Members of the Cathedral Youth Group (CYG) were happy to gather in-person on 17 October, after an extended summer break. About a dozen were in attendance; a combination of high schoolers, middle schoolers, and youth leaders, including three new members in Grade 6.
Returning members were very pleased to see one another again in the CYG circle after such a long time away. The group sang, prayed, played games, and discussed their goals, desires, and plans for the next few months.
Kurt Schmidt, Cathedral Director of Christian Formation, was pleased with the long-anticipated return, saying, "Thanks to all who helped make our Fall 2021 CYG Launch last Sunday such a lovely time together." He is especially appreciative of the assistance of several youth leaders, who have a great rapport with the kids.
CYG outdoor meetings earlier in the pandemic, distanced and bubbled.
At the gathering, he also unveiled a new feature... a location change! CYG has spent much of the pandemic meeting online, outside, in the Cathedral, and in the Main Hall. This fall, a decision was made to convert the Youth Room on the top floor of Memorial Hall into a workspace, allowing the Diocesan Synod Office to expand their daily operations. CYG is in the process of moving their materials to the ground floor and will be creating a gathering area on the stage. During their meetings, they will continue to use a variety of areas in the Cathedral and Hall that complement their activities, whether they be active, musical, prayerful, virtual, or culinary.
On 24 October, the youth returned to the Hall for pumpkin carving in the kitchen. They laughed and got messy, while making jack-o'-lanterns that won prizes for "(1) spookiest, (2) cleverest / creativest / wildest, and (3) youth-groupiest pumpkins."
The Youth Group will break for Halloween, resuming in November. Any interested young people in middle or high school are welcome to attend CYG, and all are warmly and formally invited. Spread the word! Contact Kurt for details, via email or phone (506) 259-3711.
Please note that proof of double vaccination or medical exemption for ages 12+ is required for indoor gatherings in the Cathedral and Hall, and masks are mandatory. Thank you for your continued cooperation and compliance on these fronts.
Forty paper angels from Greener Village (the food bank) are waiting patiently to be chosen from a small tree in the cathedral. Each requests a specific Christmas gift or stocking stuffers for a needy boy or girl in our city.
Please print your name and telephone number on the clipboard to indicate which angel you are adopting. Bring your unwrapped gift, with the paper angel firmly attached, to the church on Sunday, November 14th. Drop-off boxes will be set up near the angel tree.
If you cannot bring your gift that Sunday, please bring it to the Cathedral Office no later than Wednesday, November 17th (office hours are 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon).
“This is the food bank's deadline for our crop of angels, allowing them time to distribute gifts to the hundreds of families they serve,” explained Outreach Committee treasurer Doug Milander. “The committee must purchase any gifts that arrive late or not at all.”
Another option for Christmas giving is to write a cheque payable to Christ Church Cathedral and indicate Christmas Outreach on the memo line. Deliver your cheque to the church office by December 17th. As in past years, these funds will be divided equally among the Fredericton Homeless Shelters, Women in Transition House Inc. and the Fredericton Community Kitchens.
“The Outreach Committee thanks you warmly for your generous support in making Christmas special for people in our city who need help, especially in these difficult times of an ongoing pandemic and high inflation,” Doug concluded.
One of the less understood festivals of the Church is celebrated in the public participation of our children. Halloween sees children and adults carving pumpkins and placing them in living room windows, lighted by a candle. Halloween sees children, younger children especially, rummaging through cardboard boxes of old cloths, or trying on their parents’ clothing. Imagination takes over and really quite remarkable creations take life!
With a pillowcase in hand (I always used a big pillowcase myself), and a mask or some make-up to obscure recognition, children escape into the dark of the street. Accompanied by a parent, or in the company of friends, they begin their exploration of their neighbourhood. Doorbells are rung. A door is opened. Perhaps the person who answers will call them by name. And it’s great fun not to have been recognized! Especially if they have called the occupant by name, and they still weren’t recognized! They retreat down the walkway and head up the street to find another doorbell. With good and generous neighbours, pillowcases might end up half full by the end of the evening. Enough sweets to last a week or even longer, with careful management!
