The Canterbury Cross based on an 8 th century brooch found in Canterbury, England, in 1867. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong God; he is greatly exalted. Psalm 47:8-9 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. St. Matthew 28:19-20 26 May 2016: The Feast of St Augustine of Canterbury Dear Friends, Many of you, I am sure, have heard the story of how Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury (not to be confused with Augustine, Bishop of Hippo in North Africa) came to be the Apostle to the English. According to the Venerable Bede, (a seventh century historian), in the late sixth century the Pope of the Day, Gregory, saw a group of fair-haired children being sold as slaves in the Roman market. Gregory asked where the children were from and when told that they were Anglii, that is to say members of a German tribe that had settled in what is now Great Britain, he replied, Non anglii sed angeli, ( Not Angles but angels ). This encounter inspired Gregory to send a group of missionaries, led by the Benedictine monk Augustine, to convert the Angles (English). Their king, Aethelberht, was already well disposed to Christianity as he had married a Christian princess, Bertha, daughter of the king of another German tribe, the Franks. Converted by Augustine, Aethelberht is said to be the first Christian English monarch. So began the long, if sometimes rocky, relationship of the British monarchy with the Church. Our present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, celebrated her 90 th birthday on April 21. Because she has reached this milestone, and because since September 9, 2015, she has been the longest reigning British monarch, she has received more than usual media attention. Just last week, I watched a documentary that included footage from her coronation on June 2, 1953. A striking thing about the coronation service was its Christian context and content. The service took place in the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, better known as Westminster Abbey. It began with the singing of the Litany and Psalm 122, I was glad when they said unto me, We will go unto the house of the Lord... The Queen took a Christian oath, was presented with a
Bible, was anointed with holy oil, was invested with a stole (not unlike that worn by a deacon, a servant of God) and a sceptre and an orb, each topped with a cross, were placed in her hands. The service included Holy Communion and all of the music was of a sacred nature. The Crown of St. Edward, itself rich with Christian symbolism, was placed on her head by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The service concluded with the singing of Te Deum Laudamus. St. Augustine, one assumes, would have approved. It is indeed wonderful to have as our head of state a Christian monarch who is guided in her vocation by the tenants of the Faith. At the same time, it has to be recognized that the challenges that face the Christian religion in Britain and the Queen s other realms, including Canada, are perhaps more daunting than those faced by Augustine upon his arrival in England in A.D. 597. Aethelbhert s conversion was followed by the mass baptism of his subjects, something our present monarch cannot, nor would want to, orchestrate. It should be remembered that Augustine came to a land that was not devoid of religion. There was no such thing as a secular state. The Britons whom the German tribes had subdued when they arrived from the Continent were, for the most part, Christians; Augustine found the practices of the old Celtic Church somewhat different than his Roman way of doing things and it was only after years of negotiations that the practices of the two traditions were reconciled. Even the pagan German tribes, before their conversion to Christianity, had a religion, however inadequate from Augustine s perspective. The German tribes, then, were open to conversion because they were a religious people and were happy to take their lead in spiritual matters from their king. In Canada today, as in Britain, it cannot be assumed that those in positions of leadership are religious in any traditional sense. For the most part, those with secular ideals are in control of government. If they are personally religious, and some are, they carefully distinguish between their personal beliefs and the secular ideals promoted by the state. Those secular ideals may have their basis in Christianity, but in many respects have moved beyond the limits placed on human freedom of thought and action by revelation (Holy Scripture). For example, those who support the idea of assisted death, seemingly promote their views with the best of intentions. They believe it is charitable to allow individuals to decide when and how they may die. This is a position based on secular ideals that are a distortion of the Christian moral code. At the same time, governments that will not allow their members to vote on ethical and moral issues according to their consciences are negating the very freedom of choice they purport to promote. Obviously their position has not been thought through, but has been informed by a shallow desire to appear caring while asserting an iron political will. It is more important than ever that Christians engage themselves in the ethical debates that swirl about us, as difficult as it is to do so. What a fine example our former Lieutenant Governor, Graydon Nicholas, has set for us as he publicly witnesses to the sanctity of human life.
