The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, seeking to build a truly just, healthy and peaceful world, works in 28 countries with a variety of local partners and covers a wide spectrum in the field of international development. We hope that this devotional will help you explore the history of PWRDF as well as the various pillars of PWRDF’s work: food security, preventive health, humanitarian relief and refugee support, poverty reduction, human rights and peace. We pray that this resource will help you in your mission to seek justice in our world. — PWRDF National Youth Council Resources Committee
Creator God, You loved the world into life. Forgive us when our dreams of the future are shaped by anything other than glimpses of a kingdom of justice, peace and an end to poverty. Incarnate God, You taught us to speak out for what is right. Make us content with nothing less than a world that is transformed into the shape of love, where poverty shall be no more. Breath of God, let there be abundant life. Inspire us with the vision of poverty over, and give us the faith, courage and will to make it happen. Amen.
During the Season of Lent, all members of the Cathedral congregation are encouraged to take part in small group study.
The resource recommended by our Bishop for 2018 is “Pray: Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer” by Bishop Bill Hockin. We’ve also had an offer to provide one additional option on the poetic works of John Donne.
“PRAY: Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer”
In the words our Saviour Christ taught us. Divided into five sections. Study questions by Dr. Alan Sears.
11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Wednesdays in Lent
Devotional poetry of John Donne (1572 – 1631)
Donne’s remarkable life included a secret marriage, a conversion from Roman Catholicism to the Church of England, and his transformation from a worldly Renaissance man to an Anglican Priest and Dean of Saint Paul’s Cathedral. His poetry is striking for its wit but also for its urgent searching after the face of God. We may want to discuss other poets and poetry as the occasion demands, but Donne will be our guide here.
7:00 p.m., Wednesdays in Lent
If you haven’t registered, please feel free to join. The study leaders would be happy to have you. See the Calendar for details.
Ash Wednesday is a moveable fast day in the Church calendar, this year falling on 14 February. The date of Ash Wednesday is determined by the date of Easter each year, which is 01 April in 2018.
While not as early as it can be, Easter is relatively early this year determined by the "Paschal Full Moon" (the first full moon after the spring equinox). In 1818 that moon fell on Saturday March 21 (the equinox). Therefore, the following day, March 22, was Easter. It will not fall as early again until 2285, a span of 467 years!
The Church customarily offers opportunities for study and spiritual growth during the season of Lent. A "holy Lent," the liturgical words of Ash Wednesday suggest, is a time of "self examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving" (we don't give because the Church needs us to but rather, because of our own need to give) and the reading and meditating on the word of God."
This year at the Cathedral, we would like to create as many opportunities as possible for those in our Cathedral family to engage in efforts toward the purposes of Lent. If you would like to offer to facilitate a study group, we want to hear from you! Groups might meet in homes, at the Cathedral Hall, at the Cathedral or another location depending on scheduling possibilities. You would be welcome to use a resource of your own choice or, two books are being suggested, both with study questions included:
If you would like to know more, speak to the Dean or Kurt Schmidt dean@ or formation@ christchurchcathedral.com. Watch for information on study times and locations.
Tasty sandwiches and warm socks aren't the only things handed out to people in need at the Monday morning drop-in run by the cathedral's outreach committee.
Archdeacon Pat Drummond always gives a blessing of praise and thanksgiving to start the morning's activities. At first, the clatter of dishes and chatter of voices would continue. But now everyone stops respectfully to listen to her.
Later, amid the hubbub of people in the great hall who are enjoying refreshments, live music and a selection of used clothing, she announces a Bible study will begin shortly in the nursery.
She first offered such a session in the autumn of 2015. Only one or two people took part at first, but now several usually attend weekly.
"Those who participate say they really enjoy it and would miss it if it didn't happen," Pat said.
Last year they read the Gospel of Mark, but now they are examining Genesis. On a recent Monday they read about the birth of Jacob's sons, the ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel.
"We always look at a bit of background for the story we are about to read," she explained. "We talked about the language spoken by the people of the day, since the names of Jacob's sons have meanings in Hebrew. We talked about the position of women in that society. Then we read the story in a modern translation such as the Message."
