Suicide prevention, PWRDF priorities for northern. Saskatchewan. anglican. Stony Creek church gets a facelift

Transcription

1 Saskatchewan The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu Appelle A Section of the Anglican Journal December 2014 anglican Suicide prevention, PWRDF priorities for northern Saskatchewan Can you name that disciple? Bishop Mark Rylands (second from left), from the Diocese of Lichfield, points into the crowd seeking an answer as to which of Jesus disciples is being portrayed by the people on stage. Rylands was the keynote speaker during the Diocese of Qu Appelle s Q Event, which took place in Caronport from Oct For full story on event, please see pages 5 and 9. Pretending to be some of Jesus disciples are, from left, Rosa Heustis, Shannon Sherk, Julie Moser and Breanna Netmaker. Photo Jason Antonio Stony Creek church gets a facelift By the Reverend Canon Michael Stonhouse STONY CREEK (S toon) It only seemed right and proper, because 1914, that is, exactly 100 years previous, something special had happened with St. Peter s, Stoney Creek. George Exton Lloyd, the first rector of the Lloydminster and the Barr Colony, and later bishop of Saskatchewan, propagated what he called the Saskatchewan Plan. The Plan s central feature was the establishment of an Anglican church within roughly 10 kilometres (six miles) of every settler, that distance being a reasonable distance to attend church with the horse and buggy transportation of that day. One of the churches thus established was St. Peter s, a tiny church located northeast of Lloydminster and still in use during the summer months. St. Peter s was originally established in 1908, but unfortunately in 1912, was destroyed by a cyclone, which seemed to be a frequent occurrence in that neck of the woods. Not to accept that setback as final, the local people rallied together and in 1914, rebuilt the church, but in a slightly altered location a few kilometres to the St. Peter s, Stony Creek, looking loved and cared for. The rural church is 100 years old this year. Photo The Reverend Canon Michael Stonhouse north. Unfortunately, over the years that church building was allowed to fall into a certain amount of disrepair. Firstly, and most serious, was its foundation. Built of fieldstone and cemented together, it had sagged considerably over the years. Fortunately, that problem was rectified several years ago by moving the church to one side and putting in a new foundation. But there still remained a problem with the bell tower, more specifically, in the junction between the bell tower and the church proper. That joint had never been properly sealed, so over the years, water had seeped in and caused a certain amount of rot to the surrounding area. A local community group, however, foreseeing that the one remaining artifact of their pioneer heritage might be in danger of being lost, rallied together, and with funds from the sale of the former Trafalgar School, established a fund to restore the church building, its furnishings and its cemetery and grounds. See FACELIFT on page 5 Bishop Michael Hawkins addresses the Diocese of Saskatchewan s 68 th Synod during his Bishop s Charge By Amy Dow PRINCE ALBERT Bishop Michael Hawkins delivered the Bishop s Charge to the 68 th Synod in Prince Albert, during the eucharist on the occasion of the Eve of St. Luke (Oct. 17). Some of the highlights are given below. The bishop talked about the importance of working together, in particular with the Diocese of Brandon in indigenous ministry and with the Diocese of Athabasca in non-indigenous ministry. He also mentioned the possibility of working more closely with the Diocese of Saskatoon, in areas of rural ministry and diocesan administration. Regarding indigenous ministry, the bishop said the congregational twinning (the pairing of indigenous and nonindigenous parishes to pray and visit together) that began in 2012 was ending with the synod. In their response to the Bishop s Charge, the committee offering their feedback asked him to persist in the idea, as it is the most practical way of implementing the diocesan vision of Mamuwe. They also asked the bishops to follow up with the congregations that were in those relationships, to see what was working and to encourage those who have yet to follow up with their partnerships. The Protocol for the Protection of Youth and Vulnerable Persons in the Prince Albert Deanery will be implemented and training will be provided. Mike Foley, PhD, guest of the Diocese of Saskatchewan Synod. Photo Amy Dow The first session was held Nov. 27 (for administrators and ministry leaders) and the second one is on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015 at St. Alban s Cathedral (for those involved in medium- and high-risk ministry). The committee responded in agreement, as well as suggesting the next step would be to ensure deaneries and parishes would implement to Protocol. Regarding the issue of suicide, the diocese has taken steps to provide training on this subject in the form of ASIST, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills training, and Linda Cairns from Embracing Life Saskatchewan. The two-day course is open to lay and ordained alike, with a limit of 30 participants. Please register with the synod office if you are interested in attending. The committee also suggested training in pastoral care be given for clergy and families dealing with the loss of a loved one by suicide. The Vocational Diaconate was discussed in detail, having had a task force to report on the matter. See PRIORITIES on page 4

2 2 The Saskatchewan Anglican December 2014 Feeding hungry stomachs and hungry hearts As Anglicans, what are the issues on which we can work together in our community, province, or nation? By Archdeacon Dell Bornowsky BIG COUNTRY (Qu A) To quote a friend, I have difficulty imagining what issues we could NOT work together on in our communities. So I will use this opportunity to promote one rather obvious opportunity and another one that might be just as obvious if we hadn t got out of practice. One of the most obvious and significant opportunities for working together as Anglicans is our international relief work known as PWRDF. At the Diocese of Qu Appelle s Q Event this year, some of us were remembering Dr. Lotta Hitschmanova and her advertisements for the Unitarian Service Committee. It seems clear a Trinitarian understanding of God is not necessary to prompt humanitarian relief efforts. Why not also invite Unitarians, Humanists and Atheists to join us in this compassionate work? We might thereby provide a nonverbal rebuttal to popular atheist propaganda which suggests faith in God is bad for the world. Of course, those of us with an understanding that the Divine Person became physical in the person of Christ, have an even more specific mandate to model and proclaim the values of the kingdom of God here on Earth. This suggests another issue on which Anglicans could and should work together. By Rev. Norbert Haukenfrers, PhD Jesus exhortation to feed the hungry needn t stop at stomachs. Why would we feed hungry stomachs but balk at nourishing hungry hearts? Our roots in Celtic Spirituality may have protected Anglicans a bit from the tendency to divorce activism from pietism, or to separate the social gospel from evangelistic endeavours and church planting. We are in a great position to do both. Atheists are not likely to join in on this other part of our mandate, but if we do a good job of the former, they will have less to complain about in the effects of the latter. Of course, the Anglican church has made mistakes in its missionary work; perhaps by being too cosy with empire and state and the cultures of origin of the missionaries. However, we may actually be better prepared for mission by virtue of being able to learn from our mistakes. Would we want our favourite sports team to give up simply because they played poorly for a game or two? People who have lost their way attempting to climb a mountain are better prepared to succeed on subsequent attempts than those who have never tried. Being rightfully ashamed of cultural arrogance in our ancestors is no justification to throw out the baby with the bath water and abandon the whole mission. Is the gospel really good news or not? Does genuine Christian spirituality have something to offer the world or not? We have Christian brothers and sisters all around the world because of the endeavours and sacrifices of Anglican missionaries in previous generations. Why would we stop? To achieve co-operation in renewed evangelistic mission and church planting, we will need to overcome the temptation to allow a poorly thought out Pluralism to undermine our motivation to proclaim the good news that Jesus preached. In working together to provide freedom for all to freely choose their faith, we may need to expose the racism and casteism that is hidden in some versions of pluralism. The justifiable argument that no one should be coerced to change their faith has been twisted in some contexts to become justification for statesponsored coercion not to change one s faith. If we really respect others, wouldn t we want them to have the freedom to chose? Anglican heirlooms illustrate our faith in Christ PRINCE ALBERT Teresa and I have moved several times, and whenever we move, the going through stuff begins: Have we used this? Will we? If the answer is no, we stop. Before we throw anything out, we ask, Is this a keepsake or an heirloom we want to keep? Does it remind us of where we have travelled and who we are? It is never an easy process, but over the years we have become better at this. At our new home we begin the unpacking, trying to see where things fit. What is it we want to do in this room? Whose room is it? These are the same questions we find ourselves asking as we unpack our faith in our community and nation. How do we practise our faith here in this place? George Everett Ross tells of a Why would we feed hungry stomachs but balk at nourishing hungry hearts? Photo istockphotography day, a few years ago, when Dr. Albert Schweitzer stopped by to visit Dr. Leslie Weatherhead, whose daughter, unknown to Dr. Schweitzer, had begun taking piano lessons. As Dr. Schweitzer arrived, he could hear the daughter plunking clumsily, doing her exercises on the old and slightly out-of-tune piano. On entering the room, he observed the scurrying, trying to get her to stop practising. But Dr. Schweitzer would have none of it, saying, No, no, no! Let me sit down beside her. Sitting down, he placed the little girl s hands in his own hands and together they felt out the notes, between them playing a sweet, simple little melody. Here the greatest living expert on Johann Sebastian Bach, sat down with a little girl, just learning to play the piano and played a tune with her hands. I have never forgotten that image of the little girl fumbling through her practise, reminding me of the exercising of my faith, putting into practice my clumsy faith in an old and out-of-tune world. Often, beyond my awareness, the Master is present, placing my hands in His, playing out a sweet simple melody of faith, hope and love in my home, community and friendships. This is never an easy process and it requires practise, a lot of practise. There are things we love and are familiar with and there are keepsakes and heirlooms pointing us to the whole of which we are a part. Our keepsakes remind us of the tensions and struggles. Our history as Anglicans is untidy and clumsy, shaped by unexpected twists and turns that challenge and baffle, frustrating logic and ambition. Reminding us that