” (Ibid., p. 568).

Since my ordinationin 1973 I had beenconduc t ing funera lservices with the bodypresent until 1996.Some people feel thata memorial servicewithout a body seems likehaving a wedding withoutthe bride. For the pasttwenty-five years, moreand more people haveabandoned previouslyestabl ished funeral

customs in favour of a newpattern of memorializingthe dead (with or withoutcremated ashes). Theys e e m t o p r e f e r acelebration of life ratherthan an observance ofthe reality of death. It isnot wrong to focus onthe living, but we mustnot ignore the reality ofdeath.

S o m e c h u r c h e sa l l o w e u l o g i e s a tfunerals. Sometimesa eulogy becomes thecentrepiece of the funeralitself. Eulogies tend tobe so positive as to beunbelievable. WhenPhillip Jensen, the Deanof Sydney from 2003 to2014, was a young curate,a funeral director pointedout to him that in thecar behind the hearsenobody spoke becauseof grief. In the second car

of the funeral processionpeople spoke well ofthe deceased. But insubsequent cars you gotthe real story of the deadperson’s weakness andfoibles (Phillip Jensen’s“Eulogies”, May 28, 2007).

Eulogies may helppeople process theirfeelings. But, real comfortcomes to us when we liftour eyes from the cof nand turn our attention toGod. Death is inevitable,but the death of Jesus hasdestroyed all deaths.Christians believe inthe resurrection of thebody. The dead body isno longer housing theperson who has died.When Jesus returns,Christians will be givena new resurrected body.

In my funeral sermons,I usually begin by sayingsomething like this: “Weare still in shock. We arehere to share the sorrowand pain of the family. Weare here to feel their loss.We are here to say good-bye to the deceased. MayGod’s Word comfort andstrengthen the family,friends and community”.Then, I shall say brie y thatwe can give thanks toGod for the life andChristian witness of thedeceased. I remind thepeople present that weshould glorify God nothumans. I also remindthem nobody can takeaway their memoriesof the dead loved oneor dear friend. Theirremembrance of the deadis their ongoing eulogies.Finally, I preach brie y onthe Christian hope of theresurrection of the body.

Outreach Shower held in FoxtrapArticle and photograph bySandra Taylor

The ACW women of AllSaints Parish in Foxtraphosted a shower for aLenten Outreach. Hy-giene items, and cloth-ing for children andwomen were donatedby the congregationand by friends. Theseitems were then distrib-uted to Iris Kirby Houseand Marguerite’s Place.

The ladies are (from left to right): Minnie Gullage, Dot Reid, Golda Hopkins, Marg Dawe, Barb Tilley


8/16

MAY 20168


Girls Auxiliary, St. Lawrence Parish,Portugal CoveArticle and photographs byThe Rev’d Amanda Taylor

A typical Good Friday for St. Lawrence Girls Auxiliary is re-enacting for story of the Cruci xion for the children in the morning, andspreading God’s love to our seniors in the afternoon.For years G.A. has presented the Children’s Liturgy on Good Friday Morning, using puppets to introduce the Cruci xion drama.Children experience the Last Supper, walk with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane, help Him carry the cross and watch as He islaid in the tomb.After lunch their focus is on the seniors (of all denominations) of our community. The girls make baskets, ll them withhomemade cookies, fruit, Easter eggs, and an Easter tract from the Canadian Bible Society. Then, with the help of the leadersand parents, the girls take the baskets to the seniors’ homes. This is a very rewarding experience for both the girls and for theseniors.Other outreach by our group includes Operation Christmas Child, Parish Christmas Hampers, and supporting a Foster Child. Thegirls also help with Parish outreach programs, like our Guatemala Mission Team, and they will be involved in our Refugee project.Girls help with Parish events, make Palm Crosses, Mothering Sunday Roses, perform dinner theatres, are a big part of our VBSleadership team, and help wherever they are needed.Our group presently has a membership of 31 Junior and Senior High School girls.

