Saskatchewan
anglican
The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • October 2021
Bishop's road trip a chance to connect with parishes By Mary Brown
We want to see Jesus
Kids in Faith Quest at St. Mary’s, Regina, act out the story of the friends who lowered a man down from the roof, so he could be cured by Jesus. Photo by Kate Berringer
Faith Quest a valuable experience for all By Kate Berringer REGINA — This past spring, St. Mary’s, Regina, completed the 19th year of its Sunday morning Faith Quest program for seven to 12 year olds. I recall being approached in 2002 by our rector to join a team of interested parishioners to look at a new Sunday school model that had begun in the United States in the 1990s. It was developed by two Presbyterian children’s ministers who were faced with many problems that so many parishes experience: low Sunday school attendance, bored teachers, bored kids, lessons that were often
“moral”-based curricula and that superficially touched on Bible principles and stories. This prompted them to develop a new way of doing Sunday school, the Workshop Rotation method. Faith Quest began at St. Mary’s in the fall of 2002 and is modelled after this method. We reconfigured the church basement and created spaces for each type of workshop we chose to offer, and there were many! Our kitchen became the Daily Bread Bistro for cooking lessons. We repurposed some old Globe Theatre seating and created a Pray-Per-View audio-visual workshop
area. Volunteers constructed a drama area and a space for computers, transformed one old Sunday school room into an “Oasis” tent-like gathering space and the other room into a messy, well-stocked Let There Be Art room. The goal of the program is to teach a series of Bible stories or topics over a six-year time period with a view to imprinting them on the hearts of the children and thereby deepening their relationship with our Lord. Each Bible story is taught over four to five Sundays. Each Sunday, the kids learn the story or topic through one type
of workshop including: cooking, computers, watching/critiquing movies, drama, art and games. We have also included workshops on science and music on occasion. The appeal of the program is that several people are always involved. Faith Quest roles require low commitment such that no one person is doing all the work. Some years, we had 20 to 25 people involved, planning lessons, gathering materials for specific types of workshops, leading and shepherding during lessons. The “shepherds” Continued on page 5
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PRINCE ALBERT — I volunteered to be the designated driver for Bishop Michael Hawkins on Aug. 9. At that time he felt he was not ready for a long road trip. So I picked him up at 7:30 a.m. and we headed to All Saints Church in Melfort where he conducted a communion service. It was so touching to see the sincere happiness and concern for their bishop on the faces of the parishioners. I realize that when I visit Anglican churches I see so many people I knew for many years. On the way to Melfort we talked about who would be there. The bishop had to remind me about names and places I would have known like the back of my hand a few years ago. He had no problem bringing me up to date. You remember the names of lay readers and Order of Saskatchewan recipients. Karen Price Jones, Grace Ellis and John Wikstrom come to mind. I saw a familiar face I usually saw in the Leask church, Billie Caspell, who had moved to Melfort. There were a number of cards on a table for certain people. I found out that a woman named Georgia Jardine started giving cards to people on their birthdays and anniversaries about three years ago. We had to leave soon after the service to get to Tisdale for their 11 a.m. Holy Communion service. Continued on page 6
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
October 2021
Learning to recognize God's voice is a lifelong project staying curious, are ways of sharpening our reason so we can recognize what God is saying when we face important issues. It’s critical to note that we see corporate reason— the collective reasoning of the whole church—as providing greater wisdom about what God is saying than our own individual musings. That is why, on controversial issues, the church works hard over a long period of time to develop a consensus on what God is saying to us.
How can we recognize the voice of God? By Archdeacon Cheryl Toth
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ne of the most profound ways of learning what it means to be human is to watch how babies grow and discover the world around them. Newborns cannot focus their vision to see clearly who is attending to their needs. A growing baby learns to focus his or her vision and recognize the voices and faces of those around them. It is a wonderful moment in parents’ lives when they realize their child not only hears their voice but recognizes it across the room and turns in that direction. Just as infants move from hearing a voice to recognizing whose voice they hear, so too we can learn to recognize God’s voice and turn our attention to what God is saying. To recognize means to know someone or something because you have seen or heard him or her or experienced it before. To learn to recognize God’s voice, we first need to place ourselves in situations where we hear God’s voice. Anglican teaching shows us several ways we can do that.
Scripture
First and foremost, we engage with Scripture. Anglicans believe that Scripture is a means through which God speaks to us as a community and as individuals. We believe that the Bible is inspired and that God is the ultimate cause behind its writings. This does not mean that God dictated the words to the writers of Scripture, but rather that God’s Spirit breathes through what is written. This also means that we believe the Spirit is at work when we read the Bible in church or on our own. Actively engaging with the readings in worship, reading and reflecting on Scripture daily, and participating in Bible study with others are all ways of attuning our ear to who God is and how God communicates. We learn from the biblical story of salvation
Experience
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels to recognize God at work then and now.
Tradition
Secondly, we use the riches of our spiritual Tradition. The word comes from the Latin word tradere which means “to hand on.” By tradition we mean those things handed on from one generation of Christians to another as important and essential to our identity. As Anglicans we distinguish important traditions from the “we’ve always done it this way” traditions by discerning which inherited teachings and practices are widespread and publicly valued. Our liturgies, both in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and the Book of Alternative Services (BAS), were written after lay and clerical scholars examined liturgies and revised them to reflect their understanding of the early church’s belief and practice. Participating in our traditions of liturgical worship, corporate prayer, singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs are ways of attuning our ears to recognize God’s voice. It is amazing to me how often a phrase from
a hymn will come to me unbidden when I am struggling to understand my way forward!