Anglicanism was never intended to be the best type of Christianity, or even a middle way, but a broken part of the universal church, wherein all have died. Our Anglican heirlooms offer us an identity and story to live out of, helping to illuminate our faith in Christ, as we unpack what is ours to receive and give, participating with God in our community, province and nation. As Anglicans, we unpack our faith with a particular ethos, tending to the life of the community, cultivating relationships, proclaiming hope, offering forgiveness and healing and desiring reconciliation. Our hands and feet, bodies and minds lifted in practise, finding ourselves in Christ, joining Him in the dirty work of redemption. To God be the glory in farming, medicine, law, manufacturing, education, construction, entertainment, transportation, childcare and worship. Saskatchewan The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu Appelle A Section of the Anglican Journal January 2013 anglican Published by the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu Appelle. Published monthly except for July and August. Whole No. 292, Vol. 43, No. 4 A Section of the Anglican Journal SUBSCRIPTIONS For change of address, undeliverable copies and subscription list updates, contact: Your parish Or send to Saskatchewan Anglican, c/o Anglican Journal, 80 Hayden Street, Toronto, Ont. M4Y 3G2 RATES $10 in Canada $17 outside Canada SUBMISSIONS Submissions for the February issue must be recieved by the diocesan editor no later than Friday, December 19. All pictures must be sent as JPEGS and 1 MB (megabyte) in size. CONTACT INFORMATION Managing Editor: Jason Antonio SKAnglicanEditor@gmail.com 59 Roberts Place Regina, Sask., S4T 6K5 Phone: (306) Qu Appelle: Joanne Shurvin-Martin joannesm@myaccess.ca 6927 Farrell Bay Regina, Sask., S4X 3V4 Phone: (306) Saskatoon: Peter Coolen ptrcoolen@sasktel.net 820 Avenue I South, Saskatoon, Sask., S7M 1Z3 Phone: (306) , Saskatchewan: Amy Dow amy.elizabeth.dow@gmail.com 1308 Fifth Avenue East Prince Albert, Sask., S6V 2H7 Phone: (306) PUBLISHING DETAILS Published from 59 Roberts Place Regina, Sask., S4T 6K5 Printed and mailed by Webnews Printing Inc. 8 High Meadow Place North York, Ont. M9L 2Z5

3 The Saskatchewan Anglican December Great expectations By The Right Reverend David Irving, Bishop of Saskatoon SASKATOON On Nov. 30, the season of Advent begins. With that in mind, I picked up my dictionary and looked up what it had to say about Advent. Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The term is an anglicized version of the Latin word adventus, meaning coming. Another dictionary says Advent is the arrival of something extremely important. For most of us, both in our parishes and at home, the focus of the season is preparing for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Through Advent, we decorate our church and home, place our Advent wreath where it is visible for all to see, the Sunday school performs a pageant and we wait. We wait for His first Advent. Many of us forget it is also a time when we wait in anticipation of the return of Christ the King in His Second Advent. If you listen carefully to the Scripture readings each Sunday during Advent, you will notice an emphasis on the Second Advent and themes that describe accountability for faithfulness and the hope of eternal life. In fact, all through the New Testament, there sounds the note of expectation. There was no doubt the early Christians were looking forward to the Second Coming of Christ. It was to be heard everywhere; how they were looking to that day. St. Paul even showed the expectation in the telling of the institution of the eucharist. He wrote, For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the lord, until he comes again. Also, at the very end of the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelations, we have the ascended Christ speaking to John in a vision and giving His message to the Church: Behold I am coming soon. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. It was quite certain the first followers expected Christ would come again during their own lifetime, but as years passed, some began to question when the Second Advent would be. This prompted a reply from Peter, where in his second letter he wrote, With the lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. In other words, what seems a long time to us is nothing to God. And so the Church learnt she must wait watch and pray; that she must strive to bring Christ s Kingdom upon Earth, whilst holding fast to the promise of Christ s return. The Church has done this, and she has devoted one of her seasons, Advent, to this end. One day the story will be finished and the final chapter will be written. Christ will come again. As we wait for that day, let us prepare to give thanks to God for the child Jesus at Christmas and let us remember that Christmas is a story about all of us receiving that which we most want and need: love, unconditional love. The gift at Christmas isn t just the gift of a baby to Mary, the shepherds and the Three Wise Men. It isn t just a story about Joseph and Mary being entrusted by God with the responsibility of caring for God s Son. The Christmas story is about how God so loved and loves us that He asks us to be partners in loving the world. The Word became flesh and lives among us. May each day be Christmas and may we tell the story of God s love by how we live our lives and love as we have been loved. May you have a blessed and peaceful Christmas. Harvest festival at St. John s Minster By the Reverend Canon Michael Stonhouse LLOYDMINSTER (S toon) Being the mother church of the Barr Colony, established on an immense tract of the Canadian plains back in 1903, it is only right and proper that St. John s Minister, Lloydminster, should honour and celebrate its agricultural heritage each year with its own version of a Harvest Thanksgiving Festival. Besides having the church decorated with leaves and other fall décor, parishioners were invited to contribute tokens of their own harvest, such as garden fruit and vegetables and sheaves of wheat and stocks of corn. But most unique is an ancient ritual adapted from the agricultural homecoming of Israel depicted in Deuteronomy 26. In that ancient ritual, the Hebrew people brought the first fruits of their harvest to the priest. At St. John s, we have adapted this slightly, with the words, Today I declare to the Lord our God that I have come Bounty of the season is laid before the altar during the harvest festival at St. John s Minster, Lloydminster. Photo The Revevernd Canon Michael Stonhouse into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us. Our ancestors were wanderers and immigrants and God brought us to this good land. I now bring the first of the harvest that you, O God, have given me. In our St. John s version, it is the eager children of the parish that do so, and with a somewhat widened repertoire. The things they process up and lay at the altar include the fruit of the field (wheat, oats, rye, alfalfa, hay, barley, corn, sunflower and canola), the fruit of the vineyard (grapes and wine), the fruit of the orchard (apples and other fruit), the fruit of the garden (vegetables of all kinds, shapes and sizes), the fruit of the barnyard and pasture (cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry) and the fruit of the lakes, rivers and oceans (all sea creatures and fish). Biblical bloopers By Rev. William Portman REGINA Once in my younger days, I asked a conservative evangelical pastor to define fundamentalist for me. His reply, Someone who says, If the Saint James Bible was good enough for Saint Paul, it s good enough for me. Of course, he was talking about the King James translation of 1611, which includes Paul s letters to young churches. Another pastor defined fundamentalists as people who believe that every Bible is written, set in tiny type, printed on thin paper with a gold edge and handed down from heaven bound in imitation leather. They also, according to this pastor, believe that every word in the Bible is literally, infallibly, true. These are of course possibly unfair stereotypes. However, even though the Bible is inspired by God, it is produced by fallible human beings like the edition in 1702 that made King David say in Psalm 119:161 that printers have persecuted me without a cause, when the first word should have been Princes. That edition came to be known as the Printer s Bible. It s only one of many editions of the Bible that have nicknames based on typographical errors which could easily happen, especially in the days when each letter was set one at a time, by hand. Maybe the printer misprint wasn t too far off the mark. Another typo came in Psalm 14:1, The fool hath said in his heart there is a god when the second last word should not have been a but no. Paul s letters have also been victims of printer error. In a 1653 edition, while warning against promiscuity in Romans 6:13, he is made to say, Neither yield your members as instruments of righteousness against sin, when it should have read unrighteousness. The typesetter seems to have a real problem with the word: 1 Corinthians 6:9 reads, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the Kingdom of God? The problem was it should have read shall not inherit. And in the first letter to Timothy at 2:9, Paul is again the victim, as he is made to say, I will that all women adorn themselves in modern apparel..., when the correct word is modest. The little words seem to have presented the biggest problem for printers, like the simple transposition in John 8:11, where Jesus tells the woman accused of adultery go, and sin on more when the second last word should have been no. Jesus is misquoted again when Mark 7:27 appeared as Let the children first be killed, the final word should have been filled. One of the more spectacular Bible bloopers came in 1632, when a London printer produced an edition in which the seventh commandment read Thou shalt commit adultery, omitting the not after shalt. For this error the printer was fined 300 pounds, an enormous sum in those days. That mistake is now remembered as the Wicked Bible. The word not was a problem in a later edition, when the word was left out of the sixth commandment so it became thou shalt kill. This error had something of an ironic ring to it: it happened in 1914, the year that saw the beginning of the First World War, with its loss of millions of lives. Another boo-boo is merely amusing. An 1832 edition made this error in Genesis 24:16: Rebecca arose, and her camels oops, make that damsels. And in a 1562 printing there s praise for people who let others get ahead of them in a lineup in Matthew 5:9, which said, Blessed are the place makers, instead of peace makers. In an article introducing a special edition of the King James Bible to commemorate the 400th anniversary of its publication, Oxford University Press quotes a Dr. Scrivener as saying, Numberless and not inconsiderable departures from the original or standard edition of the Authorized Version as published in 1611 are to be found in the modern Bibles... (most) are deliberate changes, introduced silently and without authority... to amend manifest faults of the original translators or editors.... Of course, the Bible is not the only source of typographical errors. The Vatican recently was forced to recall 6,000 medals commemorating the new Pope, Francis, when the name of Jesus was misspelt as Lesus. These souvenirs were priced at $108 for bronze, $135 for silver and $203 for gold. Those printers again! But in those early days, they didn t have spell-check.