The girls who led the Good Friday Children’s Liturgy Girls with Easter baskets ready to deliver

Seder MealArticle and photographs byLorelie Cull

A very special and unique Seder Meal was held on March 24th at St.Anthony. St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church was without power, so ratherthan cancel the special Passover Meal it was held at the home of RubyJohnson, one of our choir members.Twenty one guests graciously accepted the invitation and a SederMeal and a Newfoundland feast were enjoyed by all.The Rev’d Paul Findlay of ciated and volunteers provided the supper.

Doris Hancock, Margaret Rose, the Rev’d Paul Findlay


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9MAY 2016


Submitted with photographs byTrudi Martin &Eileen Matthews

Let There Be Goats!

New Perlican is apicturesque communityin Trinity Bay nestledbetween the towns ofWinterton and Heart’sContent; these threetowns make up theAnglican Parish of Heart’sContent.

New Perlican hastwo congrega t ions :St. Matthew’s UnitedC h u r c h a n d S t .Augustine’s AnglicanChurch. St. Augustine’sAnglican church is underthe leadership of theRev’d Irene Sutton. Thec o r n e r s t o n e o f S t .Augustine’s was laid onAugus t 28 th , 1919and excerpts from St.Augustine’s School logbooks con rm the churchopened for worship onApril 25th, 1920. Thepresent church is thethird church to serve theAnglican congregationin this community. St.Mark’s was used inthe early 1800’s; then the

rst St. Augustine’s whichopened in 1886 (builtin less than 6 months),and now the currentSt. Augustine’s, whichopened in 1920 on thesame site as the rst St.Augustine’s.

There a re th reek n o w n A n g l i c a ncemeteries throughoutthe community. There aretwo prominent ones: “St.Augustine’s Cemetery #2”(located high on a hill offCanvas Town Road), “St.Augustine’s Cemetery#1” (located off to theright of Canvas TownRoad), and the oldestone known is St. Mark’s(located nearer to theharbour). New Perlicanhas about ve “garden”

cemeteries as well; we donot know the religion ofthese garden cemeteriesbut most predate theearliest stones in eithercemetery.

St. Augustine’s #2 iswell maintained, and eachyear someone is hired tomow the grounds. Ourannual Flower Serviceis held in the summermonths. Unfortunately,

St. Augustine’s #1 hasbeen neglected over theyears, as has St. Mark’s;but we are now workingto change that.

In 2014, the churchves t ry cons i s t ed o fWardens, Ken Peddle andBoyd Martin, Secretary,E i l e e n M a t t h e w s ,Treasurer, Trudi Martin,and Envelope Secretary,Christine Chislett. BetsyHefford, Sheila Piercey,M a r i e M c D o n a l d ,Ray eld Harris, and EricHiscock rounded outthe number of vestrymembers. At one of ourvestry meetings, EileenMatthews brought upour Cemetery #1 and theshape that it was in. Itwas in severe disrepair. Itwas suggested that wecould get some goatsto eat the alders andvegetation, and once thatwas done we could thenconcentrate on the otherissues which included anew fence and a gate.

To be honest, mostof the vestry membersw e r e h e s i t a n t w i t hrespect to the goats. Butwe all agreed that Eileenand Trudi should talkto Ronnie Peddle aboutusing his goats. Ronnieand Mary Peddle have avariety of animals. Theirgoats graze on the hillbeside Cemetery #1. Thisarea is fenced, and eachevening when Ronniecalls them, you can watch

the goats stroll one byone back to the Peddleproperty and into theirlodgings.

Ronnie assured usthat the goats wouldea t the a lde r s andvegetation. As a matterof fact, he said that theychew the new shootsaround the alders. Thisprevents the sap fromgoing up the tree and

kills the alders. They willeat the high grasses downto the proper level butthe grass will not die. Abonus for us is Ronnie’sducks will go into thearea as well and eat theants. Ronnie believesthe goats will clear thisarea within a two to threeyear period. The onlyconcern he had was thearea needed to be fencedto prevent the goats fromwandering on the road.