Tired after the excursion, the sorting of sweets, and perhaps the shrewd trading with brothers and sisters for favourites, ghosts, ghouls and hobgoblins turn in for the night, thinking that it’s all over.
It isn’t all over.
All Hallows’ Eve is the beginning of the observance by the Church known as All Saints’ Day. As a community of faith, we remember those of our number who have died, and as Christians have given us a focus in what we know as the Communion of Saints. The Scriptures proclaim, and the Creeds affirm, and we believe that those who have died in the faith of Jesus Christ continue in the fellowship we enjoy with God. In the Communion, we say that we join the company of “angels, archangels and the whole company of heaven.” In the most ancient of Christian hymns, we join our voices to sing, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.” The Book of Alternative Services explains that the whole company of heaven means “all your saints who have served you in every age.”
It isn’t all over.
That includes the saints we know from early times, of course. But it also includes many more that remain unknown to us. There are, however, many saints who have served God in our age. They may include our grandparents, our parents, possibly our sisters and brothers. They may include our neighbours and our friends. Certainly, they include all that have been baptized and have died. Is it small wonder that they unwittingly wear their parents’ clothes? Is it small wonder that they search the trunk holding spats and dresses and wide lapel suit jackets; old felt hats and hats decorated with feathers? The joy and glee of costumed youngsters helps us reflect on our baptism and the special relationship and grace that are ours as God’s gift to us.
When we mistakenly limit the scope and the self-consciousness of Halloween and attribute the festival to the forces of darkness, we celebrate ignorance. Certainly, there are those who do not know the association of the Communion of Saints with the stealth of neighbourly visitation. It is our opportunity and responsibility to inform others that God’s grace fills our lives, and the lives of those who have gone before us, with the generosity and largesse mirrored by the pillowcases filled by neighbours.
We can choose to be superstitious. And that choice is made by many that wish to exalt the power of darkness. However, we have another choice: the recognition of the fellowship that is held up by Paul, when he wrote to the Church in Rome. “I am persuaded,” he wrote, “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-40
With the leaves quickly changing and fading, it is the time of year where we need to consider getting the flu shot!
The influenza vaccine is highly recommended this year by health care professionals. Last year we had no recorded cases of influenza in New Brunswick. This was likely due to pandemic measures - like decreased travel, as well as minimizing close contacts, diligent hand hygiene, and mask wearing. Pandemic measures being opened up, and ever-changing in our province, brings an increased risk for a rampant flu season. We cannot be sure what this Fall and Winter season will bring, but receiving the influenza vaccine is a good first step, as it brings immunity within the first 14 days of receiving it (Government of New Brunswick Influenza Immunization, 2021).
Again this year, the influenza vaccine is free for all New Brunswick residents, and can be accessed by most healthcare providers. Public Health Offices, family physicians, and pharmacies are some of the easiest access points for your influenza vaccine, which are currently available. Pharmacists are able to give vaccines to those 2 years of age and up. For those over 65 years of age, Public Health has recommended the high-dose vaccine (they are calling it the Cadillac) for added immunity in this population.
For those who are eligible for their COVID-19 booster (currently available - eligibility criteria is on the GNB website, or ask your health care provider or myself), the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) advised that itis safe for people to get both the COVID-19 vaccine and the influenza vaccine at the same time. This has been a hot topic question for those seeking both the COVID-19 booster and the influenza vaccines. If you have any questions surrounding COVID-19 or influenza vaccines and boosters, or need help accessing your vaccines, please reach out! I would love to assist you.
Point of Contact Testing kits for COVID-19 (rapid test kits to use at home) are available to the public at Exhibition Grounds, 361 Smythe St., Fredericton (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday). Simply drive through the queue and staff will pass out a kit for each passenger over that age of 2 in the vehicle.
Bishop and Chapter met 18 October 2021 by video conference with 10 of 14 members present. The article “Which Suckers are Holding You Back” (Victoria Atkinson White) was read in advance and briefly discussed. The need to review how active programme and ministries are meeting real needs requires constant attention. Minutes of meetings on 13 and 20 September were adopted.