4 4 The Saskatchewan Anglican December 2014 Continued from page 1 The task force recommended proceeding with the discerning of vocations and training for ministry of persons who would be ordained to the diaconate, without any plans for ordination later to the priesthood. In most cases, these vocational deacons would serve in a non-stipendiary role. While the provision of a particular process of discernment, study and formation for vocational deacons is daunting, there are many resources around us. The bishop asked the synod whether there was support in proceeding in that direction. The committee responded by saying deacons should be raised up from their own congregations, that each person varies from one another and the particular plan for education and deployment for the deacon should be decided by the congregation. The Diocesan Mission focus is this: suicide prevention, supporting Bishop McAllister College in Uganda and supporting the Primate s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF). The most important point of the Bishop s Charge was the notion of collaborative ministry. In this area, the PRIORITIES Many resources, including books and T-shirts, were available for delegates to look through and purchase during the synod in Prince Albert. The shirts featured ways to live the marks of mission, including praising God in good times and bad, and, buying less and giving more. Photo Amy Dow bishop suggested Lay Pastoral training, of which a task force will be appointed; training for lay ministers possibly through James Settee College; and the Fifth Sunday movement, whereby fifth Sundays would be taken as an opportunity to do things in collaboration with one another. Some dates have been suggested by the bishop. For dates, please contact the synod office. Again, the committee responded to this by both commending the bishop and reiterating the need for a task force for lay pastoral training and that the James Settee College be a centre of education for lay people that include non-indigenous people. In communication within the diocese, the bishop is paying attention to three suggestions: 1) Area newsletters/calendar; 2) A diocesan newsletter with parish events; and 3) The use of Facebook and parish websites. The committee supported these suggestions, as well as recommended the diocese look into hiring a webmaster to help serve in web design, parish websites and an online newspaper publication. In the area of active deaneries, the bishop voiced the suggestions of the people, which included shared mission projects, musical collaboration (of which the committee suggested a task force be implemented), co-ordinated hospital and nursing home pastoral care, Diocese of Saskatoon Announcements for December 2014 and regional meetings as well as retreats and/or quiet days. With regard to the nature of vocations, it seemed apparent to the bishop there was a need for a clearer statement on what the ministries of the laity are. For information on this, please go to page 554 of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), which outlines the Supplementary Instruction of Our Catechism and in particular, the work of laity as well as priests and the bishop. Finally, the bishop turned our focus to the Disciplines of Disciples, namely: 1) Weekly worship; 2) Daily prayer and Bible reading; 3) Christian living; 4) Christian witness; 5) Service in church and community; and 6) Offering. He closed with the Five Marks of Mission, which are ways we live out the Mission of God and His Church. They are: 1) To proclaim the good news of the kingdom; 2) To teach, baptize and nurture new believers; 3) To respond to human need by loving service; 4) To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation; and most importantly 5) To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the Earth. Christmas at the Roxy: Emmanuel Anglican Church, Saskatoon, is hosting an outreach community event Christmas at the Roxy, with proceeds to go tentatively to the Canadian Mental Health Association. Their goal is to provide a musical and spiritual event that tells the Christmas story in readings, song, audience carol singing, children s choir and band. Time and Date are Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. Heather Blakley is looking for choral singers for this event. Heather may be contacted at heather@ emmanuelrefinery.org. Friends and Family Service: St. George s, Saskatoon, at 7 p.m. every Friday night. Informal music and prayer focused on families. The Parish of St. George s, Saskatoon, hosts a Community Coffee morning in the parish hall every Thursday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Join them for a warm social time with coffee, tea, toast and some type of baked goods at no charge. Integrity/Saskatoon: Meetings are the second Wednesday of each month at St. John s Anglican Cathedral, 816 Spadina Crescent East at 7:30 p.m. Integrity/Saskatoon is a group of the GLBTT community and friends. For more information call , or visit the Facebook page at Integrity/ Saskatoon or check out the Integrity/Saskatoon web site at blogspot.com. Seniors Lunch in Battleford: The Friendship Committee of St. George s, Battleford invites all seniors to join them for lunch the first Monday of each month; each Seniors Lunch begins at noon. Prison Support: The Micah Mission is in need of people who are willing to give an hour or two a week to help support people in prison or recently released from prison. There is a growing need for Circles of Support and Accountability in Saskatoon. Please contact Dave Feick, co-ordinator at The Micah Mission. For more information or to volunteer call ). Women in Ministry, Friday Luncheons: Facilitators are Marie-Louise Ternier- Gommers and the Rev. Amanda Currie. These luncheons are held one Friday of each month at noon at Queen s House, 601 Taylor St. West, Saskatoon. Cost is $10. This invitation goes out to all women who are employed in professional ecclesial ministry; retired from an employed ministry position; and/or studying for professional ecclesial ministry. The main purpose for the lunches is to create an informal relational space where women working professionally in ministry (lay and ordained, pastoral work, congregational work, chaplaincy, retreat work) can connect across denominational lines and form networks of friendship and communication. Call Marie- Louise for the date of the next lunch at Christmas Sales and Teas: St. George s, Battleford, Christmas Tea and Bake Sale, Saturday, Dec. 6. For info contact Jan Trost at St. George s, Saskatoon, Vestry Christmas Tea, Saturday, Nov. 29, 1-3 p.m. Appointments, Retirements, etc.: The Reverend Jie (Jessie) Pei will be installed as the new Incumbent of Parkland Parish (St. Paul s, Forest Bank; All Saints, Lashburn and St. Andrew s, Maidstone) on Sunday, Dec. 7. Advance Notices: The 2015 Diocesan ACW Retreat: The planning for the next Anglican Church Women s bi-annual retreat, which is scheduled for September 2015, has begun. If you have ideas or experience in planning events, please join the retreat planning team! Meetings will be scheduled at mutually convenient times. To volunteer or find out more, contact Elaine Hrycenko at or e.p.h@sasktel.net. To be included in a timely manner, brief notices should be supplied to the Associate Editor by fax, or snail mail by the last week of the month, two months before the month in which the insertion is desired (for example, November submissions will be in the January issue). Detailed and longer texts of upcoming events will not be included in this section, but should space allow, could be the subject of article and notices elsewhere in the Saskatchewan Anglican.