Armed with thesefacts we went back tothe vestry. It was decidedthe vestry would dosome fund raising for thefencing and to do repairsto the various grave sitesand the headstones and

the fence.M a n y v i s i t o r s

that come to the areaenjoy going to our oldcemetery to see thegraves of their distantrelatives. The headstonesare very old and somea r e o r n a m e n t a l l ydetailed. Today thereare more visitors toold cemeteries thanever before as familiesare researching theirdescendants to completefamily trees.

The vestry prepareda letter to send to ourlocal Anglicans as well asthose away. The supportwas overwhelming. Weraised over $4,000. The

Ron and his goat

The soon-to-be restored cemetery

The helpful goats

fence cost us just a littleover $2,000., leavingfunds to do further workonce the goats have

nished theirs.The goats have been

chewing away sincethe fall of 2015 and it isamazing the differencealready! Driving by now,one can see the variousheadstones from theroad. We are excited to

see the nished results.We are also fortunate

to have two membersfrom our congregationwho have worked overa period of several yearsto ascertain the namesof all buried in all of ourcemeteries. This projectwas under t aken bySheila Piercey and EileenMatthews, and they havesince devoted manyhours to the researchand feel that they are90% accurate with theirlistings of those buriedin both St. Augustine’scemeteries. The listing forSt. Mark’s from the 1800’sis a work in progress asold records are not easyto find. Their research

will continue.Of interest to those

who may be skeptical,goats are used in manywineries to chew thebottom leaves on thegrape vines. This is muchcheaper than manuallabour. We also cameacross an article aboutgoats being used to chewtheir way through thickvegetation surrounding

the His tor icCongressionalCemetery inWashington,D.C.

We are sopleased withwhat we haveseen in our oldcemetery andwill update youin the futureonce we, andthe goats, havecompleted the job.

We thankt h o s e w h ocontribute toour Cemeteryf u n d o n ayearly basis!


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MAY 201610


Letters to the Editor Letter to the Editor ofAnglican Life:

After reading thelatest edition of theAnglican Journal andChurchman yesterday, Iwent to bed with a muchlonger list of prayersthan usual. The wholeresponse to whethercanon laws will finallychange to accept samesex unions into theAnglican Church hasn’tchanged much in thepast 24 years. Well,maybe the language todescribe opinions hassoftened to be more‘politically correct’, but Isee little else in the wayof ‘real’ progress. Yes,the Bishops stayed in theroom, with the exceptionof one, but I’m not reallysure what that says tome. Maybe just bettermanners.

I’ve reflected todayon a number of articlesI’ve read as well as thosethat I’ve respondedt o o v e r t h e y e a r sregarding this subject.In particular a letterto the NewfoundlandChurchman January1992 which I respondedto. The seeds of that letterwere flaming embersof brimstone and fireabout what constituteda REAL Anglican andChristian. It spoke of‘man living with man orwoman with woman asspouses would placeus on a plateau lowerthan the animals. AgainstGod’s law and the laws ofnature.’ I was heartsick tosay the least! As a MentalHealth Social Worker atthat time, I frequentlywitnessed the raw painand damage inflictedu p o n p e o p l e w h ostruggled with identityand their faith. On a verypersonal level, I was ina dilemma because Iquestioned whether Ishould cont inue tobring my children everySunday to the Church tolisten to such distortedviews of the world.

Well, I did raise themin the Anglican Church

and they’ve heard it allfirst hand. Thankfullyhowever, they wereraised to have discerningminds. They are twoabsolutely beautifulchildren, adults now who

are very well adjustedmen, both married withfamilies of their own. I’mblessed with a daughterin law and grandchildren,as well as a son in law, allof whom serve to makethis world such a betterplace. It is unfortunatethat the Church is not acomfortable place formy married gay Son. Andno, I don’t think he wouldbene t from ‘ministering’today, as his faith in Godis very well intact. It’s justthat the God he believes

in is the same one that isreferred to in the lovelyhymn he remembersfrom childhood. It goeslike “All things bright andbeautiful, all creaturesgreat and small, all thingswise and wonderful, theLord God made themall.”

