Monthly Archives: December 2020

Support New Brunswick tenants during the pandemic

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As referenced in the Dean's Pastoral Letter for Christmas 2020, the true cost of the current pandemic is yet to be calculated. The issue of many in our society attempting to navigate the economic realities should be important to us all. Please pray for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 18 December the Dean of Fredericton signed the letter below addressed to New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs and Minister Wilson.

See New tenants' rights coalition hopeful for reform on CBC New Brunswick

Re: Support New Brunswick’s Tenants During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dear Premier Higgs and Minister Wilson,

We, the under-signed non-profit organizations and grassroots advocacy groups working in the areas of
housing, poverty, employment, and human rights, are writing to request government action to offer
support for tenants in New Brunswick during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a group of organizations with
expertise in housing and closely related issues, we are providing the following:
1) a summary of the challenges facing tenants in New Brunswick,
2) a list of pandemic-related recommendations for your consideration, and
3) a discussion of some of the benefits for New Brunswickers that these measures can produce. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, other provinces have offered similar support for tenants and we request that the government of New Brunswick consider doing the same.

The Challenges
As the COVID-19 crisis continues, greater support for tenants in New Brunswick is urgently needed.
Even before the pandemic, tenants in New Brunswick were facing significant challenges. The Canadian
Rental Housing Index 1 shows that 36% of renter households in the province are living in unaffordable
housing, with 14% living in situations of severe unaffordability. At the same time, the New Brunswick
government has reported that across the province vacancy rates dropped while tenant shelter costs
rose 14% between the last two censuses 2. In this same timeframe, the median tenant income increased
by only 11% ($29,769 to $33,226). Homeowners in the province, however, experienced the inverse,
with median income growing by 13.8% ($62,602 to $71,259) and shelter costs by only 9.9%. 3 Simply
put, tenants in the province, as a group, have less of a financial reserve to draw on during periods of
hardship. This hardship is experienced disproportionately by lone female parents, people with
disabilities, and Black and Indigenous people and People of Colour. The pandemic will only continue to
exacerbate these challenges.

In addition to the concerning trends represented by these statistics, anecdotal evidence of a rental
housing crisis is in the news and on social media, with tenants reporting monthly increases in rents of
upwards of 50% at a time, amounting to hundreds of dollars per month. Faced with these new and
unanticipated costs, it is foreseeable that many tenants will be forced to seek lower-priced
accommodations at a time when there is an extreme shortage of affordable rental stock. There is also
the risk that tenant relocation due to dramatic rent increases will require tenants to move out of their
neighbourhoods and further away from their places of employment, thereby disrupting access to their
support networks and necessities such as public transportation and childcare.

While we recognize that average rent and utility costs in New Brunswick may be lower than the national
average in absolute numbers, so too is the average income of New Brunswick tenants. When
compared to the national average, tenants in New Brunswick are spending approximately the same
percentage of their income on rent and utilities and face similar rates of unaffordable housing. 4 Tenants
in New Brunswick, therefore, need support similar to that provided in other jurisdictions.

Our Recommendations
We are calling on the provincial government to immediately implement the following support for
tenants:

1. Introduce a 2% cap on rental increases for existing tenants until a vaccine has been
successfully rolled out and the entire province of New Brunswick has been moved into the
Green Phase.

This will ensure that tenants remain housed at a time of income uncertainty. It will also allow
tenants to budget effectively at a time when New Brunswickers are often forced to miss work
due to symptoms of or risk of exposure to COVID-19.

2. Make this 2% rent cap retroactive to September 1, 2020, and allow tenants to apply any
ensuing rent credits to arrears and/or future rental costs.

3. Re-establish a moratorium on evictions until the entire province returns to the Green Phase.
Since June 1st, 2020, New Brunswickers have been without any kind of eviction protection
despite the economic hardships brought on by COVID-19 and the now well-established
relationship between homelessness and vulnerability to COVID-19. As the second wave of the
virus continues to hit Canada hard as winter begins, it is essential that New Brunswick tenants
have a secure place to live where they can limit contacts, self-isolate if necessary, and maintain
their health and well-being as we weather this crisis together. A renewed moratorium on
evictions would support public health efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.