From the Dean
The usual summary of what’s been accomplished since the last meeting was provided. Of note:
• a quick turnaround and somewhat unilateral decision was made in September regarding the requirement of COVID-19 vaccinations
• “Prayers for Truth and Reconciliation” held on 30 September
• Preparation for Baptism to begin this week
• Training is being arranged for those who have Bishop’s permission to administer the reserved Sacrament
• September conference for clergy and November Synod cancelled
• We’ll begin to make progress soon on the installation of security systems (approved project)
• Choral Evensong scheduled bi-weekly for the foreseeable future
• Diocesan responsibilities/meetings
Items Arising
City re electrical on the Green - following Chapter approval, a decision has been made by the City of Fredericton to postpone the installation of electrical outlets on the Green north of Queen
Shared space initiative with the Diocesan Synod - the Cathedral continues to do its best to meet space requirements and requests of the Diocesan Synod. A schedule of a future rental arrangement is being prepared. The current youth room (Hall second floor) is being vacated to create several more office spaces for Synod staff at their request
Housing First - while considered somewhat unfortunate, a special meeting on 20 September made the decision to withdraw the Cathedral from the Housing First Project. The long-term commitment, especially in terms of the skillset and the volunteers required, presented an uncomfortable level of risk. Fortunately, another organization is willing to step in and fulfill the goals of the Community Action Group on Homelessness. Monies and land (corner of Albert and Regent) received for the Project to date are in process of being transferred back for use towards that commitment
Reports
Treasurer - we continue to stay just ahead of expenses year to date as reported weekly. A small project will be undertaken to provide some additional programming of accounting software to simplify the bookkeeping, reduce transcription errors and better meet reporting needs
Health and Pastoral Care - We continue to work within ongoing restrictions. Hospitals are now closed to visitors
Mission and Outreach - Monday morning Outreach programme continues on the last Monday of the month
Property - work continues with Heritage Standing Inc to create a master plan of Cathedral potential maintenance/restoration requirements
Christian Formation - Fall programming including Taizé, Godly Play, Youth Group, sacramental preparation and Life Shared (November) underway
Communications - reminder of request for website contributions from committees or any interested in authoring some content
Finance and Administration - 2022 budget under consideration. Stewardship Team is considering a narrative budget and is in need of a chair. A staff handbook outlining employment policies and protocols is in process to replace a decades-old version. An individual has expressed interest in the role of Safe Church Officer
Upcoming
• Festival of Baptism - All Saints (trans) 07 November
• First of Advent - 28 November
• Next meeting - 15 November
Join us in November for Life Shared, a 3-session series designed by the creators of Alpha. Through Biblical teaching from leading Christian voices and real stories of invitation, each session will encourage and equip us to live out God’s call to share our lives and our faith with friends, colleagues and neighbours.
All are welcome and invited to participate. The series will be held on Wednesdays, November 10, 17 and 24, from 7:00 - 8:30 pm, in-person at Cathedral Memorial Hall. Hosted by Cheryl Jacobs. To indicate your interest, email Cheryl or phone/text (506) 259-5748.
Life Shared is presented by the Christian Formation Team at Christ Church Cathedral. Sharing the Spirit together with you in 3D -- as Devoted Disciples Dancing.
My family join me in saying: Thank you so very much for all your letters, cards, condolences but more especially contained within them expressions of such love, care and support in every way. You truly are a Scriptural example of following Jesus' teaching on how to care for those who are in grief and mourning. Your action through words and prayer have sustained me during this time. I have known the Grace of the Holy Spirit daily manifested in the peace, courage, stamina to do what I needed to do. My prayers have been for you. Please keep praying, it is early days yet!!
Who would have ever thought my dear Nathan, whom so many of you knew would leave us all so quickly?
As a long time member of the Cathedral family, Nathan loved and delighted in being involved in the Cathedral life; he was looking forward to the time when we would return. Nathan loved life. "Life is wonderful, full of wonder" he would say. He has taken that with him, I am sure as he steps forward into the 'great mystery" that is God.