In conclusion, I willcontinue to pray forthose who chose tokeep a narrow view ofwhat the bible says andwhat constitutes a REALAnglican and Christian,

while I continue to prayfor patience. And, Ithink I’m going to seeabout getting ticketsfor that beautiful trainride that Bishop GeoffPeddle wrote about inhis ‘Moments of Grace’column on January 17,2016, where he speaksof “first class seatingfor all, even the seekersand doubters who aren’tsure what they believe just yet but know theyhave found travelingcompanions who willlove them anyway, andshare their sandwiches.When the Conductorcalls out “All Aboard” shereally does mean All!

Thank you,

Joannie Cof n,Mother, Grandmother

and Retired SocialWorker

Dear Editor,

My name is SusanGreen . My partne r,B r e n d a , a n d I a r emembers of the AnglicanCathedral of St. John the

Baptist in St. John’s, NL.We have five-year-oldtwins, Michael and Lily,who were baptized inthis church. We attendEucharist together asa family on Sundaymornings, volunteer atGodly Play, take partin special events, andBrenda is a member ofthe Vestry. We love ourchurch and the Cathedralparish has loved us back.But now we have a toughdecision to make.

Brenda and I are notmarried. We’ve beenwaiting, and hoping,for a long time that wecould get married in ourchurch. Not just for thebeautiful backdrop andromantic atmospherethat many couples seek,but because we wantto have our spiritualityrepresented in ourmarriage commitment.In recent years, Michaeland Lily have beenasking if we are goingto be married and we’vetypically responded with“yes, someday we will”.This has resulted in a urryof childhood excitementabout dresses, owers,parties, rings and cake.They look forward to the“someday” that they willtake part in the weddingof their two moms—anevent that seems sonatural and wonderfulto them, and they canbarely wait to plan it. Butnow this someday seemsincreasingly far away.

We have not toldMichael and Lily yet thatour church will not marryus. We’ve always talkedto them about how allfamilies look different—some with two moms,two dads, one mom &one dad, one parent,s tep-parents , fos terparents, etc. – and howwe need to celebratediversity of all kinds. Weknow that our childrenwill face questions andscrutiny about their twomoms, especially asthey grow older, and wetry to equip them withknowledge, strengthand respect to deal withthese challenges. Weknow from experiencethat the world is not

always a safe place forLGBTQ folks, and likeall parents, we want toprotect our childrenfrom hurt and pain. Wewant our church to bea place of shelter andrest from the pain of theworld, and so far, that ishow our children haveexperienced it. You cantherefore imagine howconfused they will bewhen we tell them thatour church – the placewe choose to take themevery week to teachthem about love andcaring for others—is alsoa place where we are notallowed to get marriedlike the moms and dads.At ve years old, it will beone of their rst lessons

in discrimination.Brenda and I areblessed to have a largecirc le of wonderfulf r i ends—car ing andgenerous people whohave long since foundother ways to nourishtheir spiritual needsoutside of mainstreamChristian churches. Wesometimes joke thatwe are “in the closet”about our church-goingbehaviour with ourfriends since they findit somewhat odd. They

sometimes ask us why wewould choose to attenda church that does notfully accept us. At best,they see it as a place thatis backwards and out-of-touch with modern lives,and at worst, hatefuland discriminatory. Weusually answer that wehave found genuineacceptance and loveamong the congregationand that it is importantfor us to stay and “ ghtfrom the inside”. But, weare starting to get tiredof the fighting and wedon’t want our childrento inherit the ght.