4. Fund a rent bank that provides tenants in financial need with non-repayable grants or interest-
free loans to cover their rent OR implement a rental subsidy program similar to that put in
place by the government of Prince Edward Island at the beginning of the pandemic.
A rent bank will limit rental arrears and forestall evictions for unpaid rent during the pandemic
following the end of any moratorium on evictions. More broadly, a rent bank will support the
provincial government’s stated commitment to “timely access to affordable, safe and adequate
housing options that meet individual needs and promote healthy and inclusive communities.” 5
One model is the BC Rent Bank, with funding provided by the provincial government. 6
We also request that in the new year, before March 31st, 2021, the government take the following
actions:

1. Roll-out the Canada–New Brunswick Housing Benefit that is part of the Canada–New
Brunswick bilateral agreement under the National Housing Strategy.
As part of the National Housing Strategy, “the federal government committed to introducing a
new $4 billion dollar Canada Housing Benefit that would provide affordability support directly to
families and individuals in housing need.” 7 While other provinces have taken the opportunity to
implement housing benefits for low-income renters (e.g. Nova Scotia, Ontario), New Brunswick
has not yet done so. However, there are provisions for the implementation of this benefit for the
2020–2021 fiscal year in the bilateral agreement (see Schedule B). 8

2. Establish a New Brunswick Affordable Housing Commission
The commission will support the implementation of the provincial housing strategy and will
identify and contribute to the establishment of promising practices for the purpose of addressing
housing challenges in the immediate post-COVID-19 context.

The Benefits of Taking Action
Improving support for tenants during the pandemic will serve as both a response to the numerous
financial hardships brought on or exacerbated by the pandemic and will support the continued efforts of
public health to stop the spread of COVID-19 in New Brunswick. Offering tenants greater support will
also safeguard the pre-pandemic work done by government and non-governmental stakeholders alike
on affordable housing, community development, and homelessness 9 from the economic hardships
COVID-19 has caused. Similar measures have been taken by the governments of other small
provinces, such as Nova Scotia, and larger provinces, like Ontario and British Columbia. We therefore
hope that the government of New Brunswick will implement our recommendations as part of its ongoing
commitment to maintaining New Brunswick’s position as a leader in the fight against COVID-19.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Those signing on behalf of community organizations

 

1 Canadian Rental Housing Index. (n.d.). Snapshot, New Brunswick.
2 The next census will take place in May 2021. For more information about census dates and data
3 Government of New Brunswick. (n.d.). 2019–2022 New Brunswick Action Plan. pp. 14-15
4 Canadian Rental Housing Index. (n.d.). Snapshot, New Brunswick.
5 New Brunswick Housing Strategy 2019–2020, p. 1. Available here.
6 To learn more about the BC Rent Bank, and rent banks generally
7 Canadian Housing Renewal Association. (2019). Canada Housing Benefit, p.1. 
8 CMHC-NB Bilateral Agreement under the 2017 National Housing Strategy.
9 Saint John, for example, has reduced homelessness by 34%, an accomplishment that the pandemic threatens.

PA-RUM-PUM-PUM-PUM

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The Cathedral Communications Committee has invited members of the congregation to share their Christmas memories. Below, read a story from Ann Deveau. Stay tuned for other stories as we enter the Christmas season!

I’ve always despised the ubiquitous Christmas song, Little Drummer Boy. Our class choir had to sing it umpteen-dozen times to prepare for the school’s Christmas concert, but I was one of the off-key singers expressly told NOT to sing aloud. It was torture to spend hours pretending to sing PA-RUM-PUM-PUM-PUM and the rest of it. My little brother knew how much the song annoyed me, so, naturally, he played the record or sang it as often as possible.

Fast forward many years. My brother made sure that his children knew how to bug me. The minute I would arrive at their home for Christmas festivities, he’d say: “Hit it, boys.” Two impish faces would light up as they loudly sang Little Drummer Boy and waited for my inevitable and exaggerated groans.

My brother died when his sons were aged 9 and 11. A Christmas or two later, I opened my gift from them. The nephews had carefully made a music CD for me, downloading 19 different versions (including the same one by Johnny Mathis twice!) of Little Drummer Boy. They giggled in anticipation of my usual reaction, but I dissolved in a puddle of tears, laughter and hugs.