Reason
Thirdly, God expects us to use our Reason in recognizing God’s voice. Reason, in the Anglican thought, has to do with our capacity to reflect upon and understand our human experience. We believe our reason, although weakened by sin, is a gift from God and one of the means by which the Holy Spirit leads us. Reason has been the way Anglicans have tried to avoid an unthinking biblicism and an unthinking conformity to historical precedent. Richard Hooker, a 16th century Anglican theologian, argued that our reason was competent to determine what God was saying on a broad range of issues not covered explicitly in Scripture. Reason, a prayerful reflection on our knowledge and experience, is very important in determining how we live as Christians in our time. Embracing knowledge, taking courses, reading on a wide variety of topics, listening to those with whom we don’t agree and
Finally, we learn to recognize God’s voice in light of our own Experience. Richard Hooker understood reason to include reflection on experience but most people now consider reason as deductive thinking and logic. Our subjective experience has no place in that understanding of reason, but it does play a significant role in recognizing God’s voice in our lives. Paying attention to how we feel, what we think, what experiences impact us, and how we interact with others are part of attending to our spiritual life. We can recognize God communicating with us through our experience. John Wesley, an 18th century Anglican cleric, understood this and wove reflection on experience into the small groups he organized for those wanting to grow in their faith. Journal writing, engaging in small groups, sacramental confession, having a spiritual director, participating in retreats or renewal movements like Cursillo or Pilgrim can all help us discern how God speaks through the ups and downs of daily experience. Learning to recognize God’s voice is a lifelong project — one through which our sense of God deepens and our capacity to respond to God’s guidance grows. It’s never too late to start because God will continue to speak to us all the days of our life. The Ven. Cheryl Toth is Archdeacon of St. Cuthbert’s (Diocese of Qu’Appelle) and serves as Stewardship Officer for the diocese.
Published by the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle. Published monthly except for July and August. Whole No. 292, Vol. 50, No. 2 A Section of the Anglican Journal SUBSCRIPTIONS For change of address, undeliverable copies and subscription list updates, contact: • Your parish • e-mail: circulation @national.anglican.ca • Or send to Saskatchewan Anglican, c/o Anglican Journal, 80 Hayden Street, Toronto, Ont. M4Y 3G2 RATES $10 in Canada $17 outside Canada SUBMISSIONS Submissions for the December issue must be received by the diocesan editor no later than Oct. 29. All pictures must be sent as JPEGS and 1 MB (megabyte) in size. CONTACT INFORMATION Managing Editor: Jason Antonio SKAnglicanEditor@gmail. com 1501 College Ave Regina, Sask., S4P 1B8 Phone: 306-737-4898 Qu’Appelle: Joanne Shurvin-Martin joannesm@myaccess.ca 6927 Farrell Bay Regina, Sask., S4X 3V4 Phone: 306-775-2629 Saskatoon: Peter Coolen ptrcoolen@sasktel.net 820 Avenue I South, Saskatoon, Sask., S7M 1Z3 Phone: 306-244-0935, Saskatchewan: Mary Brown mary1949brown@gmail.com Box 25, Shellbrook, Sask., S0J 2E0 306-922-5159 Advertising agent: Angela Rush saskatchewan.anglican.ads@ gmail.com 905-630-0390 PUBLISHING DETAILS Published from 59 Roberts Place Regina, Sask., S4T 6K5
October 2021
The Saskatchewan Anglican
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The Bishop's Corner
Prayer and thanksgiving By Bishop Michael Hawkins
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thank God for your prayers, support and patience. At the lowest points in my physical and emotional health over this protracted illness and recovery I have had the most profound experiences of the healing and uplifting power of prayer. In ICU last November, in the midst of all that shock, confusion, and fear, I felt the prayers of the Church. Despite being an introvert, I found my two weeks of isolation emotionally suffocating and overwhelming, yet I always knew and felt the presence of Christ with me. Furthermore, I knew and felt the presence of so many in the Diocese, in the province of Saskatchewan, and beyond who were praying for me. This Thanksgiving I am particularly grateful for the prayers of the Church and for your prayers. The past year and a half have been challenging and stressful for all of us, though in different measure and ways.
Throughout the anger, betrayal, confusion, deep hurt, grief, anxiety, frustration, disappointment, and loss that we have suffered and has come to the surface in our congregations, communities and country I have heard this simple and oft repeated call of our sacred liturgy: “Let us pray.” Whether it is in the face of political storms and divisions, or fires, drought, the discovery of so many unmarked graves of residential schools students, delayed grief, sickness, isolation, mental illness, racism, brokenness, injustice, and death itself, the call and our Christian response must always be, Let us pray. We are being called and recalled to prayer. I think this might be particularly true for us as the three dioceses in the Province of Saskatchewan, and especially as Qu’Appelle gathers for an electoral synod. Over the past four years there has been a beautiful transformation in the fellowship of your bishops and it is a testimony
to prayer. We are four bishops serving with you in three dioceses, with three synods, and our own diocesan management and programme staff. Perhaps this is God’s will for us to continue in this same shape of diocesan administration and episcopal ministry. Or perhaps God is calling us to some other more flexible, affordable and mission-minded model of supporting the worship, mission and ministry of the Church in Saskatchewan. Either way, I am sure that God is calling and recalling us together to pray with and for each other in our congregation and communities, in our dioceses and in this civil province. I was attending Sacred Circle when I heard the news of the sudden and tragic death of my godson after a long battle with addictions. As I ran out of the meeting hall, I met Bishop Chris Harper, I fell down in a puddle. He held me, comforted me, prayed with me and gave me his handkerchief. I will never forget his being there with me then and there, in prayer. At one of the worst moments of General Synod 2019 — there were many — I felt overwhelmed by a sense of the self-harm in which I was involved, near collapse I
ran into Bishop Rob and then and there, he prayed for me. I will never forget his being there with me then and there, in prayer. As I began tentatively returning to work, scared of failing at this third attempt, afraid of my physical, mental and emotional limits, Bishop Adam prayed with me and later that week gathered the ordinands and prayed for me. I will never forget his being there with me then and there, in prayer. My experience has taught me about the real power of prayer and the real presence of the body of Christ. The prayers of the Church are real. In his Commentary on the Psalms, St. Augustine invites us to think more deeply about the mystery of prayer especially in light of the Trinity and Incarnation. When we speak to God in prayer for mercy, we do not separate the Son from Him; and when the Body of the Son prays, it separates not its Head from itself: it is one Saviour of His Body, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who both prays for us, and prays in us, and is prayed to by us. Christ prays for us, as our Priest; Christ prays in us, as our Head; Christ is prayed to by us, as our God. Let us pray.