5 The Saskatchewan Anglican December A faith-filled weekend at Q Event in Caronport Surrounded by pre-made prayer beads, Rev. Arleen Champion from St. Aiden, Moose Jaw, and Lowana Porter work on creating their own prayer beads, during one of the Diocese of Qu Appelle Q Event workshops at Briarcrest College and Seminary in Caronport. Anglican prayer beads aid in contemplative prayer helping a person think about and be mindful of praying and being in the presence of God through the use of the mind, body and spirit. Anglican prayer beads consist of 33 beads, representing the number of years Jesus lived on Earth. The touching of the fingers on each bead assists in keeping one s mind from wandering while praying. Photo Jason Antonio By Joanne Shurvin-Martin CARONPORT (Qu A) What is a Q Event? It s praise and worship; it s a smorgasbord of workshops; it s inspiring addresses; it s programs for toddlers, children and youth; it s re-connecting with friends throughout the diocese and making new friends; it s a busy weekend! The Diocese of Qu Appelle holds a Q Event in years when there is no synod. The Q Event on Oct attracted more than 100 participants to the campus of Briercrest College and Seminary in Caronport. On Saturday morning Bishop Rob Hardwick said, I m sure we will learn new things this weekend, so we will begin with Sing a New Song Unto the Lord. The theme of newness continued when Hardwick challenged everyone to memorize 2 Corinthians 5:17, So if anyone is in Christ there is a new creation; everything old has passed away, see, everything has become new. Bishop Mark Rylands is bishop of Shrewsbury in the Diocese of Lichfield, a companion diocese of Qu Appelle. He and his wife, Rev. Prebendary Mandy Rylands, both presented workshops at Q Event, and Bishop Rylands gave four addresses on the theme Grace and Frailty (see related article in this issue). On Sunday, in response to several questions, Prebendary Rylands explained that a prebendary is somewhat like a canon in the Canadian church, an honourary position related to a cathedral. Participants chose four sessions from 22 workshops, with two sessions held on Saturday and two on Sunday. Topics were grouped into six categories: the nature of church; worship; prayer and communication; mission action plans; reaching out; and youth. Several people commented there were so many good choices, it was hard to choose. Bishop Hardwick spoke on Saturday afternoon in a sort of State of the Diocese address. He said he expected the move from maintenance to mission will take all of my episcopacy and beyond, but pointed out many areas of success already. He highlighted the reestablished church in Pense, where the meeting to choose the first Vestry was not like pulling teeth! ; the success of Crosstalk summer programs at Gordon s and Day Star First Nations; Key Reserve requesting services again; and many other successes within the church and in mission activities. Hardwick described meeting the woman whose family received the house which the diocese built through Habitat for Humanity. She was grateful to the diocese and wants to work on a home for another family. God has heard the prayers of His people, said Hardwick. He said it was time to turn our thoughts from decline to the resurrection. Just dream with me what $2.4 million can do for parishes when it is raised through the Living the Mission stewardship campaign. Three worship services included prayer, praise, Scripture, music and a key-note address. On Saturday, the diocesan Cursillo community organized a service which included a witness talk by Jennifer Jacobs. The Q Event concluded with eucharist and the collation of Malcolm French as the Archdeacon of St. Cuthbert (central) region. Lowana Porter provided piano accompaniment at all the services, which was sometimes supplemented by guitars, flute, and tambourine. On Saturday evening Keith Kitchen, a Christian musician from Swift Current, presented a concert. Students from Briercrest, and people in the town of Caronport, were invited to attend, free of charge. Saskatchewan Anglican looking for new associate editor for Diocese of Saskatchewan Contributed PRINCE ALBERT The Diocese of Saskatchewan is looking for an Associate Editor to assist the diocese with collecting articles and photos from around the diocese, as well as making monthly submissions to the Saskatchewan Anglican s managing editor for print. The Associate Editor will work for the bishop of Saskatchewan and parish correspondents from around the diocese to bring information to the public. The requirements for the position are firstly, experience in editorial work and secondly, a Grade 12 education. Those interested are to contact the synod office at or synod@ sasktel.net. FACELIFT The Reverend Canon Howard Green s 60 years of service recognized To mark the 60 th anniversary of the Reverend Canon Howard Green s ordination as a priest in Toronto, on Oct. 26, after the 10:30 Sunday morning service, a special cake was presented and a celebration was held at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Saskatoon. At the celebration, The Very Reverend Scott Pittendrigh, Dean of the Cathedral (left), read special messages from the Right Reverend David Irving, Bishop of Saskatoon and the Most Reverend Fred Hiltz, Primate, to Canon Green and his wife Jean, congratulating them on his many years of faithful service to the Church. Photo Heather Punshon Continued from page 1 They proceeded to undertake the first stage of the church restoration, the bell tower. It was in decidedly better shape than expected, and this summer, its repairs were completed, together with a re-shingling of the church siding. The principal repair that remains is the installation of new drywall inside the building. It is planned that once this is complete, there will be a joyous homecoming picnic and rededication, with the intent this church will continue to serve this rural community, and beyond, for many years to come.

6 6 The Saskatchewan Anglican December 2014 National ACW conference held in Saskatoon Thirty-one diocesan ACW presidents or their representatives gathered at Queen s House of Retreats in Saskatoon for the Anglican Church Women of Canada National Conference on Sept. 25. The theme for the event was Bread of Life. Photo Karen Whitelock By Elta Fae Marlor SASKATOON Thirty-one diocesan presidents or their representatives gathered in Saskatoon for the Anglican Church Women of Canada National Conference, held on Sept. 25. The setting, on the South Saskatchewan River, at the Queen s House of Retreats, was beautiful with all the fall colours. The conference was hosted by the three Saskatchewan Anglican dioceses: Qu Appelle, Saskatoon and Saskatchewan. The Right Reverend David Irving Bishop of Saskatoon; The Right Reverend Michael Hawkins Bishop and The Right Reverend Adam Halkett, the Diocesan Indigenous Bishop, of the Diocese of Saskatchewan; and The Right Reverend Robert Hardwick, Bishop of Qu Appelle. The Primate, The Most Reverend Fred Hiltz, opened the conference, Thursday evening, at the cathedral. Bishop Irving celebrated the eucharist and Archbishop Fred Hiltz preached. Bishops Hawkins, Halkett and Hardwick assisted and brought greetings from their respective dioceses. Local Anglicans were invited and many came to worship at the service and enjoyed meeting the ACW presidents at the reception afterwards. The Primate in his sermon challenged women of the church to be actively engaged as Christians and be involved in the issues of poverty and the treatment of minorities. Bread of Life was the conference theme and bread was featured in study sessions, table favours, devotions and our meditations over the three days. Each day began and ended with worship led by the conference chaplain, The Reverend Isabella Frank. Music, small group discussions, wonderful meals, thought-provoking presentations and laughter made the conference move quickly. Three presentations explored the Bread of Life theme. The Reverend Dr. Jessica Latshaw and Chaplain Ella used a prayer by St. Teresa of Avila to guide our discussions as we answered Can we actualize St. Teresa s Prayer without doing something radical about the way we live and work in our contemporary culture? A public presentation of Sharing Stories of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Saskatchewan: not Invisible by Women Walking Together/ Iskwewuk was warmly received by the 75 people who attended the presentation. Awareness of this almost invisible occurrence that happens in each diocese was painful and surprising to several diocesan presidents. A smudging ceremony concluded the sombre evening in a reverent way. The third presentation was to be led by the first aboriginal woman bishop, The Right Reverend Lydia Mamakwa of the newest diocese in Canada, Mishamikoweesh. Unfortunately, her flight couldn t fly due to poor weather. Bishop Michael Hawkins, chair of the Council of the North, supplied the commentary to slides explaining the work of the Church in the North and ably answered the presidents questions. Saturday featured a tour of Wanuskewin and the City of Saskatoon, ending at Emmanuel Anglican Church for refreshments (see the article on the tour elsewhere in this issue). The conference ended Sunday with the closing eucharist and lunch. Goodbyes and promises to stay connected gave the delegates confidence to carry the conference theme I am the Bread of Life to each of their diocesan ACWs. Bishop of Saskatchewan blesses two cemeteries at Cumberland House Rev. Park Buck and Louisa Buck gather together after two cemeteries at Cumberland House were blessed by Bishop Michael Hawkins of the Diocese of Saskatchewan. Photo Amy Dow Cumberland House, situated nearly 450 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, was selected by Samuel Hearne of the Hudson s Bay Company in 1774 as the main fur trading post in that area By Amy Dow CUMBERLAND HOUSE (Skwn) Anglicans and Catholics gathered for a service of celebration at Cumberland House on Sept. 14, led by Bishop Michael Hawkins. It was a communion service celebrating the blessing of both the Cumberland House Cemetery and the cemetery of the reserve, the latter of which hasn t been used lately. Louisa Buck shared stories with the 100 or so people in attendance of when she was a little girl. She is a well-respected elder of the community and a longstanding ACW member of the Church of the Good Shepherd. She is also the aunt of the current priest-in-charge, Rev. Park Buck. Louisa had originally seen the Cumberland Reserve Cemetery blessed around 1938, the resting place of many who suffered from polio. People from Bud s Point, Pine Bluff and Birch River also came to attend worship services and bury their beloved here.