This is going to bea tough decision. Thepossibility of leaving mychurch family causes megreat pain. I am thedaughter of an Anglicanminister—I grew up inrectories where churchstuff was daily life. Iwas a Sunday School

student, a member ofthe Junior Auxiliary, aleader of the churchYouth Group, a Server,a member of the Choir,and a regular camperat Mint Brook. I driftedin and out of churchwhile moving aroundin my twenties, but Ialways returned to thecomfort and familiarityof the Anglican Churchand found meaningfulways to contribute toministry. I’ve summonedthe courage many timesto share my personal journey of “c omingout” as lesbian withinour church, believingthat it could make adifference for otherLGBTQ parishioners and

those who were tryingtheir best to understandus. I accept that thechurch functions a lotlike a large family, andthat it can take hard worksometimes to deal withproblems and maintainhealthy connections. Inmy professional life Iam a social worker. Ispend a lot of t imeworking with individualswho are trying to stayconnected with theirfamilies, despite the painand abuse that families

can sometimes in ict onone another. There aretimes when families canrepair the harm and ndways to support eachother, and then there aretimes when I have to askmy clients “is it time tocreate some space rightnow and protect yourselffrom further hurt”? Thisis the question that mypartner and I are nowasking ourselves of ourchurch family. Is it timefor us to create somespace right now fromthe Anglican Church andprotect our children fromthe hurtful message thattheir family is somehowwrong? The answer isnot yet clear.

Susan Green

Letters to the Editor: All letters must include the writer’s name and address.

Anglican Life does not publish letters from anonymous sources. As with allsubmissions, they are subject to editing, and are published at the discretion ofthe editor.


11/16

11MAY 2016


Emily F. Rowe

Editor

Where is My Home?

Multi-Cultural Café at St. Augustine’sPhotographs and ArticleSubmitted by

Rose Reid

On January 22nd, Bishop Geoffrey Peddle attended a worship ser-vice and multi-cultural café at St. Augustine’s parish in St. John’s. Theevent was held in order to raise money for Syrian refugees, and fordisplaced students in North Africa.

pictured above: BishopPeddle with membersof the congregation

from St. Augustine’sPictured on the left andfar left: people enjoyinga wide variety of foodthe was available in the parish hall following the service.

As I write this, I have just returned from a tripback to Nova Scotia tovisit family and friendswho still live there. I hadthe pleasure of taking my

eight-year-old to visit lotsof people and places thatI knew as a child, and it isdif cult to make that triphome without thinkingabout what “home” is.There is that strange waythat I refer to it as “goinghome for a few days,”but while I am there, I will

say, “I’m going home ina few days,” meaning myreturn trip to St. John’s.So where is home? Whatdoes that mean?

I was intentional aboutincluding a weekend inmy trip to Nova Scotia,partly because it is agood time to see friendswho work in of ces that,unlike Anglican Life, donot allow the flexibilityto take a few days offat random times, butalso in order to go tothe little church that Igrew up attending in myhome town. I used togo there every Sunday,and my parents are stillactive members. Inmany ways, going to myhome means going tomy “home church,” andthe physical church itselfis wonderfully familiar. IfI say that it has a speci csmell, please don’t thinkof that as a bad thing!We are all jolted intomemories by smells; itis a powerfully evocative

sense. There’s a strangehot air blower in thecentre of the building,which is a kind of A-framestructure, and the mix of

wax (from the candles),the slight mustiness fromthe books (because thebuilding is left unheatedfor most of the week),and the hot smell fromthe furnace mix into avery distinct and well-known scent.

Bu t a s much as

I enjoy being there, Ihave enjoyed all of thecongregations that I havebelonged to. When Imoved to Halifax to attend

university, I became amember of the King’sCollege Chapel, and alsooccasionally attendedtwo parish churches inthe metro area. WhenI moved to Wisconsin, Ibecame a regular serverat All Saints’ Cathedralin Milwaukee, and also

attended worship at theseminary chapel. Our rsttwo parishes each hadfour churches in them,and I attended them all.Then the Cathedral of St.John the Baptist becamehome for many years,and now I feel at homewhen I go to St. Michael’s.