'We do not stand alone' and are connected to others By Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy
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he moment one of us moves outside beyond the threshold of our front door, we enter into a community. From the second that we enter a highway we are on a journey with others. When we share a park space with others, there is the potential for community. As we walk down the sidewalk, we have a choice to allow our eyes to meet the eyes of the person coming our way. Will we say “good morning”? From the time we pick up the phone or open an email, we enter community. What we do in these contexts can leave a lasting impact on someone’s life for good or for ill. For example, untrue gossip affects others without the gossiper knowing just how. We influence the life experience of others,
It is true: we are part of a larger whole, a larger organism. John Donne, an English poet of the 1600s, stated this concept well in his poem “No Man is an Island.” While his language is jarring in our day and age, he makes a good point. ... regardless of our human perceptions we are all connected: “We do not stand alone.” sometimes without being aware of it. Split-second choices around community health can affect the rest of someone’s life. They may thrive or not. Upon entering someone’s personal space we carry responsibility, whether we acknowledge this or not. We have seen the infection rates lowered when we take action. Wearing masks, maintaining some space between us and following other health authority guidance saves others from contracting a virus we may not yet know we have.
All of this thinking leads me to consider the spiritual choice of whether to acquire a COVID-19 vaccination. As soon as my age group was given the green light, I signed up online. When I arrived at the inoculation site, I only had the choice of AstraZeneca. I was not pleased, given the recent scuttlebutt. Yet the nurse to give the vaccination asked me to think about the statistics that were available. For example, if I left the Rosthern hall that day in late May without being inoculated, my chances of getting the COVID-19
virus were tripled while I only faced a miniscule possibility of having the AstraZeneca stroke. Ultimately, within a few long minutes I made the choice to get the AstraZeneca vaccine. I am fine. Two weeks after I got my second (Pfizer) jab, in late June, I was no longer a risk to others. I became an infection barrier for people whose immune system is compromised. So, without lifting a finger, I helped to improve the health of the community. How many people would have contracted this virulent virus through me if I had left the Rosthern community hall that day in late May without the jab? Who knows? But I made a choice that impacted not only my health and well-being but also that of the people I come into contact with each day and each week. The point here is that we all have responsibility to
the whole. I struggle with understanding why people buy into conspiracy theories: that the government is conniving to hurt or harm people. I understand that sometimes governments are guilty of racial profiling and I am very sad that this happens. But I struggle when I hear criticism of government officials and our health-care professionals who have been working flat out for 18 months, selflessly and most often with grace. Many have burned out. What leads people to use a fallacy? Inaction based on untruth is a cop out. The truth is that we have a weighty responsibility to our families and communities. It is true: we are part of a larger whole, a larger organism. John Donne, an English poet of the 1600s, Continued on page 7
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Diocese says farewell to Rev. Gethin Edward and family By Mary Brown TISDALE (Skwn) — After Gethin Edward’s last meeting with the constitution and canons committee, Bishop Michael Hawkins and some of Gethin’s peers met in the cathedral hall for a fond farewell. When the Edwards arrived in Tisdale, they had two little boys and a baby boy. Now one of those little boys, Steven, will be going to University in King’s College, N.S. Crispin and Samuel will be attending school in Prince Edward Island and his wife Meg has a full-time job as a teacher. Gethin will be working for the Diocese of PEI when called upon as an
Bishop Arthur Arthurson, Rev. David Butorac, Rev. Gethin Edward, Rev. Rick Reed and Archdeacon Andy Hoskin pose for a picture after a meeting. Photo by Mary Brown extra priest. He is a great gift for that diocese. The bishop thanked Gethin for his willingness to take on all that he did — the sometimes rector
of St. Matthew’s, Tisdale; priest in charge of St. Patrick, Hudson Bay, All Saints, Melfort, St. John Nipawin and Church of the Ascension, Arborfield;
regional dean of Melfort; Bishop’s Commissary; chair of the constitution and canon committee; sessional officer; and honorary assistant to
the clerical secretary at General Synod 2019. In turn, Edward thanked the bishop for bringing him here out of turbulent times to a wonderful place. St. Matthew’s were gracious and hospitable but it was still a cold place to learn about ministry. All the people he met were grateful and helpful and he marvelled at their spirit to care for themselves. He also spoke of the Cree clergy he was blessed to work alongside. He was pleased to receive two parting gifts that he thought he might receive. One was a diocesan wall plaque and the second was a birch bark biting picture. Gethin will be missed.
DIOCESE OF SASKATOON EVENTS
Announcements for October 2021 g With the severe drop in the number of Saskatchewan Anglican subscribers in the past year, all parishes in the diocese are asked to poll their membership and send a list of all those not currently receiving the paper and who wish to receive it to the Rev. Peter Coolen at ptrcoolen@sasktel. net. He will compile the addresses and submit them to the Anglican Journal subscription department. Please include congregation (if part of a multi-point parish), parish, community, salutation (Mr., Mrs., Ms., etc.) as well as name of one individual per household, the postal address and, if possible, email addresses. g Saskatchewan Anglican online! Did you know that you can read current and past issues of the Saskatchewan Anglican online? It can be found at www. anglicandiocesesaskatoon. com/saskanglican or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ saskatchewananglican. g As we begin to recover from the interruption in daily lives and church life, recordings and live
streaming of church services are available from links on the diocesan website and diocesan Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as on various individual parish websites and Facebook and YouTube pages, and locally (for Battle River Parish), on radio. When considering attending any church service in person, please check on service availability and any requirements for preregistration that may exist. If attending services in person, please follow all the indicated seating, movement, distancing, masking, and sanitization instructions in order to safeguard yourself and to protect others. g School of Discipleship Ministry Preparation Program: The Diocese of Saskatoon’s School of Discipleship Ministry Preparation Program is a part-time three-year Licentiate. Courses for the 2021 seasons have now been announced (see the syllabus posted elsewhere in this issue). Students may take a course part-way through the three-year cycle unless pre-requisites for a specific course are stated. The first full