The nephews are now 30 and 28, but I still play that homemade CD every December. I grit my teeth at the annoying tune, but I bask in the warm love of family that underpins the creation of the musical collection. PA-RUM-PUM-PUM-PUM………………

— by Ann Deveau

Bishop and Chapter News – December 2020

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Bishop and Chapter met 14 December 2020 by video conference with 11 of 14 members present. The Dean lead some reflection on “How to Shine Your Light for Christ - So how exactly do you shine?” – practical tips. Members added additional insights. Minutes of 16 November 2020 were adopted.

From the Dean

•  Cathedral Pandemic Operational Plan was revised 01 December 2020 to accommodate the NB Orange Level of Recovery
•  in-person staff meetings continue. Sexton Ashley Swim 30 November
•  consultation with the Diocesan synod regarding temporary facility sharing
•  work completed on a proposal to equip the cathedral with video equipment for better live streaming in the future (December project)
•  Cathedral committee meetings as possible
•  diocesan meetings including Diocesan Council, Finance Committee, Creation Matters, and Fredericton deaneries’ clericus
•  brief report on Christmas worship schedule

Decision

•  Stipend and Salaries - In 2021: Cathedral staff 2% cost of living;. Dean’s Stipend $59,708 ($15,786 above minimum stipend scale)

•  Cathedral Video Equipment Project - acceptance of a proposal to purchase ($12,000 by the end of this calendar year) and install equipment for improved video live streaming and recording. Contributions to the Project (labelled “audio/visual”) are invited

Discussion

•  2021 Budget - draft discussed. Challenges will include some reduction in offerings during the pandemic and no future government subsidies ($52,000 in 2020)

Reports

Treasurer - In November operations income exceeded expenses by $11,711. Diocesan Shared ministry contribution not owing in November due to reduced diocesan expenses year to date. Cathedral Shared Ministry reduced by $1000 per month in 2021. No further federal grants (Canadian Wage Subsidy) expected in December or in into 2021

Property - An initial meeting of the Restoration Committee was held C. Ferris chair). Several repair items: Bishop’s graves, choir room steps, window ventilation. Security camera system under review and awaiting proposal. New sexton 30 November. Heritage Standing to update 2016 report at a cost of up to $4000.

Communications - Coordination of advertising for Christmas. A next Cathedral Connections in the new year.

Health and Pastoral Care - meeting of Health Ministry before Christmas is expected. Health Ministry budget received

Worship - no recent meeting. Presentation of the Video Project proposal

Welcome and Hospitality - no events and little committee activity during the pandemic

Mission and Outreach - $1000 funding for St. Hilda’s School (Belize Missions) will be transferred in the next couple of weeks. Monday morning programme (Outreach) continues on the last Monday of the month in a modified format. Missions Committee needing members

Finance and Administration - hiring of sexton complete. Follow up with Treasurer on 2020 review engagement management letter recommendations. Stewardship Team: “narrative budget” for 2021

Nominating Committee - interim report. Good progress being experienced on acquiring nominations for positions opening in 2021. Further nominations welcome

Upcoming

•  Blue Christmas - 21 December, 7:00 p.m.
•  Christmas Eve - 4:00, 8:00, 11:00 p.m. Christmas Day - 10:00 a.m.
•  New Years Day - 11:00 a.m.

Next Meetings

18 January 2021, 16 February 2021
21 February 2021 Annual Congregational Meeting

GMH

Video Project – December 2020

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Since March 2020 the Cathedral has provided a combination of video recording and live streaming Sunday worship. Live streaming Sunday and special worship events are well ‘attended’ with the number of views this fall ranging between 50 and 75 per service. The November worship during Covid orange had 117 views and the fall ordination had 146. Comments and feedback indicate that the streaming is very much appreciated by those who do not attend every week (allowing others a chance to attend with the 50 or 80 maximum) and those who do not feel comfortable worshiping in person. The live streams keep Cathedral people engaged, nourished, and feeling a part of the church community.

This is an investment in the wider Cathedral community and an outreach tool

We believe that video streaming should be part of the Sunday routine in the future, recommend that and request the funding for purchase and installation. This is an investment in the wider Cathedral community and an outreach tool that will appeal to those not currently part of a church family.  To date, we have used a web camera and computer belonging to Peter Jacobs. Video editing, when it has occurred, again has used personal computers. There has been a steep learning curve regarding pricing and determining the specifics, but it has been successful, and we have used what we have learned to create this proposal. We want to proceed quickly in order to provide a higher quality solution which will be simpler to provide as soon as possible. To date Peter Jacobs and Kirsten McKnight have been operating the live stream, but we would add to those numbers and create a sign-up category to ensure each event is covered.

