Why we do what we do – Translating the Bible

Posted on April 10, 2019May 9, 2019

The Holy Bible is a compilation of various writings over many centuries, eventually agreed upon by the historical Christian Church to be included in the “canon of scripture.” The books included have been carefully curated and believed to be the holy word of God. WikipediA states that, as of October 2017, the full Bible has been translated into 670 languages, the New Testament into 1,521 languages and Bible portions or stories into 1,121 other languages.

Apart from what writings are and are not included in the canon is the matter of translation into modern English of texts originally written in various ancient languages including Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Latin and. variations of those depending on the time and location.

The issue of translation, as one might imagine, becomes significantly complicated. A translator (or translators) need to determine what rules are being followed in expressing ancient words in modern ways. Is the policy dynamic or formal? Is it a word for word translation or is an overall sense of meaning the goal? How do current understandings, cultural influences of time and place influence the task of understanding these texts impact how they are placed on the modern page?

A word that meant one thing in the Middle Ages can mean something quite different in the 21^st century.

Readers of biblical texts will often gain important perspective when returning to the original languages to decipher the literal “word” of God being uttered. This makes the study of the ancient languages an invaluable tool in the task of interpretation. But nuance of language, both ancient and modern, make this a time consuming endeavour. A word that meant one thing in the Middle Ages can mean something quite different in the 21^st century. All of these factors makes accurately translating and interpreting holy scripture challenging indeed. Often comparing one translation with others can help in gaining a wider understanding of a specific concept.

The Anglican Church tends to rely primarily on translations considered to exhibit a great degree of agreement among scholars, leaning more toward word for word translations than those depending on cultural idiom and nuance. Bishops of Anglican dioceses throughout the world authorize the scriptural translations to be used in public worship. In the Diocese of Fredericton, and generally in the Anglican Church of Canada, the preferred biblical translation is the New Revised Standard Version, but an entire list can be found as a Bishop’s Directive . (1. General Liturgy and Worship –> 1.4 Biblical Translations Recommended for Public Reading) The NRSV is a modern example and product several decades in the making with various versions having been produced during its development. It generally holds to a policy of literal translation while paying attention to current acceptable linguistic expression in terms of gender neutrality.

There have been many popular bible translations in recent decades. Some may remember the Good News Bible or Eugene Peterson’s The Message, each having been looked upon as Bibles “friendly to the ear.” Difficulties that present themselves with popular versions of biblical texts are often both theological and doctrinal. Do these versions of scripture agree with official doctrinal (teaching) positions of the Church and/or specific denominational expressions of that church body?

Read more about bible translations on WikipediA: Bible translations

GMH

What is Tenebrae?

Posted on March 30, 2019April 18, 2019

On Wednesday of Holy Week, we'll once again add Tenebrae to the wide selection of worship opportunities made available during perhaps the most solomn week of the Church year. The great three days (Eve of Good Friday or Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Day) are known as "the triduum."

An enormous amount of tradition and history informs modern practices where Tenebrae is celebrated. The following excerpts of the Tenebrae Wikipedia article references at least some of the detail.

The principal Tenebrae ceremony is the gradual extinguishing of candles upon a stand called a "hearse." In liturical history, eventually, the Roman Rite settled on fifteen candles, one of which is extinguished after each of the nine psalms of matins and the five of lauds. The six altar candles are put out during the Benedictus, gradually also reducing the lighting in the church throughout the chanting of the canticle. Then any remaining lights in the church are extinguished and the last candle on the hearse is hidden behind the altar (if the altar is such as does not hide the light, the candle, still lit, is put inside a candle lantern), ending the service in total darkness. The "strepitus" (Latin for "great noise"), made by slamming a book shut, banging a hymnal or breviary against the pew, or stomping on the floor, symbolizes the earthquake that followed Christ's death, although it may have originated as a simple signal to depart. After the candle has been shown to the people, it is extinguished, and then put "on the credence table," or simply taken to the sacristy. All rise and then leave in silence.

Some Anglican churches celebrate Tenebrae on Wednesday of Holy Week, although in various forms, thereby preserving the importance of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday observances.

The Episcopal Church in its Book of Occasional Services provides for a single Tenebrae service on Holy Wednesday in the evening. That form preserves the number of nine Tenebrae lessons, each followed by a responsory.

Christ Church Cathedral (Fredericton) uses Tenebrae in a sung traditional language form on the Wednesday evening of Holy Week

The majority of parishes within the Anglican Church of Canada do not routinely celebrate Tenebrae, and the Anglican Book Centre does not publish any service explicitly for Tenebrae. Parishes that do celebrate Tenebrae follow a variety of practices. The Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Toronto) is notable for the excellence of its music, of which the musical Tenebrae services are exemplary. Christ Church Cathedral (Fredericton) uses Tenebrae in a sung traditional language form on the Wednesday evening of Holy Week which includes lessons from Jeremiah with responding psalms, the fourth being from John 17, and Benedictus. At the Church of the Epiphany (Oakville) Tenebrae is described as the reversal of the Advent wreath: "starting Lent with the brightness of six candles, the darkness grows as a candle is extinguished each week in anticipation of Jesus dying on the cross on Good Friday." This abbreviated Tenebrae liturgy begins worship services on Sundays during Lent. The Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine have their own liturgy, "The Order of Tenebrae," published in 1933.