complement for the ESC Licentiate in Theology is planned to be completed by spring 2023. People wishing to take one or more of these courses should consult with the School of Discipleship co-ordinator. People who sense a call to diaconal or priestly ordination will go through the diocesan discernment process at some point before the midway point. If you have any questions about our Ministry Preparation Program, please contact the School of Discipleship co-ordinator, the Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy at tmccarthy@sasktel.net or 306-370-8378. g Ministry of Supervision: Presented by the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad and the diocese’s School of Discipleship; April 5 to 8 and May 16 to 19, 2022; 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.; hybrid delivery model; led by the Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy. For further information please contact the Rev. McCarthy at 306-370-8378 or tmccarthy@sasktel.net, and see the notices posted elsewhere in this issue. g “Nuts and Bolts” Safe Church Workshops: The second part of the initial “Nuts and Bolts” Safe
Church workshops will take place on Saturday, Oct. 16 (9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m.; registration deadline is Wednesday, Oct. 13; hybrid delivery anticipated). To register, please contact our Safe Church co-ordinator, the Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy at 306370-8378 or tmccarthy@ sasktel.net, and see the notice posted elsewhere in this issue. g Address Change: Please note that with the move of the College of Emmanuel & St. Chad to the St. Andrew’s College building, its new address is 1121 College Drive, Saskatoon, S7N 0W3, 306-975-1550, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to noon g Courses at the College of Emmanuel & St. Chad: The College of Emmanuel & St Chad welcomes inquiries and applicants for its fall 2021 and spring 2022 courses. All teaching is planned to be offered only online. For information on courses available through the Saskatoon Theological Union, please also contact their office at 306-975-1550 and see the course listing for the summer and fall of 2021 and for 2022 posted elsewhere in this issue. g All Saints,
Saskatoon, Anniversary Celebrations: A Eucharistic service with the Right Rev. Chris Harper, Bishop of Saskatoon, at 2 p.m., on Oct. 17 will officially open a year-long series of 65th anniversary celebrations for All Saints Anglican Church, Saskatoon. These celebrations will take them from the anniversaries of the laying of the cornerstone on Oct. 7, 1956, to the dedication of the building on Sept. 18 , 1957: all milestones on their way to celebrating 100 years since their first service held in 1925. Everyone is welcome to attend the Eucharistic service on Oct. 17 and for the time of sharing following the service. g To be included in a timely manner, brief notices should be supplied to the associate editor by fax, email or “snail mail” by the end of the month, one month before the month in which the insertion is desired (i.e. October 2021 entries will be in December 2021 issue). Detailed and longer texts of upcoming events will not be included in this section, but should space allow, could be the subject of articles and notices elsewhere in the Saskatchewan Anglican.
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... Faith Quest a valuable experience for everyone Continued from page 1 assist kids with activities, and help the leaders keep the kids engaged. St. Mary’s is not the biggest congregation in the city, but we were able to secure commitment by allowing people to serve according to their gifts and in a manner that was not all-consuming. It has been such a blessing. This spring, I asked some students who have recently graduated, as well as some leaders, to share their thoughts on memories, favourite lessons, and whether Faith Quest has contributed to their knowledge of the Bible and Jesus. Some of their answers are below. “One of my favourite memories from Faith Quest was when we had to re-enact scenes from the Bible. We got to dress up, and act it out. I definitely feel that I know more about the Bible and Jesus since I’ve attended Faith Quest. It was all taught in a way that we were able to understand, and kept us attentive throughout the lesson” (Eva, age 13). “I like the ones where we make yummy food and then we eat it, like the leavened bread. Yes, definitely (I learned a lot) because I was interacting and acting out the scenes of the Bible and the stories about Jesus and Moses and Daniel, etc., well, I think the interactive learning” (Eli, age 13). “It taught the stories in a way that was easy to understand and because each topic is a few weeks long we could really understand the story” (Anya, age 15). “Making the whale for the Jonah lesson was a lot of fun because it got a number of the leaders and shepherds working together on a single project. The kids just loved it too. To see them engaged and creating was really rewarding. They taught us as much as we taught them! We were always amazed at their creativity. “We helped as shepherds about once every six weeks or so and always looked forward to it. I think it is very rewarding to be engaged with the kids doing activities that make learning fun. The rotation system is perfect as one or two people are not doing
Children of different ages painted the story of the travellers on the road to Emmaus, in Faith Quest at St. Mary’s, Regina. Photo by Daylin Haaland it all. “It made it possible for us to participate, since we wouldn’t have been able to commit to a weekly schedule” (Ernie and Sally, Faith Quest shepherds). “Faith Quest is... wonderful! I really enjoy it because of the teamwork and the lessons are always fun but meaningful” (Clara, Faith Quest leader). “Faith Quest is a deliberate and long-term investment in the lives of our kids. The adult duties are well defined and spread out so that many people can be involved, using their gifting and passions, to be part of the mission of sharing faith with our kids. “It builds skills in adults and kids and challenges us all to be informed and transformed by God’s word. Very nice
Last year, when Faith Quest was held online, Faith Quest participants learned the story of Jacob and Essau and cooked pottage and “hairy haystacks” (to represent Esau’s hair arms) at home. Photo by Karen Laforge
when you know you are contributing but are still able to be in church most Sundays” (Heidi, Faith Quest leader). As for me, I have played every role over the years: a workshop materials co-ordinator, a leader, a shepherd, and curriculum co-ordinator. Two of the best things about being involved the program: I have grown immensely in my faith by learning and leading, and by exploring my gifts and talents. I have also seen the creation of disciples, including my own children, through the work of the Spirit in those who have been involved in the Faith Quest program. For this, I am eternally grateful and give thanks and all the glory to the Lord.
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... Bishop's road trip a chance to connect with parishes Continued from page 1 Once again you see the happiness felt by the congregation in seeing the Bishop come to their church. You also see more familiar faces, such as Norman Cay, Order of Saskatchewan recipient. In every pew there were large print prayer books! Of course I didn’t realize it until church was over. You also never know when you go to a different church if you are sitting in someone’s seat. The trick is to wait till everyone is seated, which I will do from now on. Everyone was very welcoming and thanked me for driving the bishop to their churches. The readings for Trinity X were to do with our spiritual gifts and God’s temple. The bishop opened his sermon with scripture from 1 Cor. 3:16-17. He then had us open the prayer book to page 552. What is the Church? The Church is the family of God, the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit. On the middle of page 553, What is the work of the Church in the World? It is to offer to God on behalf of all men the worship which is his due; to make known to all men the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and to unite all men to God in one family. The Church is to be a house of prayer, for it is in prayer, especially prayer together, that the presence of God is known. The common gift of every Christian is to know and confess Jesus of Nazareth as Lord. It is a gift to believe and to have faith in Jesus as Lord. The bishop went on to say the gift of God is not this
Bishop Michael Hawkins (second from right) after a service in Melfort.