Contributions toward this project are welcome. Label "Audio/Visual" as an envelope offering or use the convenient GIVE NOW option on the Cathedral Facebook page or Online Giving page on our website.

Read the entire project proposal here.

Unit Price Total
1 Video switcher, recorder and Streaming encoder $1,319 $1,319
(4 HDMI Channel, Stream to Ethernet, Record 4 channels)
2 PTZOptics PTZ Camera 30X optical HDMI, SDI 1080P $2,499 $4,998
(Pan - Tilt - Zoom camera remotely controlled-no Operator)
2 PTZOptics camera stand $125 $250
1 PTZOptics ElectronicPTZ Camera 4K Optics two SDI outputs $689 $689
1 Basic 1080P camera $300 $300
2 Video Signal Converter $85 $170
1 HDMI audio interface (HDMI in - out, Audio out) $70 $70
1 Dell HDMI monitor for Switcher display $300 $300
1 SSD USB external drive $200 $200
1 Dell Desktop computer with Video Editing capability $1,200 $1,200
1 Dell HDMI monitor for Computer $300 $300
1 Cabling and mounting hardware $500 $500
Sub-Total $10,296
Tax $1,544
Total $11,840

 

2020 Christmas Pastoral

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Dear Friends,

This has without doubt been one of the more unique years in recent memory. We’ve all sat perched on edge wondering what the current pandemic will mean next. We’ve attempted to respond with wisdom and care while remaining unshaken by unnecessary fear. The fact remains we are not enriched or improved by being overly concerned with our earthly bodies – we are far more than just flesh and blood machines that need to keep physically healthy at all cost. We’re also thinking beings, spiritual beings.

It will be some time before we know the real impact COVID-19 will have on our world: economically, physically and spiritually. In a modern age where many need little, if any excuse not to engage in disciplines that nurture the spirit – attending public worship, studying scripture or acting visibly and materially in support of the relevance of the local church, some are saying that for the church COVID-19 is just another push down an already slippery hill.

Through history it has always been in the midst of the darkness – in the midst of what threatens – that faith speaks. A pealing note sounds as it has for two millennia. The expected one, the one longed for is born in a forsaken little town in a feeding trough because there was no room in the inn. It’s ironic that although not unexpected, the Lord’s coming is total surprise. “Today in the city of David a Saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!”

We’ll miss corporate singing of carols this year but they can sound loud in our hearts just the same. Join us for worship in person or online, mindful that at the moment, reservations are important as we try to manage pandemic protocols and remain within our allowed capacity. Visiting Cathedral Signups from our website is preferred. If space is available you’ll know right away. Or you may wish to telephone the Cathedral Office 9-12 Monday-Friday.

7:00 p.m. Monday 21 December 2020 Blue Christmas: prayers on the longest night
10:00 a.m. Wednesday 23 December 2020 Holy Eucharist (BCP)
4:00 p.m. Thursday 24 December 2020 Holy Eucharist (contemporary)
8:00 p.m. Thursday 24 December 2020 Come Worship Eucharist
11:00 p.m. Thursday 24 December 2020 Holy Eucharist (traditional)
10:00 a.m. Friday 25 December 2020 Holy Eucharist (traditional)
8:00 a.m. Sunday 27 December 2020 Holy Eucharist (BCP)
10:30 a.m. Sunday 27 December 2020 Come Worship Eucharist
10:00 a.m. Wednesday 30 December 2020 Holy Eucharist (BCP)
11:00 a.m. Friday 01 January 2021 Holy Eucharist with the Bishop (BAS)

May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ Child. God’s blessing be with you and yours.

Sincerely,

 

 

Geoffrey Hall
Dean of Fredericton
GMH

View in PDF

Handcrafted gifts from the ‘Cathedral Matters’

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The glass display case in the lobby of Memorial Hall once again contains beautiful artwork created by the Cathedral Matters Guild. The creations are available for purchase, with funds donated to the Cathedral Restoration Fund.

To the members of the Cathedral Matters, rug hooking brings joy as well as fellowship. They welcome new members and are willing to share their knowledge and skills to help others to learn the craft.

In addition to rug hooking, they share laughter and social times. The Guild meets regularly, every other Wednesday afternoon throughout the year, and takes a break in the summer. Meetings were temporarily postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions, but have resumed with the welcoming of friends, albeit masked and physically distanced.