OUTREACH BIBLE STUDY – Archdeacon Pat Drummond (at left) leads a Bible study attended by Monday morning drop-in guests such as Darcy, Wendy and Barb.
Some of the people in the group are regular churchgoers, some had a religious foundation in childhood, while others are curious seekers. Pat involves everyone in the discussions.
"We discuss things in our own lives which have impacted us and bear relation to the story," she said. "Today, for example, it was how many children were in our own families and our position in the family. We talk about issues in the story such as the relationship between Jacob's wives and the slaves who also bore his sons. And we discuss how we solve or have solved our own family issues."
We need to be where people's hopes and fears intersect with those of God ...
Bishop David Edwards has said that the church needs to look for new ways to share the presence of God in communities where it has traditionally been established.
"We need to be where people's hopes and fears intersect with those of God, and to provide ways in which people can connect with God when they need to," the bishop wrote in a recent column in the NB Anglican.
Charles Ferris from the cathedral regularly attends the Monday morning drop-in as a friendly visitor. He has found that many living in poverty have health or social problems, and they can either be extremely withdrawn or very eager to tell their troubles. He often joins Pat's Bible study.
"The quiet space and the learning opportunity Pat provides is like church for some of these people," Charles said. "They're searching for a sense of community and spiritual connection, and they find it here."
After the Bible passages have been covered, Pat always goes around the circle to see who would like prayer and for what purpose.
"I think they particularly enjoy finding out more about their comrades through our talks," she noted. "They appreciate the prayers for forthcoming doctor's appointments, surgeries, moves, etc. We pray and always finish with the Lord's Prayer."
The Bible study is not the only beyond-handouts activity the outreach committee has supported. Members have accompanied some Monday morning guests to court and visited others in the hospital. The pastoral care committee has also done the latter.
"We like to reach out compassionately to people where they are, which won't necessarily be in a pew in the cathedral on Sunday morning," outreach committee treasurer Doug Milander said. "The weekly Bible study Pat prepares and offers here is an important aspect of efforts to share God's love beyond the church walls. Her time is greatly appreciated by those who attend and by this committee."
At Christ Church Cathedral, we take health and safety seriously.
From time to time there are questions about precautions followed to reduce the risk of infection in the administration of the Holy Eucharist.
First and foremost, we follow our own diocesan Bishop's Directive 3.4 on the Administration of the Sacrament. This includes making intinction (dipping) of the host (bread) available for those who wish not to drink from the common chalice (cup). In following the practice of intinction, it is important that only the administrator of the host touch the host prior to it coming in contact with the contents of the chalice. Those who are making Communion are required to indicate their wish for intinction to the administrator BEFORE taking the host.
These instructions are included on church bulletins each Sunday.
For more information on Eucharistic practice and the risk of infection, see the article on the web site of the Anglican Church of Canada.
By David H. Gould, BA, MD,CM, FRCPC, FICA, A.Th Introduction With the discovery of AIDS a number of fears have arisen regarding the risk of the infection being spread by the use of the "common cup" at the Eucharist. This in turn has led to a re-examination of Eucharistic practices and their potential for transmission ...
Bishop David Edwards issued a challenge to people who attended the annual diocesan stewardship day this fall.
“Stewardship is not just about money,” the bishop said. “It is using the gifts that God has given us wisely to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and to advance the Kingdom of God. This means using your talent and time as well as treasure.”
He paused, and people leaned forward to listen.
“We all have different gifts and will use them in different ways,” he continued. “So exactly how are you going to share your time, talent and treasure? How?”
Another pause as people pondered this important challenge. It was certainly a key message to take back to their parishes and to respond to personally.
As stewardship day unfolded at St. John the Evangelist Church, speakers offered many meaningful examples of the bishop's suggested course of action. The theme was sharing in mission.
Stewardship is not just about money
Anglican Church Women (ACW) President Rosemarie Kingston showed pictures and described fund-raising done over the years to assist the Rev'd Canon Paul Jeffries and students at Bishop McAllister College in Uganda. In addition to finding sponsors for orphaned students, Rosemarie has gone to Uganda many times to work side-by-side with Paul and his staff. Sometimes her husband and grandson have accompanied her, giving their time and talent at the school.