What is the Anglican Foundation of Canada?

Posted on March 20, 2019June 16, 2020

The Anglican Foundation of Canada may be one of the Canadian Anglican church’s best kept secrets.

The Foundation supports Canadian Anglican ministry across Canada by way of the generosity of Anglicans both past and present.

“‘Us’ and ‘them’ language is difficult to apply to the Anglican Foundation,” says the Diocese of Fredericton‘s representative Clyde Spinney. “The Foundation is about spreading the generosity of Anglicans in the direction of valuable, innovative ministry across the Canadian Church.”

The Diocese of Fredericton, and in fact, Christ Church Cathedral itself, is by no means foreign to the grants and loans over the years in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. See a list of grants and loans by diocese on the Anglican Foundation website. A multitude of parish ministry initiatives, including the longest running Choir School in Canada held in our diocese each year are among recipient.

But none of this work happens without support. Being a “member” costs as little as $50-$99, as an income tax deductible charitable gift. Donor benefits and levels of giving are outlined here.

The Foundation is about spreading the generosity of Anglicans …

The Anglican Foundation of Canada was established in 1957 to encourage and support ministry within the Anglican Church of Canada.

Leading the way in resourceful ministry for 60 years, AFC has benefited dioceses, hundreds of parishes, and thousands of Canadian Anglicans with the provision of financial support for ministry from coast to coast to coast.

AFC invites individuals, parishes, and church organizations to make an annual contribution so that it can respond generously to applicants who are engaged in ministry to serve the Canadian Church. The Foundation’s ability to support ministry is also funded by bequests, memorials and special gifts, donor-designated trusts, life insurance, and investment income.

The work of the Foundation is made possible through the devotion, generosity, and collective goodwill of hundreds of donors. The support of dedicated Anglicans of all ages makes it possible to sustain the Foundation in the ministry of generosity to the Canadian Church.

Additional associated trusts include:

Bursaries for Theological Education (information for theological students)
Inspire a Musician (A.E.J. Fulford Trust for church music)
Scholarship of St. Basil the Great (ecumenical exchange program)
Bursaries for Pastoral Care and Preaching (Lewis S. Garnsworthy Memorial Trust for preaching and pastoral care)
Indigenous Grants (Catholic Apostolic Universal Church Trust Fund for Indigenous programs in Canada)

Learn more about the work of the Anglican Foundation by visiting the website. Why not consider joining the roster of membership and getting involved in something truly inspiring and imagine more?

Lenten Study 2019

Posted on March 1, 2019April 8, 2019

During the Season of Lent, all members of the Cathedral congregation are encouraged to take part in small group study.

If only another time is possible for you, do contact a leader and we’ll do our best, within given restraints, to adjust the schedule.

❒ Charis Group ongoing study - Mondays 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Begins 11 March 2019
(4 seats available) Cathedral Hall Lounge Palmer/Radford

❒ The Desert Mothers and Fathers - Wednesdays 7:00 - 8:15 p.m.
Begins 13 March 2019
Cathedral Hall Lounge Kurt Schmidt

❒ Stewardship Studies with Archbishop Douglas Hambidge - Wednesdays 1:00 - 2:15 pm
Begins 13 March 2019
Cathedral Hall Nursery/Lounge Geoffrey Hall

❒ The Book of Job - Thursdays 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Begins 14 March 2019
Cathedral Sacristy Alan Hall
(Follows Taizé worship beginning at 5:30 pm)

Resources

Resources will be made available by the leaders of each of the studies. Contact the leaders directly to express interest, ask a question or register. Or, place the form on the offering plate or submit to the office. Some flexibility in schedules and locations may be possible within given restraints. Contact the leaders.

Going Deeper with Missional Habits

Lenten Study material being recommended from the office of our Bishop is a followup to “The 5 Habits of Highly Missional People” - BELLS. While this resource can be used on one’s own, you are encouraged to join, or form a group to explore the resource together.
Download: nb.anglican.ca/resources/prayer/pages/lenten-studies

The Desert Fathers and Mothers

... were early Christian ascetics living in the desert of Egypt, Israel, and Syria in the 4th and 5th centuries AD. They typically lived in the monastic communities that began forming during that time, though sometimes they lived as hermits. The Desert Mothers and Fathers had a major influence on the development of Christianity.

Stewardship with Archbishop Hambidge

The former metropolitan of the Province of British Columbia has for decades been in demand as a speaker on the topic of Christian stewardship. The video resource was recorded in Sussex in 2012.