Rug hooking is an art form that employs the use of a hook, frame, fabric and a pattern on a backing of linen. The hook is used to pull the wool through the linen to fill out the design on the top. The Guild primarily uses hand-dyed wool but also welcomes donations of reclaimed wool fabric.

Rug hooking is for sale at any time of the year. Members of the Guild have also created several commissioned mats of various sizes for tables and decorative wall hangings. Contact the Cathedral Office (506) 450-8500 or reach out to a member of the Guild, and be sure to look at the items for purchase in the lobby of Memorial Hall. You might find the perfect gift for a loved one... or yourself!

View the items currently for sale in our photo album on Facebook.

Members of Cathedral Matters (2020):
Doris Norman, Sandra Palmer, Sandra Stewart, Elizabeth Bastin, Diana Rayworth, Mary Allwood, Kaye Small, Diane Ramsey, Helen Rufelds

Blue Christmas 2020

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Join us at Christ Church Cathedral on Monday, 21 December, at 7:00 p.m. for a Blue Christmas.

Visit the Cathedral Signup or contact the Cathedral office Monday to Friday, 9:00 - 12 Noon, to reserve your spot.

The idea of a “Blue Christmas” may be new to you. Behind it is the intention to provide a quiet, contemplative time of worship as an alternative to the more traditional gatherings at this time of year as a way to care for those who are sad or struggling while all around us are getting caught up in Christmas celebration.

In the northern hemisphere, these worship opportunities are also known as prayers on “the Longest Night.” Both tend to be held around 21–22 December -- the winter solstice when the earth tips farthest away from the sun and evening creeps in as early as it ever does.

We acknowledge many during this season who are struggling with different kinds of pain and loss at the moment. Whether this year you’re feeling the loss of a loved one, separation from family due to pandemic restrictions or other reasons, the holidays in any number of ways are going to be especially challenging this year, or if you would like to be part of an effort to prayerfully support those who are feeling this way, the Blue Christmas is for you. Many in our local community are saying they are just ‘not feeling very Christmassy’ this year.

Behind it is the intention to provide a quiet, contemplative time of worship

On the evening of December 21st, we’ll quietly recognize the coming of the baby in the manger, a fact of history. The incarnate One can easily be dismissed as irrelevant especially when our hearts are heavy. But most especially we’ll consider the way the God of love comes too in the midst of the mess and pain we know in our everyday lives and the lives of those around us.

Remembering Saint Hilda

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November 18th was the Feast of Saint Hilda. Members of the Cathedral congregation will recognize Saint Hilda’s name, through our connection with St. Hilda’s Anglican School in Belize.

Mission groups from Christ Church Cathedral have travelled to Belize five times: in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2018, and through these trips, bonds have been formed with the staff and students of St. Hilda’s, an elementary school in the rural village of Georgeville. Two hundred children attend the school, ranging between kindergarten and grade 8. Over 60 Cathedral members ranging in age from 15 to 79 have gone on a mission trip to Belize, and hundreds of people in Fredericton have supported the work through organizational support, donations and prayers.

To commemorate the life and work of Saint Hilda, at the worship service in the Cathedral on November 18, Canon Patricia Drummond shared these words.

Hilda was born in 614 A.D.  She was a daughter in a royal household at the time when England had different royal families in various areas of the country.  She was baptised a Christian at 13, but lived a secular life for 33 years.  Then she became a nun.  In 657 she was appointed the founding abbess of Whitby College and remained there until she died in 680.  She followed strict ideals of monasticism - all property and goods were held in common, peace and charity were considered especially important, and everyone must study the Bible and do good works. 

Hilda had a lot of wisdom and energy, and was a very skilled administrator and teacher.  Kings and princes often asked her for advice. 

St Hilda is the patron saint of the National Cathedral School for girls in Washington, D.C.   Hers is also the name given to St Hilda's College in Oxford, established for female students, but now a college for both men and women. 

For the last 7 years of her life Hilda was sick.  She died on November 17th, 680 at 66 years old.  In those days 66 was considered an advanced age. A man living nearby claimed he saw her soul being taken to heaven by angels.

St Hilda was an excellent example of someone who, as in St Paul's letter to the Ephesians (4:1-6), which was read earlier, lived a life worthy of the calling she had received, with humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with others in love.