The thing is that theidea of “home” is very tiedto family, and wherever Ihave gone to church,I have experience thatsense of family, and havefelt at home. Our parentsand grandparents maynot live where we do, andthe little church where webegan our journey maynot be our regular weeklyoption, but we needto seek out our family,and seek out our home,regardless of where welive. The church isn’tthe physical building,

as comforting as it maybe for us. If you live in anew-to-you community,and you want to makefeel like home, then nd aparish, and go to church.You’ll be welcomed, andwill find a new familythere.

A banner in my home church, All Souls’, Oxford, N.S.


12/16

MAY 201612


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Con rmation in Port Aux BasquesSubmitted with photographs byLisa Brown

On March 6th, Archbishop Cof n visited St. James’ Church in Port aux Basques to administer theRite of Con rmation to fteen children and two adults. The service started at 3:00 pm followed by apotluck dinner in the Memorial Centre. This year our Con rmation Class completed a StewardshipProject which raised $1060.00. This money was used to buy items from the World Gift Catalogue, suchas livestock, a bicycle ambulance, the gift of providing seeds for a Tanzanian Community, out ttinga health worker, and a donation was made to Jorja’s Journeys. A big thank you goes out to theCon rmation Teachers Gail Northcott, Sandra Moss, Wendy Osmond, Suzanne Parsons and AndreaStrickland for guiding these children through this important step in their lives.

Front row -- Calista Seaward, Jack Strickland, Liam Ingram, James Fagan, Jasmine Chaulk2nd Row: Mackenzie Strickland, Brooklyn Anderson, Erica Osmond, Kaylee Mauger, Marcus Farrell.

3rd row: Jordan Pike, Andrew Osmond, Sophia Munden, Tyler Dingwell, Nicholas Davis.Back Row: John Kendall, Archbishop Cof n, Jennifer Osmond

@anglicanlife


13/16

13MAY 2016


NOTICE FROM ST. PHILIP’S PARISH

The Anglican Parish of St. Philip is pleased to announce oursecond annual Teaching Mission.

Our Mission leader this year is Shawn Branchof Threshold Ministries (formerly known as Anglican Church

Army of Canada).The Mission will be held in our church from Thursday, May

26th to Sunday, May 29th. The sessions will begin at 7:00 in theevening, and will conclude with Sunday worship at 10:30 am.

We will have a gospel band in attendance to provide music andsinging for the occasion.

Our Parish is pleased to welcome and invite other Christiansto come and join us as Shawn opens up the scriptures for our

learning and to help us grow in our faith in our Risen Lord.Please pray for Shawn and for our Mission; and please join us if

you can; and bring a friend with you.

The Rev’d Ed Keeping

Beside The StillWaters

Ron Clarke

Columnist I n every life there are

times of tempest. Stormsof temptation, frustration

and disappointmentbuffet us frequently.Waves of loss, pain, andgrief swamp our fragilebarks and threaten todestroy us utterly. Asthe philosophers of theworld maintain: “That’sthe breaks! That’s life!”

When assaulted bystorm, the Christianf r e q u e n t l y t u r n sf o r s u c c o u r t o h i sMaker. Nothing moredramatically emphasizesour dependence on Godthan tribulation. In theirmost dif cult moments,even the seemingly non-religious turn instinctivelyto God.

Often, though, thereare for each of us thoseblessed times of calm, ofsojourn “beside the stillwaters”. In times of peaceand freedom from strainor threat of danger, thosewhose relationship withGod is superficial maylose all sense of contactwith him. They maybecome so absorbedin the pleasures of thehour, so possessedby the false sense ofindependence, that theirawareness of God may

virtually disappear. Theyfeel no need for God inthe immediate securityof the moment.