We have postponed a Memorial Service at the Cathedral until next spring/early summer due to our present COVID situation. God willing we can celebrate Nathan's life with tears and laughter with the hope that COVID restrictions are eased. A small group will be planning a rose garden in his memory in Fredericton over these winter months. Any suggestions will be very welcome.
I have waited a few weeks, on my return to Fredericton, to send this message of thanks for all of you. I do so now at this time of Thanksgiving when we give our thanks to God Our Father, Son and Holy Spirit who loves us and is with us amidst all that we have to face, and who is so willing to fill us with His Grace, His gifts to help, and sustain us always.
Thank you dear friends. I look forward to when I can meet you face to face and give my thanks to you personally.
In the meantime, be safe and above all let us appreciate each other for the very special people God has made us to be.
I ask God's blessings for us all.
Isabel
NOTE: If you would like to reach out to Isabel, please contact the Cathedral Office by phone (506) 450-8500 or email for more information.
If there’s one thing we may have learned from this time of global pandemic, it’s that no matter the circumstance there is always much for which to be thankful. When we were locked down and in complete isolation from one another, I’m thankful that we were able to devise ways to reconnect. I’m thankful that even in the midst of the inconvenience and even danger caused by COVID-19, churches have continued to experience continuing support from members to keep furthering the important work that is ours to do. At times, the challenges were significant and it’s certain there are more to come, but it’s important that the challenge doesn’t define us, rather it’s the blessing even in the midst of the struggle that helps us be who we really are.
The Apostle Paul said, “Rejoice always, pray continuously, give thanks in all circumstances.” He didn’t say we should wait until we feel thankful. He didn’t say to express gratitude for all the good stuff of life or rejoice as long as things don’t seem too tough. “Always” is one of those words that leaves little room for misinterpretation. Whatever the situation, God has placed some gift in the midst. Can we find it and make the faithful response? – thanksgiving.
Too often we believe that giving thanks is the result of feeling grateful. In fact, it’s the other way around. Happiness is not thrust upon us. Happiness results when we follow the command of St. Paul. Thanks-giving makes us happy; we don’t give thanks because we’re happy; we’re happy when we’re full of thanks. Paul is telling us there’s something in every circumstance for which to be thankful. The result of giving thanks is gratitude. What we choose to do influences how we feel, not the other way around.
During this season, as always, we prayerfully remember those who are facing challenges in their lives. Whether that be adjusting to the loss of someone we love, changes in employment, continuing separation from family and friends, the onset of illness or the resulting changes caused by being older this year than we were last, let’s pray that we’ll look keenly for the gift even in the midst of the messiness of life. Bringing ourselves spiritually to the place where with sincerity we give thanks to God if only for the basics, we’ll reap the real harvest God promises the faithful.
May you find success in your thanks-giving this year and receive the true peace God grants to the thankful heart.
The Christmas Angels are soon coming back to the Cathedral.
“In 2020, with the uncertainties of the pandemic and no vaccines in sight, we donated $1,800 instead of running the usual toy drive,” explained Outreach Committee treasurer Doug Milander. “The cheque reflected the value of the toys usually provided by our congregation to the Greener Village Food Bank. The managers were really pleased with our help.”
This year 50 paper angels will be hung on a little, lighted tree in the cathedral. Each will indicate the name and age of a local child in need as well as a suggested toy or other gift. Some requests will be for stocking stuffers instead of specific toys.
“A new twist this year is that the food bank wants all of the items returned to them by November 15th at the very latest,” Doug added. “This will allow in-person or online shopping to be done well before the Christmas rush, and it will give their staff more time to arrange for deliveries to the hundreds of registered families.”
As in past years, collection bins will be set up at the cathedral and at the church office to receive the toys and stocking stuffers.
“The cathedral family has a long and generous history with the Christmas Angels program, and people always seem happy to put a big smile on a child's face at Christmas,” Doug said.
He added, however, that the Outreach Committee will dip into its budget to supply any of the 50 gifts missing at the deadline.