Bishop Michael Hawkins (second from left) after a service in Tisdale. or that thing, this or that particular supernatural ability; the gift of God is God, God giving Himself to us through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit. Some people have gifts
of the head, some have gifts of the hand, and some have gifts of the heart. What is key to the peace of the church is that we recognize those gifts in others.
We need to recognize the God the Father and the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, working, serving and distributing gifts among us. He told of his illness in
Photos by Mary Brown the last nine months and how he never felt alone because of the prayers that were said for him. It was a profound spiritual experience. One would expect that the second sermon of the day would pale in comparison to the first one. Both sermons were said with the same degree of honesty, sincerity and spirituality. We were invited to Allan and Tena McMunn’s for a delicious lunch and then carried on to Nipawin to pick up Ted Williams, the summer student working in the parish of Nipawin and Arborfield. We met Sarah Albers, who came from Camp Okema to give Ted a ride back to the camp. By this time it was 5 p.m. and I took the bishop home. He is now able to drive himself around. Be sure you read his column in this edition of the paper.
Emmanuel & St. Chad offering many courses for all Take a course, learn more and explore! Is God nudging you to find out more about Ministry Preparation? People Interested in taking an Emmanuel and St. Chad course should call the College or email our Registrar, Lisa McInnis: esc.registrar@saskatoontheologicalunion.ca or 306975-1550. A faculty member will follow up to make a personal connection and to answer any questions. For most courses with an assigned class time, students will be able to
Asynchronous): In progress. J-Term 2022 Jan. 10-14, BE378 Gospel of Luke (A. Wright) Get ready to preach in Year C.
participate remotely by video conferencing. The option of in-class participation will open up as soon as it is safe.
Fall 2021 term: In progress. DLA Courses (Distance Learning
Winter 2022 Term BE265 Minor Epistles (A. Wright) Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:30-3:00pm SE381 Theology of Work and Money (I. Luke) Wednesdays 9-11:45am PE346 Advanced Pastoral Care for Individuals and Congregations and
Theological Reflection in Context (T. McCarthy) Thursdays 6:00-9:00pm DLA Courses: (Distance Learning Asynchronous) BE105/BE106 Introductory Greek I/II (A. Wright) BE161 Introduction to New Testament (A. Wright) College of Emmanuel & St. Chad – Course Offerings, 1121 College Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W3.
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All Saints, Saskatoon celebrates upcoming 65th anniversary Submitted
All Saints Anglican Church, Saskatoon.
... 'We do not stand alone' Continued from page 3 stated this concept well in his poem “No Man is an Island.” While his language is jarring in our day and age, he makes a good point. In this famous piece of literature and philosophy, Donne makes it clear that regardless of our human perceptions we are all connected: “We do not stand alone.” While we may not be aware of the many truckers who bring food to our local grocery store, we do not die of starvation. While we may not think of the four-hour one-way distance a gas truck driver drove to deliver the gas to our gas station, you and I can still buy fuel to get from point A to point B, or we can board a bus and get to our destination. We often benefit, without much thought on our part, from the work of people who do their jobs day in and day out. We are all connected. John Donne rounds out his profound poem with the very famous statement: “Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” When one person suffers, we all suffer. When one person is healthy, the community health is improved.
Photo courtesy the parish
SASK ATOON All Saints Anglican Church in Saskatoon will hold a Eucharistic service with Bishop Chris Harper at 2 p.m. on Oct. 17, which will off icially open a year-long series of 65 th anniversary celebrations. These events will take them from the anniversaries of the laying of the cornerstone on Oct. 7, 1956, to the dedication of the building on Sept. 18, 1957; all milestones on their way to celebrating, in 2025, 100 years since the parish held its f irst service in 1925. Everyone is welcome to join them at the Eucharistic service on Oct. 17 and for the time of sharing following the service.
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
October 2021
Looking back at residential schools in Prince Albert By Fred Payton (Editor’s note: This is part 1 in a two-part feature series. Part 2 will be in the November issue). PRINCE ALBERT — The first Anglican residential school for First Nations in the Prince Albert settlement was established in 1890 under the auspices of Bishop Cyprian Pinkham, the second bishop of the Diocese of Saskatchewan. Bishop McLean, the first diocesan bishop, had opened Emmanuel College near St. Mary’s Church in 1879. Initially, he had used his own study as a classroom, while Archdeacon John McKay taught classes in a little log school house. By November 1880, the main college building had been built. Course offerings included training for native helpers, theological studies, plus collegiate schooling. By 1882, 30 pupils were enrolled at Emmanuel, of whom 12 were missionary students and 18 were collegiate students. Several factors mitigated against the continuing success of the college, not least being the death of Bishop McLean in November 1886. Other factors included the stringent federal government policies implemented after the Riel Rebellion of 1885, the decision by Church Missionary Society to gradually reduce funding to Western Canadian missions, and the establishment of postsecondary classes within the Presbyterian school that was located in closer proximity to the growing Prince Albert settlement. Although Emmanuel College was debt-free at the time of Bishop McLean’s death, Bishop Pinkham felt that its cost was too great for the diocese to sustain. To sustain the campus that McLean had established, Pinkham made application to the federal government to fund it as a boarding school for First Nations children. His application appears to have coincided with a petition by several local area chiefs (James Smith, John Smith, Mistawasis, and Starblanket) to have a full industrial school
A classroom in the Prince Albert Residential School with the principal, Rev. W.E. Bramwell tending to a student, sometime in the 1950s. Photos courtesy Anglican Church of Canada Archives continuation of vocational agricultural training provided at Onion Lake, by December of that year the number of students being housed in Prince Albert had increased to 150, far exceeding the 122 students who had been deemed appropriate. Site of Prince Albert Indian Residential School as of 2008. located in Prince Albert. This would allow their children to receive their education in a community closer to their homes, and give their parents an opportunity to visit them should they become ill. To that point, the dealings that the First Nations people had had with Emmanuel College had been both positive and co-operative. There had been no use of corporal punishment at the college, and the school’s principal, John McKay spoke Cree fluently and was able to converse with the students in their own language. He further openly advocated that it was better to allow students to have leave to visit their families and home communities rather than to preclude such activity. This approach to the education of the students, as well as the federal government’s desire to operate the school as inexpensively as possible, led to ongoing conflict between the college administration and its funding agency, the federal government. After McKay stepped
down as principal and was replaced by James Taylor, this conflict continued and may be said to have intensified. Eventually, in June 1908, the conflict reached its zenith. The federal government wanted the school to be administered in a manner that would meet its policy of assimilation, while the diocese was unwilling to accede to the government’s expectations. Without the necessary funds allowing the college to be administered appropriately, the diocese felt that it had no choice but to close the school. As a result, apart from a few federally funded high school students for whom the diocese provided accommodation in the 1930s, Prince Albert would not again be home to a student residence until the 1940s.