Not so for the realChristian. In times ofpeace the benevolenceand love of God seemvery near and very real.To the Christian lyingon a sandy beach on ablissful summer’s day,surrounded by blue-green sea, azure skies,s u n - s t e e p e d c l i f f s ,and emerald hills, thelove of God is virtuallypalpable. The summerlandscape is the Father’sgood garden; the softsigh of the wind, thesongs of the birds arehis music; the rich beautyof summer, a plethora ofpleasant sights. Soundsand scents, proclaim thewarm love of the Creator,his greatness and power,and his in nite concernfor all his creatures.

S u r r o u n d e d b ysummer beauty oneA u g u s t a f t e r n o o n ,one man remarked:“How wonderful mustheaven be if it is, as theBible suggests, morewonderful than this?”And when we are inthe golden t ime ofautumn, a time of riotouscolour, of crisp, clearevenings, and brilliantstarlit nights, again westand surrounded bythe Father’s beauties.How insensitive andthoughtless we are if weignore the Creator, thegiver. Winter and spring,day and night, stormand calm, all proclaimthe Father’s love. Letus be truly thankful forall his earthly gifts, andgratefully anticipate thewonders of his other,even more wonderfulkingdom, to come.

image from creativecommons.org southpondnature.org


14/16

MAY 201614


Smith Sound Con rmation Class Prepares forTheir Con rmation by Attending OneArticle and photographs byHarvey Locke

60 Years of Service Recognized in Mount PearlSubmitted with photograph byJean Nash

On Sunday, February 28, 2016,Cindy Button, a member ofthe Church of the Ascensionin Mount Pearl, was presentedwith a certi cate recognizing,and in thanksgiving for, her 60years of service and dedicationto the ACW (Anglican ChurchWomen). Her friends, and thewhole Parish family, sincerelyhope that God will continueto bless her in her continuedservice in this ministry.

C o n f i r m a t i o nPreparation in the Parish

of Smith SoundOn Sunday, March 13,2016 the ConfirmationClasses of Smith Sound,f ive young peop lefrom St. Aidan’s at PortBlandford and fourfrom St. Mary the Virginat Burgoyne’s Covetravelled, accompaniedby parents, sponsors,c l a s s l e a d e r s a n dtheir rector, the Rev’dGeorge Spencer, toSt. Martin’s Cathedralin Gander to attend aCon rmation Service as

part of their Con rmationp r e p a r a t i o n . T h epurpose of the trip wasbroadly to show thecandidates an actualConfirmation Service,and to promote a senseof unity and identity withother young people inour Diocese.

The ConfirmationClasses from Smith Sound

Parish were extendeda very warm welcomeby the rector, the Rev’dJohn Watton, and were

treated to a very nicelunch provided by theladies of the cathedralparish. It was a lovelyouting for the group,greatly appreciated byall, and provided someinteresting insights for theSmith Sound candidates.For one young personit was actually a sourceof some comfort: oneyoung man was heardto remark that he wasgreatly relieved that theBishop’s examinationwas done as a group,

rather than individually.The photos attachedhere are of the SmithSound Confirmationclasses, along with Rev.George Spencer and agroup photo of BishopDavid, St. Martin’s newlyconfirmed youth, andthe candidates from theParish of Smith Sound.


15/16

15MAY 2016


Three in One, and One in Three

The Rev’d Everett Hobbs

Columnist The mystery of the

Holy Trinity is the centralmystery of the Christianfai th and l i fe . TheAthanasian Creed putsit this way: “The Fatheris God, the Son is Godand the Holy Spirit isGod, and yet there arenot three Gods but oneGod.” In the words ofJohn Henry Newman:“Firmly I believe andtruly, God is three andGod is one.”

The early Churchs t r u g g l e d w i t h i t s

belief in God as one,and yet contended thatthat the Son and theHoly Spirit were Godas well as the Father.This issue producedextensive debate aswell as considerabledivision. The search fora resolution evolved intoGod as Trinity, especiallyin the pronouncementsof the Councils of Nicea(325) and Constantinople(381). The words used inthe formulae reflectedthe thinking of thet ime (using Greek) ,as expressed in theApostles’ Creed andNicene Creed, and inthe act of baptism.