At the same time, it must remembered that the primary calling of the Church is the conversion of souls, the making of disciples. That was Augustine s mission when he arrived in England nearly fifteen hundred years ago, that is our mission today. If the leaders of the nations, including ours, were to be converted, debate on matters of importance would not cease, but they would be of a distinctly different nature, with a much different tone. How can we fulfill our calling to make disciples? We can begin with prayer, for our families and friends, for our leaders and representatives in government, for ourselves. We can be faithful in our attendance at public worship, building up the Body of Christ in our own community by serving one another in true Christian charity, caring for the poor, the sick, and the dying. As the enclosed Summer Newsletter outlines, this will be a busy season in our parish. Please note that we are returning to the service schedule as in former years. The one exception will be Sunday, June 26, when we will celebrate the patron of the Chapel, Saint John the Baptist at a service beginning at 10:00 am. Praying that you will have a happy and healthy summer, I remain, Yours truly, The Venerable John A. Matheson, Rector All Saints Rectory, 94 Frederick Street, Saint Andrews, NB E5B 1Z4
THE ANGLICAN PARISH OF ST. ANDREWS, N.B., Canada All Saints Church, St. Andrews & St. John the Baptist Chapel of Ease, Chamcook Trinitytide Newsletter 2016 SUMMER SERVICE SCHEDULE St. John the Baptist Chapel in Chamcook opens for the season on Sunday, June 5. This year, service time will be 9:30 am. (Please note the change from last year.) The only exception will be on Sunday, June 26, when the service will begin at 10:00 am (see details below). Services will be held in All Saints Church, Saint Andrews, at 8:00 am and 11:00 am, except for Sunday, June 26, when there will be no 11:00 am service. See you in church! A SUMMER CHOIR AT ALL SAINTS CHURCH One reason we are able to return to having three services through the summer is that Stephen Braithwaite, newly retired and living in St. George, has offered to play the organ at All Saints through the summer. Stephen is returning to playing the keyboard after a time away from exercising his talent and so welcomes the opportunity to get back in shape. We are thankful for his willingness to share his gift. Stephen has an interest in classical Anglican church music and is willing to hold choir practices on Sunday mornings prior to the 11:00 am service. If you are interested in being in a summer choir (present choir members and others welcome), please contact the Parish Office by phone (529-8662) or by email (allsaints@nb.aibn.com). HONORING OUR GRADUATES This year, five young members of our parish Justin Groom, John Matheson, Erika Powell, Andrew Saunders and Jordan Taylor will graduate from Sir James Dunn Academy. On Sunday, June 12, our parish will honour their achievement at the 11:00 am service at All Saints Church with a pot luck lunch to follow in the Parish Hall. Members of our Youth Group will participate in the service. Please be sure to come along to congratulate our graduates and to enjoy a time of fellowship. Please note that a meeting of those who would like to participate in this service or to help in any way will be held in All Saints Church on Wednesday, June 1, at 3:30 pm.
BACCALAUREATE SERVICE & SJDA GRADUATION The Baccalaureate Service for the 2016 SJDA graduates will be held in All Saints Church on Sunday, June 19, beginning at 7:00 pm. Graduating students, students from the lower grades and local clergy will participate in this service, making it a truly community celebration. If anyone would like to help with the service, please leave a message at the Parish Office (529-8662) or speak to me personally. A reception in the Parish Hall will follow the service. The Graduation Ceremony will take place on Friday, June 24, in the SJDA gymnasium. Each graduate is guaranteed ten reserved seats, the rest will be available on a first come, first seated basis. NEWS FROM OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL & YOUTH GROUP Sunday School has ended for the year and our sincere thanks goes out to all who have made this another successful year: Erin O Kane, our superintendant, teachers Julie Crichton, Pam Rigby and Piper Scalabrin and helpers Ellen Matheson, Shelley Chase, Julian Rigby, Johnny Matheson, Austin Crichton, Craig Carson, Ben Chase, Mia Scalabrin and Adam Scalabrin. A closing party was held and everyone had a great time. Youth Group activities are winding down for the year; a very successful yard sale was held in May. A Youth Service honoring our graduates is being planned and many of our youth are looking forward to going to St. Michael s Conference (see smyc.ca). Registration materials for Camp Medley and Camp Brookwood will be made available as soon as they arrive. Information is also available on line at: http://anglican.nb.ca/ COMMUNITY BREAKFASTS THIS SUMMER Community breakfasts have begun for the summer season and breakfasts are being planned for Saturday, June 4; Saturday, July 2; Saturday, August 6, and Saturday, September 3. The cost of the breakfast is $7 for adults, $25 for a family. Children under 5 are admitted free. If you would like to volunteer to help -- with set up, cooking, serving on the day of the breakfast or with clean up, please call Tessa at 529-3360.