7 The Saskatchewan Anglican December Highlights from the Diocese of Saskatchewan s 68th synod By Amy Dow PRINCE ALBERT The 68 th Synod met on Oct at St. Alban s Cathedral in Prince Albert. The cathedral hosted delegates from all around northern Saskatchewan, both clergy and lay alike. There were about 37 lay delegates and 14 clergy delegates on a given day of the Synod. Guests to the synod included Mike Foley, PhD, a nonstipendiary priest from the Diocese of Nova Scotia and P.E.I. who spent four weeks with folks in La Ronge and Stanley Mission. His particular focus is on non-stipendiary ordained ministry. Cameron Harder, PhD, a teacher at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, led two sessions on rural and small church ministry at the this synod. Courtesies of the House were extended to Foley and Harder. Greetings to her Majesty the Queen were also extended, as a letter from her remembering us in her prayers were shared with the synod. There was also a memorial to deceased members. Following which, the chair moved that the synod receive the Resolutions Committee Report, which included: Motion 1) Be it resolved that 4.02 of the constitution be deleted from the constitution; Motion 2) Be it resolved that canon 2.05 be deleted from the canons. Motion 3) Be it resolved that we, the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Saskatchewan, agree to covenant with other dioceses in the Council of the North for the years Committed to responding together with other member dioceses to God s call to mission and ministry in the northern regions of Canada, we affirm the values of the Council and agree to be fully open about our finances with the Council; seek Council approval bef ore adding any new stipendiary position in our diocese; confine clergy salaries and allowances to those agreed to by Council. We also agreed to share the portion of the programme budget of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada designated for Canadian grants in a way that best promotes ministry in the north; participate fully in meetings of the Council; and outline the needs of all Council dioceses, not just our own, when speaking or preaching in non- member dioceses. All motions were carried with the bishops concurrence. The following three motions were carried, but not unanimously. Motion 6): A memorial to General Synod and Provincial Synod on the stewardship of the environment of the north; and Motion 7): Regarding safe water and subsidies for milk and bulk bottled water. Also voted on was Motion 8): (Concerning revision to the Marriage Canon Memorial to General and Provincial Synod ) that states, This synod unreservedly supports the submission response on the marriage canon by the Gracious Restraint Bishops, and commends its use in discerning the future of the Anglican Church of Canada in its effort to maintain and restore harmony within the Anglican family of churches, and our ecumenical links to all other churches. If you would like to read up on this response, as well as the bishop s personal response to the matter, you can read it online at cogs/cmc/submissions/ under submissions from institutions or organizations, dated Sept. 30 and submissions from individuals, dated Sept. 30, for the submission by Bishop Michael Hawkins. Clergy and lay delegates have been encouraged to discuss this in their respective congregations so all voices are heard. Some highlights of the synod also included the Bishop s Charge (given in more detail in another article) as well as response to the same; Sessions on small and rural church ministry, led by Cameron Harder, PhD; Orders of business that involved electing clergy and lay delegates to General and Provincial Synod; and responses to the Saskatchewan Anglican Associate Editor s report suggesting a quarterly newsletter. For more information on events and discussions at the synod, please contact your priest and/or your lay delegates. Upcoming RETREATS & WORKSHOPS THE BOOK OF EXODUS Fr. Paul Fachet First Wednesday of each month; next gatherings Dec. 3, Jan, 7, Feb :00 am 12:00 pm. Cost: $15/session. A DAY AWAY Gisele Bauche Every Second Wednesday of the month, 9:30 am 3:30 pm. Dec. 10,;Jan. 14; Feb. 11; Jan. 14; Feb. 11; Mar. 11; Ap. 8; May 13. Cost $25 w/lunch. The JOY OF THE GOSPEL An Ecumenical Journey with Pope Francis Letter Marie-Louise Ternier-Gommers with Ecumenical Presenters Session IV on Saturday December 13, from 9:30 am 3:30 pm. Cost: $55/day w/lunch. HEALING AND CHAKRAS Emily Cherneski Saturday December 13, 8:30 am 6:30 pm. Cost: $110 includes lunch and banquet. SILENT DIRECTED RETREAT: Be still and know that I am God (Ps 46.10) Dianne Mantyka. Friday January 16, 7:00 pm Sunday January 18, lunch. Cost: $200 (register by January 9) HEALING AND ART THERAPY Sr. Felicitas Drobig, OSU Saturday, January 17, 8:30 am 6:30 pm. Cost: $110 (includes lunch and banquet). WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY Ecumenical Prayer Service Thursday January 11:30 am, followed by lunch & fellowship. Donations accepted. TRANSITIONS: YOUR JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION THROUGH GRIEF AND LOSS Sarah Donnelly. Thursday January 22, 7 pm Sunday January 25, lunch. Cost: $390 (live-in). ONGOING EVENTS AT QUEEN S HOUSE: CENTERING PRAYER: Monday evenings, 7:00 pm TAIZE PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY Second Tuesday of the month, 8:00 pm PERSONAL DAY(S) OF PRIVATE PRAYER: Book anytime QUEEN S HOUSE WEEKLY CELEBRATION OF HOLY EUCHARIST: Wednesdays, 3:00 pm. For program details, visit To register, please call or receptionist@queenshouse.org Your Home Away from Home A sacred place to stimulate your mind and nourish your spirit Do you need a facility for: In-services, seminars, workshops, retreats, celebrations or any other occasions? Check our website for facility & booking details. 601 Taylor Street W., Saskatoon, SK S7M 0C9

8 8 The Saskatchewan Anglican December 2014 School holds memorial for Bishop Gerald McAllister Locally Trained Clergy ethics workshop completed in Saskatoon Ten people attended an all-day course on Nov. 1 in Moral Development, Ethics and Boundaries, a workshop which forms part of the Diocese of Saskatoon s Locally Trained Clergy (LTC) program. The course was given at St. George s, Saskatoon; the instructor for the course was the Reverend Jessica Latshaw, PhD, (back row, second from left), apprenticeship co-ordinator, with the LTC Program. Photo Peter R. Coolen Qu Appelle notes and events New congregation formed in Pense All Saints, Pense has been reestablished as a congregation and is now part of the Plain and Valley parish. Services are being held twice a month, with Rev. Cheryl Toth officiating. Bishop Rob Hardwick will visit All Saints on the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 20 to participate in a Christingle celebration, which involves making Christingle candles, singing, prayer and fellowship. Rev. Claude Schroeder and members of St. Mary s, Regina, have been working on the Pense church plant for several years. Bishop Rob Hardwick wrote about the re-established church and Schroeder s work, through his missional leadership at Pense, in particular, he has shown that churches that seem to be dying can come back to life. Claude Schroder concludes term as Regional Dean Rev. Claude Schroeder has concluded his role at All Saints, Pense, and as Regional Dean for Regina. He will continue as rector of St. Mary the Virgin, Regina. Malcolm French appointed Archdeacon of St. Cuthbert Malcolm French, incumbent of St. James the Apostle, Regina, has been appointed archdeacon of the central archdeaconry of St. Cuthbert. This area consists of all the Regina parishes and the parish of Plain and Valley (Lumsden, Pense, Kutawa, Raymore and Semans). He was collated at the closing eucharist at the Q-Event on Oct. 26. Susan Page elected president of deacons association Deacon Susan Page, assistant at St. Luke, Regina, has been elected president of the Association of Anglican Deacons in Canada (AADC) Dustin Resch to leave Moose Jaw Rev. Dustin Resch has been appointed Rector of St. Barnabas, Medicine Hat, in the Diocese of Calgary, beginning Jan. 1, Resch and his family have been members of St. Aidan, Moose Jaw for a number of years and very involved at the Briercrest seminary. Lloydminster s ecumenical daily Vacation Bible School a success By the Reverend Canon Michael Stonhouse LLOYDMINSTER (S toon) Often churches can do things together they could never hope to do separately. This August, for the second time, the three city centre churches of Lloydminster, Grace United, Knox Presbyterian and St. John s Minster Anglican got together to host a daily Vacation Bible School. The school was held this year at Knox Presbyterian. It utilized volunteers from all three churches and had a curriculum called The Workshop of Wonders. This multi-faceted curriculum, which utilized video clips of song and drama, acted out Bible story sessions, science experiments, outdoor activities, a powerpoint show of the children in their various activities, while the food, was a real hit with the children. But probably what most excited them was a puppet, an oversized construction ant, Rivet by name. Some of the children actually made sure they got there early so they could sit in the front row and see and hear Rivet. By Assimwe Alex For the Diocese of Saskatchewan UGANDA It was an occasion of intense reflection and yet one of explicit gratitude at St. John the Evangelist Chapel, as the school held a memorial service recently in honour of the late Bishop Gerald McAllister. Bishop Gerald McAllister, the man after whom our school