The Trinity is notan explanation of thenature of God, rather anexpression of it. It is nota puzzle or a problemto be solved by themind. Logically, it is acontradiction. Countlessbooks have been writtenand sermons preacheda b o u t t h e Tr i n i t y.These may help us tounderstand God more,

but they cannot explainGod. The Trinity ismore about prayer andworship than aboutstudy and speculation.St. Columbus tells us thatGod the Trinity is knownnot by words but byfaith. The Trinity is amystery, and relationshipto mystery requiresw o n d e r, a w e , a n dpraise. God is beyondhuman language but it’sall we have to recordhis self-revelation. Thelanguage we use for theTrinity shows the limitsof our knowledge andunderstanding of God.It is a paradox, whichis the most profoundway we can speakabout God. There is atradition (the negativeor apophatic way) whichavoids or limits languageabout God. Wordsare also problematicwhen we don’t distinguishthe l i tera l meaningfrom other forms, suchas poetry and story. Afundamentalist readingof the Bible takes all

words literally.The Trinity teaches us

that the nature of Godis a relationship of love.The three Persons arenot different, but distinct,having everything incommon and basedon mutual trust andself-giving. We knowthe Trinity through ourrelationship with God,grounded in this love.

G o d a s T r i n i t yconfronts us with thequestions: What is Godlike? Who is the one wecall God? Our God maybe too small because wehave moved little beyondour childhood version. We n e e d t o k e e pgrowing God. Or ourGod may be an idol anda false god of our ownmaking. Not a carvedimage, but in the formof money, possessions,success, power, status,ideology, or whateverwe make more importantthan God. Bonhoeffertells us that if we do notallow God to make usin his own image, we

will make him in ourown image for our ownconvenience, security,and comfort. The Godof the Bible calls us,challenges us, upsets us,that we may see the light.

Worsh ip ing Godas Trinity will preventus centring on one ofThree while neglectingthe other two, such asa preoccupation withJesus, but little attentionto the Holy Spirit. Wekeep the Trinity before uswith the use of “Glory tothe Father . . .”, “The graceof our Lord . . . “; “In thename of the Father . . . “ .A much used depictionof the Trinity is an iconby Andrei Rublev. I havea copy in my bedroomand stand before it eachmorning after rising.You can nd it online. Awonderful descriptionof the Trinity is found inthe hymn “St. Patrick’sBreastplate,“ beginning“I bind myself untomyself today the strongName of the Trinity . . . “

A Passion Journey For The SensesArticle and photographs byKimberly PopeAs our Lenten journey was drawing to a close at the Parish of the Ascension,we embarked on a passion journey that reached in through our varioussenses to touch our hearts and nourish our souls. It began with Palm Sun-day, and the feel of the palm fronds in our hands. We listened, as the Rev’dAlfred Wareham read the passion gospel. We watched, as members of thecon rmation class brought forward items to Canon David Burrows, who usedthem to build the Cruci xion/Resurrection Garden in front of the Altar. We journeyed on through Holy Week services, watching, listening and learning.On Good Friday, the youth of our parish presented a dramatization of theStations of the Cross. The sounds of the cross being dragged to Golgothaand the hammering of the nails reverberated throughout the church andleft a profound impression upon us. On Saturday evening we gathered forthe Easter Vigil taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the ames used tolight the Paschal Candle, passing the light on to each other. We gatheredat the font, renewing our baptismal vows. Then we gathered at the altar tocelebrate the Eucharist, tasting the bread and wine, and remembering ourSaviour’s death and resurrection. We witnessed the open, empty tomb in ourCruci xion/Resurrection Garden, and saw the cocoons, which the ReverendLynn Courage along with the young children of our congregation had placedon the tree on Good Friday, which now had emerging butter ies. On Eastermorning we gathered again, celebrating in the resurrection and singing ourpraises. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!


16/16

MAY 201616

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MAY 2016 Anglican Life