Schools lack students
Opened in 1908 as a school for fee-paying girls, St. Alban’s Girls School had not been able to attract a sufficient number of students to make it sustainable. As
a result, after its closure in the late 1920s, it was used to accommodate male students, most of whom attended the nearby Prince Albert Collegiate Institute. Again, insufficient income was generated, and within a decade the school had to be closed. Efforts on the part of the diocese to attract federal funding for its use as a residential school for First Nations students were unsuccessful, partly as a result of the unwillingness of the federal government to fund any more denominational schools, but mainly due to the country’s involvement in the Second World War. Matters quickly changed, however, when fire ravaged the Onion Lake residential school in December 1943. Agreement was quickly reached between the diocese and the federal government, and by May 1944 the relocation of all the staff and 50 students from Onion Lake had occurred. Even though the location of the school precluded continuing the
Overcrowding becomes a problem
An educational inspector from the Indian Affairs branch reported that the overall academic education was acceptable, even suggesting that one teacher’s technique compared favourably with the best primary teachers within public schools. However, upon reviewing the venue provided by the school, another inspector found that it very definitely suffered from overcrowding. Recreational space was lacking, and it was felt that this was contributing to a high rate of absconding. It was also considered that the venue posed a high risk as a fire hazard. Reducing the number of students at the Prince Albert school was seen to be a high priority, and it was suggested that some of the students from Montreal Lake might be transferred to the Lac la Ronge Indian Student Residence, which had fewer students than it was able to accommodate. It was also suggested by the inspector from the Continued next page
October 2021
The Saskatchewan Anglican
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Old bells from closed church are new for cathedral By Joanne ShurvinMartin with files from Rev. Ed Dunfield REGINA — When the former St. James the Apostle Church building was about to be sold in July, Rev. Ed Dunfield raced over, hoping to acquire the tubular bells for St. Paul’s Cathedral, where he is an associate priest. The eight bells originally hung in St. Peter’s Church, Regina, and when it was deconsecrated in 2000 the bells were moved to St. James. After a bit of repair and maintenance work — not surprising as the bells are about 100 years old — they will be hung in the bell tower of the cathedral in downtown Regina. Removing the bells took a team of three men eight hours. Once Dunfield had the octave of bells in hand,
there was the question of what to do with them. Dunfield climbed into the bell tower at the southwest corner of the cathedral to check the space. He found a large bell with the inscription: Gloria in Excelsis, St. Paul’s Church Regina N.W.T., Rev. H. Havelock Smith Incumbent. First bell in the Diocese of Qu’Appelle, 1885. Dunfield saw that there was adequate space for the tubular bells so he contacted the bell ringers from nearby Knox-Metropolitan United Church. He reports, “They were only too pleased to offer the expertise and knowledge they have accumulated. They inspected the tower and have offered their help in building a rack and installing the bells.” “At some point in the future,” says Dunfield,
hymns and other tunes will be played on the old bells in their new location. However, funds will have to be raised to pay for the project. Dunfield explained that tubular bells were first made in the late 19th century. Due to their size, they are much more economical to manufacture; they don’t require a huge bell tower; and tunes can be played because each bell plays one note. In addition to the octave of bells, the carved oak font from St. James has also been moved to the cathedral. Dunfield says, “I would be remiss if I did not thank Shelley Broadis Proulx for her help in securing the bells and the font.” (Proulx was warden at St. James before it became part of the Immanuel Anglican Parish in early 2021.)
This view inside St. James’ steeple shows the tubular bells, the hammers that struck them, and three of the ropes that connected to the system below. Photos by Shelley Proulx
... Looking back at residential schools in Prince Albert Continued from page 8 Indian Affairs Branch that those boys deemed dissatisfied with their placement should be discharged as soon as possible as he felt they were a threat to the safety of the other students. In 1947, what had been described as a critical situation became even more difficult. That February, the student residence at La Ronge was levelled by fire. Students from there were returned either to their homes or placed at the Gordon’s Indian Residential School, the only other Anglican student residence left in Saskatchewan. A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services
by calling the 24-hour national crisis line at 1-866925-4419. Fred Payton was born, raised, and stills resides, on Treaty 6 land and the traditional home of the Metis people. He is indebted to Archdeacon W.F. Payton, author of “An Historical Sketch of the Diocese of Saskatchewan of the Anglican Church of Canada,” and to Dr. Noel Dyck, author of “Differing Visions: Administering Residential Schooling in Prince Albert 1867-1995”, for their research which formed most of the basis of this article. CORRECTION: In the September story about the cemetery at St. Mary's Church, the story was written by Payton and he also took the pictures. We regret the error in recognition.
At St. James, Regina, the tubular bells were operated by this system located beneath the steeple. The wires were connected to ropes, which went up to the bells above.
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
October 2021
PWRDF Refugee Network moves heaven and earth By Suzanne Rumsey PWRDF public engagement program co-ordinator
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efugee (noun): a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster (Oxford English Dictionary); someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion (1951 UN Refugee Convention). Photo by Arindam Banerjee/Shutterstock
Classes being offered for Saskatoon's ministry prep program SASKATOON — The Diocese of Saskatoon’s School of Discipleship “Ministry Preparation” Program is a part-time three-year Licentiate. Students may begin with courses part way through the three-year cycle unless pre-requisites for a specific course are stated. We will finish the first full complement for the ESC Licentiate in Theology in Spring 2023. People wishing to take a course should consult with the School of Discipleship Coordinator. People who sense a call to Diaconal or Priestly Ordination will go through the Diocesan Discernment Process ideally before the midway point of the individual’s program. People from other dioceses are welcome to participate in these courses. TO REGISTER, please sign up by sending your
registration information to School’s Coordinator (tmccarthy@sasktel.net) including: REGISTRATION in the subject line, the name and dates of the course for which you are registering, your full name, snail-mail address, email address, phone number, parish name and town or city of your church. If you have any QUESTIONS about our Ministry Preparation Program, please don’t hesitate to contact the School of Discipleship Coordinator: Rev. Dr Trish McCarthy: tmccarthy@sasktel.net / 306 370 8378, Or snail mail c/o School of Discipleship: 1403 – 9th Ave. N. Saskatoon, SK S7K 2Z6.