The Rev'd Kevin McAllister from the Parish of Marysville and the parish of Minto and Chipman hatched the idea of a golf tournament to raise funds for a library at the school in Uganda. It turned out to be the wrong idea, but he helped as parishioners enthusiastically launched a bowling tournament instead. They urged other parishes to get involved, and people had huge amounts of fun as they worked hard together to exceed their fund-raising goal and to provide a celebratory meal.
Money is always needed when supporting remote ministries under the umbrella of the Council of the North. However, the Rev'd Tom Stradwick and the Rev'd Dana Dean said fellowship can be the real blessing. For example, it didn't take money but rather time and talent to visit the family of each baptized child. Considerable interest was stirred in the room when photos were shown of people from one nursing home who were taken to visit their old but seldom seen friends in another nursing home. A lovely tea party!
Doug Milander and Ann Deveau from Christ Church Cathedral talked about the recent refugee sponsorship project which included several parishes. They said raising thousands of dollars was the easiest part. It was harder to find people willing to spend time helping the Liberian family adjust to Canada, especially when huge health challenges arose during the year. They noted they had met fine people from the other parishes whom they might not otherwise have encountered, and this aspect was an unexpected reward.
A most innovative community ministry was described by the Rev'd Jasmine Chandra from Saint John. Her work to help struggling people in need in the inner city takes a great deal of patience, compassion and persistence. It requires plenty of creativity to overcome the uncertainties of difficult situations faced, but her presentation was much more optimistic than one might have guessed.
The bishop had savvy advice: find people of goodwill in the community and work with them, giving them an opportunity to say thanks to God. He and other speakers tossed out some specific ideas: community gardens near the church, act as chaplain to the local hockey team, build a playground outside the church, advocate for affordable housing, make soup for the hungry, offer an English conversation circle for newcomers, honour your parish volunteers, ask the youth group for ideas, repeat that bowling tournament.
Specific opportunities to share time, talent and treasure abound. How will you respond to the challenge?
Subscribe to our Question of the Week: Question: “Why is church attendance / going to church important?” Answer: The Bible tells us we need to attend church so we can worship God with other believers and be taught His Word for our spiritual growth.
In the past we’ve touched on the delicate balance that churches must maintain while appealing to millennials without pandering or changing theology. But what if we’re focusing our efforts in the wrong places? What if the loud music and fog machines are actually clouding the Holy Spirit and preventing people from connecting with God?
Reading scripture and liturgy in public is an honour that deserves our time and attention as it provides an opportunity for people to hear God’s word. Learning how to connect with those who are listening by speaking clearly and audibly helps people understand and make sense of what you are saying.
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Objectives
On completion of this course you should be able to:
describe practical steps to effectively read scripture and liturgy in public
identify the differences between ‘reading’ to yourself and ‘speaking’ in public
read effectively in public
9 am - 12 Noon, Saturday, 28 October 2017 Christ Church Cathedral, Corner of Church and Brunswick
There's no cost to register, but we do need to know you're coming
Join us for an intergenerational ALPHA which began with an introduction on 27 September 2017 at the Cathedral Memorial Hall, 168 Church Street, 6:00 pm. Dinner is included! If you missed the first session, contact Cheryl Jacobs or (506) 459-5795 or by email cajacobs84 at gmail.com
Do you want to explore the Christian faith more, or do you have family or friends you would like to see do so? Alpha is an 11 week introduction to Christianity where all questions are encouraged. It is being offered this Fall on Wednesday nights starting September 27, from 6:00 – 8:30 pm, in the Cathedral Hall. Supper will be provided as well as simultaneous video and discussion sessions for adults and youth (12-20ish). Please register on a signup sheet at the back, online HERE, by calling (506) 459-5795 or by emailing cajacobs84 at gmail.com. All are welcome!
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, seeking to build a truly just, healthy and peaceful world, works in 28 countries with a variety of local partners and covers a wide spectrum in the field of international development. We hope that this devotional will help you explore the history of PWRDF as well as the various pillars of PWRDF’s work: food security, preventive health, humanitarian relief and refugee support, poverty reduction, human rights and peace. We pray that this resource will help you in your mission to seek justice in our world. — PWRDF National Youth Council Resources Committee
Devotional poetry of John Donne (1572 – 1631)