got its name, was a former bishop of the Diocese of Oklahoma, whose incredible magnanimity helped to seal a bond between him and the Christians of West Ankole Diocese. His generous contribution and vision saw this institution start as a centre for theological studies and music courses. As one way of expressing their gratitude, West Ankole Diocese asked him to allow them to name the school after him. He assented to this request, and since 1982, we have lived under the name Bishop McAllister College. He passed away on June 10 in his home country, the United States of America, at the age of 91. The chapel was full and even the tents erected on either side of it to accommodate a congregation spillover were packed out. All students, members of staff, some members of the neighbouring community, while a section of Sheema District leaders came to join in the reflection on the life of our friend and the void his demise had occasioned. Most importantly, it was about saying a big thank you to the Lord for having blessed us with such a friend. West Ankole Diocese head, Bishop Yonah Katonene, led the service, and asked everyone attending to emulate Bishop McAllister. He noted McAllister s philanthropy had given hope and life to scores of Christians who lived under the grim shackles of poverty in West Ankole. If an American man like McAllister could be this good to our people, why shouldn t we feel challenged and be inspired to do a lot more in our lives? the bishop queried. He went on to explain the fortuitous meeting of Bishop Yoram Bamunoba with Bishop McAllister at the 1979 Lambeth Conference in London. It was during the last days of President Amin s brutal rule and Bishop Bamunoba was worried about the turmoil in his land. It was a very unsafe place, especially for Christian leaders, and now he was sad fearing they would maybe catch him on his return. Bishop Gerald McAllister (Feb. 16, 1923 to June 10, 2014) Bishop McAllister was concerned as he looked at the forlorn figure of Bishop Bamunoba under a tree. It was there that the two met and it was there that the friendship between West Ankole and the Diocese of Oklahoma would start and blossom. And as Christians, we don t believe that was just by chance. We see God right there. The bishop referred the congregation to 2 Timothy 4:6-8 to explain how Bishop McAllister had run his race and remained faithful to God through all his good deeds. He urged us to finish our races and look to the ultimate prize. The mood in the chapel seesawed from sombre to mildly joyful as various people paid tribute to this man of great Christian character. The most effusive eulogy was made by Rev. Elmoth Baryaruha, who said he had seen or moved with Bishop McAllister and his wife Helen on their every visit to West Ankole Diocese. In a speech that lasted about half an hour, he called him a gentleman of a very generous and profoundly noble character and a man of gentle humour. He narrated numerous episodes of their travels, fundraising campaigns, and missions, which all underscored the extent of this man s goodness.

9 The Saskatchewan Anglican December Grace and frailty By Joanne Shurvin-Martin CARONPORT (Qu A) Bishop Mark Rylands used Old Testament stories of the prophet Elijah to talk about change in today s church, at the Q Event held Oct Rylands, bishop of Shrewsbury in the Diocese of Lichfield, was keynote speaker at the event (see related article in this issue). Rylands called his first talk on Saturday morning Stepping Aside and based it on 1 Kings 19:1-18. Elijah is discouraged and afraid; he goes into the desert and waits to die under a broom tree. An angel appears twice and tells him to eat and drink to give him strength for the journey. Elijah continues until he rests in a cave, where God asks him, What are you doing here? God told Elijah to come out of the cave and watch, and there was a wind, an earthquake and fire, but God was not in any of them. God was in the sheer sound of silence. In our own churches, Rylands said, sometimes we need someone to demand, What are you doing here? Churches, like Elijah, are discouraged and defensive about their situations, but God does not set them on solo missions, said the bishop. So often we don t let the angel By Amy Dow PRINCE ALBERT Cameron Harder, PhD, teaches at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon. He is also the Director of Circle M, the Centre for Rural Community Leadership and Ministry. He helped educate those present at the Diocese of Saskatchewan s 68 th Synod on Rural and Small Church Ministry. In his first workshop, he stressed that the key to building healthier congregations was by helping them change their perspective. He reminded us at times, we get distracted by the resources we don t have. We tend to focus on the church building, the staff (or clergy) and money, when we should be focusing on what we actually have and what the need in our community really is. We tend to get lost as we view these things the church building, the clergy and money as the church s foundation, instead of Jesus Christ. If we would just focus on what we do have! For example, Bishop Mark Rylands, bishop of Shrewsbury in the Diocese of Lichfield, was exceptionally animated during his opening keynote address at the Diocese of Qu Appelle Q Event, held Oct at Briarcrest College and Seminary in Caronport. Photos Jason Antonio minister to us because we are so busy being the angels. He said that caves can be places to rest for the journey, or places to sulk and give up. Sometimes we need to listen to God s voice telling us to get out of the cave and to listen for God s instruction, not in dramatic things, but in the silence, Rylands told his audience. Rylands second talk was based on three sections of Luke s gospel and was called Moving Out. The readings covered the naming of the apostles; how Jesus gave them power and authority and sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal; and the commissioning of 72 who were sent out in pairs. Disciples do not need entertainment, said the bishop, they need a challenge. On Sunday morning, Rylands talk involved plenty of audience participation. He began by asking what makes people good team players on sports teams and then asked about being on Jesus team. Some of the answers were: know the coach, listen well, be brave, be good, show up for practice. Then Rylands and volunteers enacted interviews for Jesus disciples. The first candidate Diocese of Saskatchewan synod educated on rural and small church ministry Cameron Harder, PhD, works with a group of synod delegates during an exercise. Photo Amy Dow the skills parishioners have and things we like doing together singing and playing the guitar, reading, meeting people, having potlucks, gardening, ice- fishing, walking, cross-country skiing and the facilities we have schools, libraries, nursing homes, condominiums, legion halls, community halls, museums, bowling alleys, café, band hall and natural resources field, rivers, parks, woods, lakes as well as things people would be willing to do lend their home, yard, food, chairs, tables, food, guitar, bicycle, boats, car, computers, accommodation, dishes, books, telephone and tools. There are also skills people can offer such as carpentry, painting, drivers, cooks, teachers, artistic gifts, house sitting and electrical work all of which God has provided. Two Corinthians 9 reminds us of all God has given us. Yet there was rough, impetuous, not wellspoken and smelled of fish, so was turned down. (That was Simon Peter.) The second was a good businessman, but despised by all the local population, so also denied. (That was Matthew.) Then a pair of brothers was interviewed, but didn t get a word in because of their demanding and over-bearing mother. (Those were James and John.) The final candidate was well educated, good with money and very charming seemingly the ideal candidate. (That was Judas). Rylands said Jesus sees the potential in all of us. In the final address on Sunday afternoon, Rylands returned to the prophet Elijah with the story of how when Elijah died, his spirit passed to Elisha, but it was very difficult for Elisha. Taking steps from one place to another is very difficult, said Rylands. The church is passing over from the time in history when Christianity was the only game in town. Now Christendom is over, and the church is on the margins of society, but maybe this is not a bad place to be, to do ministry as God wants us to. He continued, saying, We are moving from being the faith of a culture to being a faith in a multi-cultural society. We can choose to be a mourner or a midwife. I m praying for the grace to be a midwife. is disconnect in how we view ministry. God has provided for ministry and yet, we fail to see it. Take the example of MacGyver. To those of you who don t remember who he is, he was a character on a television series who worked as a trouble shooter for the fictional Phoenix foundation in L.A. and as an agent for a fictional U.S. government agency. He solved complex problems with everyday materials, along with his trusty Swiss army knife and duct tape. He saw the world around him differently than others. He saw potential solutions to problems in all things. He saw the world around him as full of resources for his mission. Our ministry should follow his simple example of having a vision that includes all the resources God has already given us, not things we do not have. Harder then led delegates in an exercise that asked us to rebuild ministry without a priest, a church or money (if that would ever happen). It was so encouraging and amazing to see what we came up with!