One remaining fall 2021 course
Liturgy and Preaching I with Rev. Dr Iain Luke and Rev. Dr Trish
McCarthy on Friday, Nov. 5 from 7- 9 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on ZOOM and in-person.
Winter, Spring 2022
Liturgy and Preaching II with Rev. Dr Iain Luke and Rev. Dr Trish McCarthy on Friday, Jan. 14 from 7 – 9 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., ZOOM and live. Advanced Pastoral Theology & Pastoral Care with Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy on Thursdays from 6 – 9 p.m., Jan. 13 – March 31, 2022. ZOOM and in-person Ethics I and II held by ZOOM and in-person on Friday, March 4, from 7 – 9 p.m. and Saturday, March 5 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Friday, May 13, from 7 – 9 p.m. and Saturday, May 14, 2022 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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Afghanistan Evacuation Air Traffic Control, Aug. 16, 2021: “OK, how many people do you think are on your jet?... 800 people on your jet? Holy f---, holy cow.” Where and what is your heaven on earth? Likely, it would involve a place: a place you call home, a place of family and community, work and leisure, a place made up of the things that define who you are. Imagine for a moment that you have become a refugee, defined by loss of place, of home, community and possibly even family. You have been forced to flee and are now faced with the daunting task of moving heaven and earth to find safety, shelter, a new place to call home.
Refugee numbers grow
In its 2020 report, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) indicated that “Despite COVID-related movement restrictions and pleas from the international community for a (global) ceasefire that would facilitate the COVID-19 response, displacement continued to occur — and to grow. As a result, above one per cent of the world’s population — or one in 95 people — is now forcibly displaced. This compares with — in 159 in 2010.” Despite the growing numbers of those seeking asylum, the UNCHR also reported that “only 34,400 refugees were resettled to third countries in 2020… This compares to 107,800 the year before and marks a dramatic 60-per-cent decline — at a time when
1.4 million refugees are estimated to be in need of resettlement.” In mid-August, 640 Afghans crowded onto a U.S. Air Force CF-18 in a desperate attempt to find safety in another country. It was five times the plane’s passenger capacity. The image flooding news broadcasts and social media feeds was a searing definition of moving heaven and earth.
Anglicans helping
Here in Canada, there is a small group of Anglicans who, in less dramatic but no less committed ways, go about the work of moving heaven and earth to bring to Canada those who have lost their heaven on earth. They are the refugee co-ordinators for the 15 dioceses that hold private sponsorship agreements with the federal government’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada department. Some of them are lay people, others ordained, some are paid, others are volunteers. PWRDF provides modest networking and advocacy support to this group known as the PWRDF Refugee Network. Since COVID-19 hit, the group has gathered regularly on Zoom to check in, offer mutual support and mentoring and to strategize. In the Diocese of Qu’Appelle, Ralph Paragg is the refugee coordinator. Since 2015, parishes and families have welcomed 108 refugees to Qu’Appelle, including three in 2021. Tigist GebeyehuKetsela is the refugee coordinator for the Diocese of Saskatoon. Since 2015, 224 refugees have been welcomed to the Diocese of Saskatoon, including seven this year.
Long waiting lists
When representatives of the refugee network gathered in July to discuss what key messages they would like to share with Anglicans in Canada, they talked about the enormous global need for refugee sponsorship; a need they are confronted with on a daily basis in the form of appeals for asylum. As Jane Townshend of the Diocese of Huron noted, “During COVID, three or four parishes in Continued on page 12
October 2021
The Saskatchewan Anglican
Gathering with friends
A group of youths take a break from Vacation Bible School for a picture.
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Photos by Mary Brown
Bible skits, food some highlights for kids at VBS By Mary Brown PRINCE ALBERT — Under the direction of the Rev. Jordan Draper, the Diocese of Saskatchewan was able to conduct Vacation Bible School (VBS) programs this summer in Muskoday, St. George, Prince Albert, Arborfield, Kinistino, Birch Hills and Cumberland House. The instructors also spent a week helping at the synod office and a week at Camp Okema. The lead instructor was Rikki Merasty, 19, originally from Pelican Narrows and a graduate out of St. Mary’s in Prince Albert. Zach, 17, will be in Grade 12 at Carleton this year and answered an ad on Facebook for the job. He said he probably attended VBS in the summers he lived in Cumberland House. The third instructor
Opal Harris and Sharon Chesley cook up some tasty food for hungry youths attending Vacation Bible School in the Diocese of Saskatchewan. was Emerance Mercredi, 16, and she will be in Grade 11 at Carleton this year. A typical day started at 10 a.m. with breakfast
and Morning Prayer at 10:15 a.m., followed by different biblical games with the Lesson of the Day at noon then lunch at 12:30 p.m., with free time
till 1:15 p.m. The afternoon consisted of a craft and more games, with a closing circle at 2:30 p.m. that ended the day’s
activities at 3 p.m. I dropped in on the VBS happening at St. George’s in Prince Albert. When I asked the kids what they liked the best, some of them said the food. Of course they would, with Opal Harris and Sharon Chesley providing all meals and snacks. Another favourite was the skits. The children performed Bible stories that they said were fun and taught them a lot. One of the popular games was the telephone game. It starts off with one person whispering something in the next person’s ear and goes from person to person. The final result was nowhere near what the first person had whispered which shows just how gossip can sometimes be so hurtful. When I left, after a delicious lunch, they were outside playing a game.