Learn more about Saint Hilda in this video from the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Canon Dana Corsello speaks enthusiastically about St. Hilda during the morning prayer service (approximately between the 5-and-11-minute marks). She calls Hilda "a ray of light during the Dark Ages," referring to her as brilliant and as a strong proponent of Celtic spirituality. She was a princess in Britain before becoming an abbess, teacher and peacemaker. There is a school for girls situated at that cathedral, which is named after St. Hilda.

Discerning the word of God in a busy world – Arusha Call #5

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The World Council of Churches’ Conference on World Mission and Evangelism met in Arusha, Tanzania, in March 2018. From this meeting, the more than 1,000 participants, who were all regularly engaged in mission and evangelism, issued the Arusha Call to Discipleship.

We are called to discern the word of God in a world that communicates many contradictory, false, and confusing messages.

It perhaps goes without saying that the gospel (the “proclamation” of the Church) is but one in a plethora of other messages in the world. That has probably always been so. But with the advent of ever more efficient communication, the possibilities for contradiction, falsification and confusion has been kicked into overdrive. With a finger swipe on a mobile phone, a click on an email send button or posting on social media or a website, the entire world can now hear what I have say in an instant (not that the world is necessarily listening, of course). How do we make sense of the barrage of messages? How do we “discern” what is the word or “a” word from God?

Our own Anglican denomination through the centuries has leaned heavily on a belief in the sufficiency of Holy Scripture and how the word of God informs our living. “Everything necessary to salvation” is contained therein, says Article VI of the Articles of Religion. But what is that word? How do we “discern” it from all the other words, especially in times where personal freedom and human rights seem to be at the top of political and social agendas? Can the Church stay on point? And what is that point anyway?

The series of gospel passages we’ve been reading from the Gospel of Matthew through the latter part of this year have taken us on a wild and challenging ride through the conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities of his day just before Jesus’ passion. Through parable and story Jesus confronts with questions. The Scribes and Pharisees have questions of their own, most designed to entrap or publically discredit him. The religious leaders were not bad people. But soaked in tradition and focused so intently on what living faithfully according to the word (law) of God meant in their opinion, they had lost sight of the goal – relationship with God.

As Christians, at least one of our dilemmas is being faced with the need to be good citizens of the world but also citizens of the Kingdom of God.

As Christians, at least one of our dilemmas is being faced with the need to be good citizens of the world but also citizens of the Kingdom of God. One does not necessarily bring about the other. In ‘The Theology of Hope” German Theologian Jürgen Moltmann offers some analysis of what it means to be Church in society. He identifies three roles: personal, communal and institutional.

Faith in our time is too often considered to be only an individual matter - personal. Being internalized and privatized, faith has become mostly about our feelings, recognized less and less as having any sway in the criticism of social behaviour. Western moral values which have their roots firmly in the Christian tradition have been silenced, deemed to have little worthwhile to say any more. Faith and morality subject to only personal critique is in danger of running off the rails. We’re seeing both. Discernment requires collaboration.

In the communal role the community of the faithful becomes what Moltmann refers to as a “non-worldly phenomenon.” Together we find a way to be human that deters loneliness and isolation and re-establishes what is so often lacking in society – community. The Church provides warmth, belonging and authenticity. Together, seeking the Kingdom of God even in our midst makes the Church a counterbalance in a necessary conversation with society.

The Church is also institution, a word more often than not these days carrying negative connotations. Institutions serve as anchors. One definition is “a stable, valued, recurring pattern of behavior.” When the winds blow, it’s the institutions of society that provide the foundations upon which we can find a firm place to stand –  even survive.

Discerning the word of God may have to do with first deciding what we mean by “salvation” since that is at least one purpose of religion. From what do we need to be saved? If in answering we come up empty, we have entirely missed the natural human need for spirituality; the added dimensions of life faith brings; the meaning and value of discipleship and; being part of something bigger than our little selves. God’s word, in the spirit of his Son Jesus, is all around when we have eyes to see. For the Christian, Scripture has been our guide through the ages, “the lamp unto our feet.”

The church is not the word. Pop culture is not the word. The assumptions by which we live and all that we too easily take for granted are not the word. The word is a person named Jesus revealed in “the word.” His invitation is to follow.

He said, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:21

Geoffrey Hall

This article was published in the New Brunswick Anglican, December 2020 issue.