10 10 The Saskatchewan Anglican December 2014 Three new priests in Diocese of Qu Appelle By Joanne Shurvin-Martin REGINA Three new priests were ordained on the Feast of St. Luke (Oct. 18) at St. Luke s Church. Parishioners from St. James, Regina, and Big Country Parish joined diocesan clergy and friends and family of the ordinands to celebrate the members of their parishes becoming priests. Bishop Rob Hardwick presided. As a teenager, Rev. Wendell Brock attended St. Stephen s Anglican Church in Saskatoon and was involved in the youth group. He says he left the church when he moved to Vancouver when he was 21. Later he re-dedicated his life back to God before attending Bible school, where he felt the call to ministry. He served as a lay pastor in a Lutheran church after receiving a Bachelor of Biblical Studies from Eston College. He then studied at Wycliffe College, an Anglican theological college in Toronto, where he received a Master of Divinity degree in Brock works on a farm near Eatonia and will be an associate priest in Big Country Parish, which includes Kindersley and Eston. Rev. Anne Marie MacNeil grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, where she was active in lay ministry. In 1990, she graduated from the U of R with a degree in Business Administration, where she then took on the role of president of her parish Catholic Women s League for a two-year term. When that commitment ended, she intended to take further business classes, but instead felt strongly called to study lay ministry. Following completion of a three-year lay ministry program, she enrolled in a distance learning program from Newman Theological College in Edmonton, receiving a Certificate in Theology in As I wrote the last paper for that course, I knew I would be going to a different church, she recalls. She began attending St. James the Apostle Church, becoming an Anglican in April She then became a deacon in November MacNeil will be an associate priest at St. James and is also the diocesan PWRDF representative. Rev. Murray Wright says he received the call to ministry in 2001 while he was serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. We were training and about Natiana couldn t wait until the photos were taken to hug her newly-ordained daddy. From left, Murray Wright, Anne Marie MacNeil and Wendell Brock were ordained priests by Bishop Rob Hardwick on Oct. 18. Photo Joanne Shurvin-Martin to go in the field on a Sunday, so I offered to do a church service, he says. There was a Jewish fellow in my troop, and I told him You can do the Old Testament and I ll do the New, and we had about a dozen guys come. Ever since then, I knew the good Lord was calling me. His studies included distance education classes from Acadia University in Nova Scotia and Wycliffe College and a Master of Divinity from Briercrest Seminary at Caronport in Briercrest requires an internship with a church not one s own, so Wright approached Bishop Greg Kerr-Wilson, who accepted him and sent him to St. Mary, Regina. Wright thanks Rev. Claude Schroeder, who explained so much about the Anglican church, and Rev. Malcolm French at St. James, who was also very influential. They walked alongside me and showed me, he says. Wright will be an associate priest at St. James. In his secular career he is a high school teacher. Rev. Don Wright, who is a United Church minister, military chaplain and Murray s father, read the Epistle, 2 Timothy 4:1-8. In it St. Paul, nearing the end of his life of ministry, gives detailed instructions to the young Timothy. Archdeacon Dell Bornowsky, incumbent of Big Country Parish, based much of his sermon on this lesson. He said his message was addressed particularly to the ordinands but also to everyone else: Every Christian baptised is given the commission. He repeated St. Paul s final exhortations: always be sober; endure suffering; do the work of an evangelist; and fulfil the duties of your ministry. Bornowsky said some of these seem to be strange recruiting slogans. Who would volunteer to do something where suffering is part of the job description? he wondered. But, he pointed out, We don t face these dangers alone. God gives His Spirit to His servants. Following the consecration, the newly ordained priests celebrated communion with the bishop. After the service, there were photo opportunities, while lunch was served in the parish hall, provided by women from St. James. Jeremy Boehr ordained deacon in the Diocese of Saskatchewan Jeremy Boehr was ordained a deacon at St. Alban s in Prince Albert on Oct. 18. He was joined by family, including Wes Boehr (father), Jane (wife), Trudy Boehr (mother), Cody Penny (brother-inlaw) and his sister and baby as well as nephew, Jenna and Noah Penny. His 97-year-old grandmother, Vivian Thorsen, was also present, as was his uncle Rodney Thorsen, with his cousins Donny and Donnah Thorsen. Jeremy is presently serving the Parish of Nipawin and Arborfield. Photo Amy Dow By the Reverend Canon Peter Norman Beyond the pulpit Editor s note: This message appeared originally in the September issue of The Epistle: The Battle River Parish News BATTLEFORD (S toon) Seasons: To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven (Eccl.3:1). The biblical quote from Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite passages, one that has been the subject of songs, poems, funeral liturgies and a host of other literary compositions over the centuries. It is particularly poignant right now as I pen these words, having just conducted our monthly communion service at River Heights Lodge. The residents of the lodge are all living in the depths of the winter of their lives, the final season of their earthly journey. For some, that season arrives naturally, a consequence of the passing of years, but for others, the chill of winter is brought on by catastrophic, often unexpected illness, ravages of a broken world that steals away our lives too soon. And while some who have been walked or wheeled to the service are aware and involved with the liturgy, most are not. Many have fallen victim to the invisible thief that robs us of time and reason. It is tempting to agree with the author of Ecclesiastes when he goes on to say numerous times that everything is meaningless. As residents fumble with books containing songs they will not sing, others fall asleep, only to awaken briefly when bread and wine touch their lips; one could be duped into thinking the whole exercise is meaningless, a waste of time. But then come smiles, some tears and a softly murmured thank you; I am reminded the eucharist is a Holy Mystery, a communion with Christ that defies our attempts to describe His presence in the midst of it. Many who share in the elements will not remember tomorrow what transpired today, but they remember the past seasons, when they knelt in prayer and stood for worship, when their hands, which today can no longer reach out for the Body of Christ, opened in grateful delight to receive Him.