Group leaders

Kurt Schmidt <formation at christchurchcathedral.com>
(506) 259-3711
Alan Hall <alanwilliamhall at gmail.com>
(506) 443-0196
Geoffrey Hall <dean at christchurchcathedral.com>
(506) 450-7761
Harry Palmer and Keith Radford <radford at unb.ca>
(506) 452-1793

Do I Have to Kneel? – info about Anglican customs

Posted on February 5, 2019February 27, 2019

Approximately 30 people gathered at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday, January 27th to hear the answer to the question “Do I Have to Kneel?” The afternoon session, which was something of an Anglican primer, included presentations by Hank Williams, Cheryl Jacobs and Dean Geoffrey Hall and was hosted by the Christian Formation committee.

The first speaker, Hank Williams, gave a brief but interesting overview of the Cathedral structure, the correct names for the different areas of the Cathedral and some of its history. He explained that the term Cathedral is used to denote the Bishop’s church and is the main church of the Diocese. Hank provided lots of dates and places of origin relevant to various items in the Cathedral including the font, windows, lectern and pulpit. Most of these items date back to the mid 1800’s. It was interesting to hear that the Cathedral clock began life as the prototype for the clock at Westminster Abbey and that it dates back to 1854.

Cheryl Jacobs shares about the church liturgical year and colours in 'Godly Play' style

Next up was Cheryl Jacobs who explained the Seasons and Colors of the Anglican Church. Cheryl used a banner produced for Godly Play to show the purple, red, white and green colors and their accompanying seasons. She explained that hangings in the church are changed to reflect these seasons. Purple is considered the color of kings as well as being representative of prayer and penitence. White is for joy and celebration. Green represents growth and new life and white represents joy and celebration. Epiphany, Christmas and Easter are all represented by white and red, the color of the Spirit represents fire and is used for the Passion, Pentecost and for Christian martyrs.

The final presentation was given by Dean Geoffrey Hall. He pointed out that the church calendar walks us through the life of Christ. Anglican worship is primarily “liturgical” – liturgy means work of the people. The Anglican church is a product of the Reformation of the 1500’s, when many Protestant denominations were formed. The Anglican church endeavoured to bring balance in worship to word and the sacrament. Read an article about Henry VIII and the Anglican Church.

The afternoon was full of Anglican factoids! And yes, an answer to the question “Do I Have to Kneel” was provided. According to Dean Geoffrey, the Book of Common Prayer 1962 (BCP) and the Book of Alternative services (1985), offer “rubrics,” directions which are written in red. Recommended Prayer Book postures: sit to listen, stand to praise and kneel to pray. The Book of Alternative returns to suggesting, by way of rubric, that we return to an older Christian custom of standing for prayer. While there is always a recommendation that most will follow, its never inappropriate to sit, stand or kneel as any one of those is more possible or comfortable.

Lots of other questions regarding the Anglican customs were asked by attendees and interest was shown in more sessions of this nature. If you are interested in participating in the future, please contact a member of the Christian Formation committee or our Christian Formation Director, Kurt Schmidt.

Gail MacGillivray

A Creative Advent and Christmas?

Posted on November 23, 2018December 22, 2018

Practical Stewardship – Financial Transparency

Posted on October 31, 2018November 23, 2018

Money — What’s it to you?

Posted on October 23, 2018January 21, 2020

Who taught you about thanksgiving?

Posted on October 3, 2018October 23, 2018

The Season of Creation 2018

Posted on July 27, 2018September 28, 2018

What is the “Season of Creation”?

Every year, from September 1st to October 4th, churches are called to participate in the “Season of Creation.” The World Council of Churches has been promoting this theme since 2008. This special time of year has gained popularity in Europe, and the United Church of Canada was the first to celebrate it here in Canada. Since 2017, all churches in Canada are invited to celebrate the “Season of Creation” in their faith community. The Green Churches Network is happy to offer a “box” of resources designed to make creation care more relevant and “doable” for your church. The Anglican Communion Environmental Network encourages Anglican churches worldwide to participate.

Why September 1^st to October 4^th?

In 1989, Demetrios I, Patriarch of Constantinople decided to dedicate the first day of the Orthodox liturgical year (September 1) to the protection of the environment. He then invited the whole Christian world to join in so that “every year on this day, we raise prayers of thanks for the great gift of the created world, prayers of supplication for its protection and salvation.” In 2015, Pope Francis named September 1st the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

October 4th is the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. He is the patron saint of ecology in the Catholic tradition since 1979. He is a model of integral ecology, demonstrating that the love for the poor, the sick and for all creatures comes from the same Source.

What to do during the “Season of Creation?”

Christian communities are invited to organize various activities on the theme of Creation Care between September 1st and October 4th: prayer services, intergenerational activities, conferences, activities for children and young people, fund raising, etc.

The Green Churches Network has created the “Season of Creation in a Box” to help inspire educational, action-centered and spirituality-themed activities in your faith community.