As soon as the paper angels arrive from the food bank in October, more details will be provided to the congregation. Stay tuned!
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. At our own national church General Synod in 2019, resolution A-129 was passed that we affirm the Arusha Call; encourage bodies within the General Synod to integrate this call into the guiding principles of baptismal living for the shaping of national ministries; and commend the Arusha Call to dioceses for study and inclusion in their considerations of evangelism, witness and discipleship.
Spiritual Development Team members and others are offering reflections in the New Brunswick Anglican on the 12 points within this call. This is Call # 12, written by Archbishop Davis Edwards. Cathedral Dean Geoffrey Hall previously wrote a reflection on Call #5, Director of Christian Formation Kurt Schmidt wrote a reflection on Call #7, and chair of the Diocesan Spiritual Development Team, Cheryl Jacobs wrote a reflection on Call #11.
We are called to live in the light of the resurrection, which offers hope-filled possibilities for transformation.
In 2018 the World Council of Churches (WCC) issued the Arusha Call to Discipleship, then there was COVID-19. The pandemic has highlighted many of the issues which Arusha raised, but also points to something very important. We are one. It does not matter what the issue is, as residents of this planet we are in this together.
The Arusha call is a call to live in ways that are faithful to the Gospel. The first line is of vital importance, “As disciples of Jesus Christ, both individually and collectively...”. It then goes on to list the 12 points of the call. We learn to be disciples of Jesus as individuals, but also together. In John 17:20 Jesus prays for those who will believe because of the words of the disciples that we may be one with each other and with him and the Father.
This is part of the bigger story. In John 20: 30 -31 the Apostle writes:
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”
The Gospels are not a random collection of stories with meaning. They are intentional about revealing the purposes of God. One of the ways in which this is done is through living a different life in unity with the resurrected Jesus and each other, to demonstrate what the people of God look like, that others might see and believe.
In essence the final point of the Arusha call is a call to life, that being to live in the light of the resurrection, which offers hope for transformation. This happens on all levels, relationship with God, relationship with others and relationship with creation.
During the past year I have read three very sad and disturbing books. They were written by “successful” Christian leaders from different denominations who have not only turned their backs on church, but also on God.
Individually, they had various reasons for leaving, but one thing was consistent: either they or their congregation members were not living transformed lives. They were not necessarily talking about moral failing, but that following Jesus did not seem to be transformative in the way people looked at the world. The models of the world had been adopted by the Church.
I sometimes ask myself what it is to live life in the light of the resurrection? Although I am sure we could all pick holes in the Arusha Call, its overall trajectory tells us what this is like. It involves looking away from self and towards others, once again on both the personal and collective levels.
This can be something very simple, but there will be a cost. One of our parishes has partnered with a local coffeeshop/restaurant in a pay-it-forward scheme. They bought a number of free coffees for those who cannot afford them. Cards have been stuck to a board and anyone can take one. This has inspired other people to join in paying it forward.
There are also the big things that we are called to and which we do collectively on a large scale, such as the issues surrounding Residential Schools and Indigenous Peoples. This is something we are working on as a national church.
If we look to Jesus, we see the resurrection life being lived. It is not centred on self, but on others. That is the call we are faced with.
As the Arusha document reminds us, this has to be surrounded with prayer.
“This is not a call that we can answer in our own strength, so the call becomes, in the end, a call to prayer: Loving God, we thank you for the gift of life in all its diversity and beauty. Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, we praise you that you came to find the lost, to free the oppressed, to heal the sick, and to convert the self-centred. Holy Spirit, we rejoice that you breathe in the life of the world and are poured out into our hearts. As we live in the Spirit, may we also walk in the Spirit. Grant us faith and courage to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus: becoming pilgrims of justice and peace in our time. For the blessing of your people, the sustaining of the earth, and the glory of your name. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.”
The Youth Group will break for Halloween, resuming in November. Any interested young people in middle or high school are welcome to attend CYG, and all are warmly and formally invited. Spread the word! Contact Kurt for details, via email or phone (506) 259-3711.