11 The Saskatchewan Anglican December Journeying together on the Camino de Santiago By Betty West and Margi Hollingshead This article first appeared in The Promise, published by St. Luke s Anglican Church, Regina. REGINA Our knapsacks were full of dirty clothes as we crossed the cobblestone courtyard in Logrono. This was our first rest day on Spain s El Camino de Santiago we d been washing our clothes by hand for 10 days as we trekked the first 165 kilometres of the ancient pilgrimage route, we were eager to find the city s laundromat. A pub door opened to our right and there was Tomas, our friend from Denmark. We d met Tomas in Bayonne, France, 10 days earlier as we boarded the bus to St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port to begin our walk. We d shared stories then and we d stayed several nights at the same albergues since. He was kind and gentle, a man of spiritual depth with a ready smile. Three days earlier, we d lodged with Tomas and dozens of other pilgrims at a hilltop albergue run by a Dutch mission group. Our chilly night was warmed by a hearty communal meal and a time of quiet meditation together. And now, Tomas was going home his holiday time spent. He was teary, as we were, as we hugged goodbye and took photos. What did we know of him, really? Not much and a great deal. For that is the way of Camino pilgrims. One small step For hundreds of years, people have been walking the 800 kilometres from southern France to the city of Santiago in northwest Spain, believed to be the site of the remains of St. James the Apostle. People did it then for penance or to pay tribute to Jesus Christ by honouring His beloved disciple. Villages formed along the route to feed and house the travellers; communities built bridges and donated a portion of each harvest for the pilgrims. There were hospitals along the way to care for the pilgrims many ailments; wild animals attacked and bandits looted in the more remote sections. One friend commented as he tended his blisters, This is NOT for wimps either then or now. The route crosses three mountain ranges and demands physical, emotional and spiritual stamina sufficient for six weeks of walking an average of 20 kilometres every day, carrying all that we needed on our backs, dealing with whatever From left, the Camino de Santiago stretches through fields in the province of Rioja, Spain. Pilgrims have been walking this route for hundreds of years. At right, Margi Hollingshead and Betty West pause in the shade in front of the ruins of the 14th century San Anton convent and hospice, east of Castrojeriz, Spain, on the route of the Camino de Santiago. Both photos Betty West weather offered and navigating communal living, often in a language we didn t understand. Today, the Camino continues to attract pilgrims from around the world, perhaps 150,000 a year. Some walk the entire 800 kilometres at one time, as we did. Others, like Tomas, do segments as their holiday time permits. People begin wherever they choose and walk at their own pace. A credential given at registration allows the pilgrim to stay at the albergues along the way hostels run by the municipal government, a church or private group. A second pilgrimage Accommodations are simple and adequate: usually a large room of bunkbeds, washrooms with hot showers, tubs for hand laundry and perhaps a kitchen. You quickly get used to snorers and the lack of privacy. We have walked the Camino twice: in 2011 and again this past spring of The country offers beautiful vineyards and snowy mountains, lush plains and riotous wildflowers; the people are still warm and welcoming. The pace of walking allows time to see. The singular focus each day is to get up and walk, whatever the weather might be. We especially enjoyed the quiet early mornings as the sun burned off the mist and the birds praised the new day. The trail is well-marked by yellow arrows and passing pilgrims call out buen camino to each other (blessings on your journey). People stop to help one another and village churches are often open for prayer. We carried bread and cheese, nuts and water, usually just enough for the day. We packed one change of clothes it was sufficient and no technology. Supported by a local church This year, we carried St. Luke s Church, Regina, with us. Our priest, Christopher Snook, was leaving the parish while we were gone, sending us all on a journey for his replacement. Parishioners were invited to write their names on a paper so we could figuratively carry them with us. We posted a map of the Camino route in the back of the sanctuary and sent regular updates; we were encouraged by people s prayers in return. Christopher and the congregation blessed us before we left Regina, while we tucked the list of names and a card with a drawing of the parish and a prayer for a new priest in our packs. We carried them every step of 800 kilometres and left them at the Cathedral in Santiago, as a tangible token of our gratitude for God s faithful care of our parish. How good to share the journey with our faith community. It was a difficult Camino this year. We, too, experienced the physical demands in blisters and exhaustion some days. We walked through plenty of rain and mud this time, with some mighty cold nights. Margi s father had just died and she carried her sorrow with her. Betty walked with a painful and chronic tendonitis in one leg. Manna in the wilderness It was also a marvelous journey of remembering and witnessing God s sufficiency and abundant provision. Early one morning, we were caught without food, since our night s albergue had been in the countryside with no store. We ate our meager emergency supplies before starting out and calculated it would be nine kilometres to the nearest store, almost a three-hour walk. About 7:15 a.m., we stopped to rest across from an old barn in the middle of the woods. As we got up 10 minutes later to walk on, the door of the barn opened wide, revealing a fully-stocked store of breads and cheeses, meat and juice, tea and chocolate. The shopkeeper had decided to open early. Manna in the wilderness! We all are journeying to know God and God s people more keenly, to love more dearly, to follow more nearly. Inside both of our little journals is this from the Anglican prayer book that we read regularly: O God, who didst bring thy servant, Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, and didst preserve him unhurt through all the ways of his pilgrimage: we beseech thee that thou wouldst vouchsafe to protect us thy servants. Be unto us, Lord, a support in our setting out, a comfort by the way, a shadow in the heat, a covering in the rain and cold, a conveyance in weariness, a protection in adversity, a staff in slippery paths, and a port in shipwreck; that thou, being our Leader, we may prosperously reach the place whither we would go, and at length return again to our home in safety. Apart from the shipwreck, we experienced it all. Like our friend Tomas, we were sad to leave the Camino we hope to meet him and other pilgrims again one day when our journeys on Earth are over. In the meantime, it is very good to be home again in safety. Thanks be to God!

12 12 The Saskatchewan Anglican December 2014 National ACW women experience Saskatoon By Marion G. Pope SASKATOON Experiencing the ambiance of Saskatoon, the University of Saskatchewan campus and Wanuskewin Heritage Park were on the agenda for a bus tour for National Anglican Church Women presidents from across Canada on Sept. 27. Tour guides Meggie (the megaphone) and Marion Pope reported that due to the local bus strike, the only people travelling by bus that day were school children, casino goers and Anglican Women presidents from across Canada! They shared tidbits of Saskatoon trivia: how Saskatoon was named after the Saskatoon berry; how Chief Whitecap counselled John Lake on the location for the Temperance Colony (at top of Broadway Bridge); how Broadway got its name, not from dancing girls, but being broad enough for horse carts to do U-turns. Similarly, how the Bessborough Hotel was named after the 9 th Earl of Bessborough; how our dear Chapels of Emmanuel and St. Chad on the university campus had been sold; how the College of Agriculture building houses the Kenderdine Art Gallery; how the National Canadian Light Source Synchrotron has helped scientists design new drugs, build smaller more powerful computer chips and reveal how cystic fibrosis makes lungs vulnerable to infection; and a brief history of the Meewasin Valley Authority. And then it was on to Canada s Wanuskewin Heritage Park. Wanuskewin is a Cree word meaning seeking peace of mind or living in harmony. Many of the sites in the park are older than Egypt s pyramids, and, like the pyramids, reflect a unique way of life. The circle and the number four, sacred symbols of the Northern Plains Indian culture, are woven into the architecture and layout of the park; the circle, in the replica of a circular buffalo pound, the exhibit area shaped like a giant tipi, the ring-shaped amphitheatre and the outdoor trails that loop through the valley; and the number four, in the fourpointed roof representing the During the ACW presidents tour of the sights of Saskatoon, the group visited the Wanuskewin Heritage Park. Wanuskewin is a Cree word meaning seeking peace of mind or living in harmony. Many of the sites in the park are older than Egypt s pyramids, and, like the pyramids, reflect a unique way of life. Here everyone inspects a teepee on the Wanuskewin grounds. Photo Karen Whitelock four directions, four peoples, four seasons and four times of life. The women were treated to a taste of bison stew, bannock and muskeg tea; a video profile of the history and essence of the area and were able to explore the unique galleries and gift shop. They were then invited to attend one of two workshops. The first, Kawi-ocihci (a step back in time walk) took participants back in time to walk the same trails First Nations people walked thousands of years ago (the path of the people). The second, Mānokawēwin (tipi raising), taught participants how Cree people set up their homes and the values they associated with each part of the tipi, which they passed down to their children. Later the women enjoyed a medicine dance demonstration, followed by Q&A. On return, the women stopped at Emmanuel Anglican Church, where the Reverend Dianne Mesh gave a brief history of the building, through two fires and a recent merger of three congregations, while emphasizing the church is God s people doing God s work. Then tea and coffee was served from shiny silver tea services. Right kind of ministry By Amy Dow Fairwell to t he Reverend Wayne Sturgess The parish of St. Andrews, Humboldt and St. Bride s, Watson, put on a potluck luncheon and said farewell to the Reverend Wayne Sturgess on Oct. 26. Strugess had served the two congregations over the last three-and-a-half years. During the luncheon, The Right Reverend David Irving, Bishop of Saskatoon, on behalf of the diocese, thanked Wayne for his ministry. The photo includes members of Wayne s family who had come to the farewell service, as well as Wayne and Bishop David Irving (back row centre). Photo June Irving PRINCE ALBERT Cam Harder, PhD, of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, spoke to synod delegates in Prince Albert in early October about church ministry. His second session focused on rural and small church ministry being the right sized kind of ministry. Sometimes we get distracted by wanting to have more members in church instead of effectively ministering to those who are part of the congregation. Even Jesus had His hands full with his Twelve Apostles, some of whom had little faith and so many questions. Yet we still, for some reason, expect our priests to be God incarnate and be able to minister, pastor and care for thousands of people. The ministry Jesus gave us in the Gospel of Matthew is to make disciples. Not thousands of them. Just enough to mentor. Our church is church so long as it has Christ in the centre of it, whatever ministry it may be. Harder ended his session with a few reminders of why small church ministry is the right-sized kind of ministry. They: 1) Can use their resources efficiently (because Cameron Harder people trust each other in smaller groups). 2) They benefit from the big fish in a small pond syndrome. The church provides a home base to the community and is a place where people can be loved and love others. 3) Everyone matters in a small congregation: They are noticed, needed and known (though in such situations, judgments are sometimes made when they should not be). 4) They have loyal parishioners and tend to attract all sorts of personalities. 5) Everyone is rooted there. They feel like they belong. 6) They are more about relationships than programs. 7) It is easier to feel closer to God if we are close to one another (celebrating birthdays and anniversaries). 8) Ministry belongs to lay people in smaller congregations. Priests serve the congregations. 9) They are more likely to collaborate with other people.