ANNUAL ACW DINNER Members of All Saints Anglican Church Women and guests will enjoy dinner together at Europa Restaurant on Tuesday, June 7, at 6:30 pm. This will be an opportunity to celebrate another successful year of serving our parish and the wider church, and to enjoy one another s company in the context of a gourmet meal. The cost of dinner is $30 per person. If you plan to attend, please contact Lila Haughn (529-3531) by Wednesday, June 1. NEWS FROM THE CRAFT GUILD The Craft Guild continues to work on the "Blankets for the Homeless Project" in support of Outflow Ministries homeless shelter in Saint John. There are only four more blankets to complete to meet the initial commitment of twenty. Smaller blankets have also been completed for the Fundy Transition House in St. Stephen and for the ill. For more information on this project please contact Nancy at 467-5257 or Cathy at 529-3994. Many thanks to all those that have contributed to this project! CELEBRATING ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST & THE CHAPEL OF EASE The Chapel in Chamcook was consecrated in 1845 by the first Bishop of Fredericton, the Rt. Rev d John Medley, and dedicated in honour of the patron saint of Canada, John the Baptist. Each year, on the Sunday closest to St. John the Baptist Day, our parish celebrates our patron with a party following the church service. This year s celebration will be held on Sunday, June 26. Holy Communion will be celebrated at 10:00 am, with a guest speaker yet to be confirmed. If all goes according to plan, we will dedicate the restored bellcote and the new to us bell it will house. Following the service, everyone is invited to a shared meal at Wilfred Carter Atlantic Salmon Interpretative Centre at the Atlantic Salmon Federation just down the road from the Chapel. Be sure to attend this annual event and bring a friend (and some finger foods to share). For more information, call the Parish Office at 529-8662.
THE ANDREW BARTLETT MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT On Saturday, July 23, the 6th annual Andrew Bartlett Memorial Golf Tournament will be presented by Kingsbrae Gardens at the Algonquin Golf Course. The tournament features an incredible golf experience, a silent auction and prizes! Please note that the silent auction is open to the public with music at the clubhouse starting at 4:00 pm, so you do not have to be a golfer to join in the fun. The proceeds from the tournament provide an annual scholarship to a SJDA student and local sports events. Anyone wishing to contribute to the Andrew Bartlett Memorial Scholarship Fund can send a cheque to the Fundy Community Foundation, PO Box 3902, St. Andrews, NB E5B 3S7, with directions that it go to the scholarship fund. ACW SUMMER SALE The ACW Summer Sale is a highlight of the summer season here in Saint Andrews. This year it will be held on Thursday, August 4. Doors open at 10:00 am and you will find a wide variety of items for sale, including home baking, flowers, fudge, new-to-you, hand knitting & crafts. Tea, coffee and desserts will be served. Donations for any of the tables are welcome; for information contact Mary Janet Clift at 529-3093. ANNUAL SERVICE ON MINISTER S ISLAND Once again this year, we will hold a worship service on Minister s Island. When we have the service depends, of course, on the tides. This year, the service will be held on Sunday, August 28. In order to make the service a truly ecumenical community event, it will be held at 3:00 pm. Another change this year is that we will hold the service n the Bathhouse. As usual, everyone is encouraged to bring some food to share; hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks will be supplied by the parish. The open collection will support the restoration of the Parson s House. If you would like to help with the organization of this service, now a highlight of summer in St. Andrews, please call the Parish Office at 529-8662. A SUMMER CONCERT SERIES? Claude Vienneau is looking into the possibility of a summer concert series in All Saints Church. Stay tuned for more details. If you would like to help in the organization of these events, Claude would welcome your assistance.
FLOWERS FOR THE ALTARS If you have flowers from your garden (or from a store) that you would like to contribute for the beautification of our churches this summer, please call Mary Janet Clift for All Saints Church (529-3093) or the Parish Office for the Chapel (529-8662). Memorial flowers or monetary donations for the purchase of flowers are welcome. Memorials are noted in the bulletin. SPECIAL OFFERING ENVELOPE Enclosed in this mailing is a Special Offering envelope. Please consider contributing toward an unbudgeted expense authorized by the Vestry, the purchase of three defibrillators, one for each building, All Saints Church, St. John the Baptist Chapel of Ease and the Parish Hall. It is recommended that every building used by the public have one of these life-saving devices. The cost of the 3 defibrillators is $5,866.11 Many thanks to Nancy Carson for researching and sourcing.