DIOCESE OF SASKATCHEWAN
Synod office has many resources to help with ministry g Welcome to Deacon Brody Albers and Sarah Groat-Albers. They both originate from the Diocese of Qu’Appelle and Brody and Sarah were at Camp Okema this past summer. He started interning at St. Alban’s in September.
g The synod office has many resources to assist you in ministry. Large-print BCPs, Bibles (KJV, NIV and Children’s) Cree Psalms and hymns, Cree-language Gospels, and Cree Bible stories for kids. The office also has
printed sermons from Bishop Michael Hawkins and Canon Kim Salo and a binder with typed lessons and epistles for the Christian year. g The Rev. Jordan Draper has been appointed regional dean of Melfort Deanery
and also interim priest in charge of Nipawin, Arborfield, Hudson Bay, Tisdale and Melfort, along with his own three parishes. g Don’t forget about the ordination in Montreal Lake on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. with Archbishop Mark MacDonald officiating.
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
October 2021
Workshop for lay worship leaders held in Biggar By the Rev. Sheldon Carr
Pariticipants in the workshop for lay worship leaders were, in back from left, Rosann Carr, Tim Latimer, Jean Brooke, and Lorraine Olinyk, and in front from left, Sandra Long, Brenda Tumbach, and Sharon Assman. Photo courtesy Rev. Sheldon Carr
BIGGAR (S’toon) — The Rev. Sheldon and Rosann Carr, St. Paul’s, Borden, travelled to Ontario in September to visit family there; in advance of their trip, they provided for interested parishioners a lay worship leaders workshop on Aug. 15 on preaching and conducting services during their absence. The workshop was held in the church hall at St. John’s, Borden. As a part of the workshop, Sharon Assman, one of our musicians, showed people how she and the other musicians choose hymns for Sunday worship. The Rev. Sheldon spent some time walking people through the Book of Alternative Services as a worship resource for worship and pastoral care.
Workshop volunteers had a chance to ask questions about sermons and help to plan each service for while the Rev. Sheldon was away. Brenda Tumbach was worship leader on Sept. 5; Brenda has read Morning Prayer at St. John’s before. Sandra Long and Jean Brooke shared Morning Prayer on Sept. 12; Sandra and Jean have led worship at Borden United Church before it closed. Lorraine Olinyk read Morning Prayer on Sept. 19; she, too, has prepared services at Borden United Church. Sharon Assman provided music accompaniment on all three Sundays. Through this workshop and the real experience of conducting services, all involved learned something about our worship and strengthened their faith; these gatherings will likely become a regular part of worship at St. John’s.
... PWRDF Refugee Network moves heaven and earth Continued from page 10 my diocese have come forward to say they would like to consider sponsoring a refugee family. I have a waiting list of 300 refugee cases looking for a sponsor.” The refugee coordinators also spoke about the complexity of the needs of those seeking asylum. No two cases are alike. This is compounded by a labyrinthine and painfully slow sponsorship process. “What is discouraging is the three-year wait that can be soul-destroying for family members and individuals overseas,” said Tony Davis, Diocese of B.C. refugee coordinator. Yet this moving of heaven and earth, of welcoming the stranger, can be transformative for refugees and sponsors alike. “It is an opportunity to encounter ‘the other,’” explained Rev. Scott
McLeod, who co-ordinates refugee sponsorship in the Diocese of Niagara. The professional, cultural and other gifts that refugees bring to Canada, the group noted, are beyond measure. “Resilience,” said Townshend, “is a key word when it comes to refugees.” At the same time, they are keenly aware that some refugees arrive in Canada deeply traumatized and in need of large measures of compassion and practical support. This can make for some very challenging sponsorships, said McLeod. “But that does not negate the legitimacy of the refugee sponsorship program, which is legitimate in and of itself.” Indeed, long before the United Nations defined who is a refugee, Jesus’ judgement of the nations spelled out clearly what our response needs to be
to those who have moved heaven and earth to begin anew in Canada: “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me… . “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:34b-36, 40). To learn more about refugee sponsorship in the Diocese of Qu’Appelle, please contact Ralph Paragg at rparagg@sasktel. net. For the Diocese of Saskatoon, contact Tigist Gebeyehu-Ketsela at refugeessaskatoon@ sasktel.net.
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anglicanfoundation.org
October 2021
The Saskatchewan Anglican
13
Feeling the Holy Spirit
Moving with the winds of God By Rev. Gene Packwood
T
his sketch of a ship was a sort of visual rallying cry for a parish annual meeting almost 20 years ago. I was thinking along these nautical lines because of one of my favourite hymns, I Feel the Winds of God Today, and the fact that the main congregational worship space in our churches is called the nave — a word from the Latin navis, meaning ship. It had also occurred to me that our ship/churches have no engines. What makes us go is the wind of the Holy Spirit, so we must have something like spiritual sails to catch that wind. Then I got to thinking about the barque in the hymn — a three-masted sailing ship — and that our sails would be our ministries. Our sail/ ministries are what move us through the water. Our mainsail, for example, must be our worship. And then I wondered what the other sail/ministries on our ship/churches would be. You can see them in the illustration. I told the people at the St. Barnabas annual meeting that we are all members of the ship’s company — the crew — and we are called to at least one of the sail/ ministries: prayer, discipleship, outreach,
Ships — and churches — have no engines. What makes us go is the wind of the Holy Spirit, which means we must have something like spiritual sails to catch that wind, says Rev. Gene Packwood. Illustration courtesy Rev. Gene Packwood
hospitality, etc., in order for HMS St. Barnabas to be moving through the water at the best possible speed to where God is calling us. I also told them that there are really no
passengers on our ship/ church other than those who are unwell and those who have just been pulled from the water and are being trained (discipled) before joining our ship’s company. We all have a job to do. My job was something like the Sailing Master whose job is to trim the sail/ministries to make the most of the wind of the Holy Spirit. So it is for your parish priests. One of the challenges we faced, and many of you
When do I give my annual donation to the Anglican Foundation? Anytime! We’ll send you a reminder at Thanksgiving.
www.anglicanfoundation.org
do, too, is that we had a beautiful old ship (church building). Beautiful woodwork and windows. The temptation was to tie it up securely, keep it safe and preserve it for posterity — rather like Admiral Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory, now a museum ship in Portsmouth, England. It’s beautiful, and aglow with history and past glory, but it goes nowhere. It no longer does what it was designed to do. But our churches (ships) are designed, intended and capable of putting to sea no matter how old they are. We can still worship, pray, set a course, let loose the lines, lift our sails, seek the seas at our Master’s behest and brave another (and another, and another…) cruise. We are made to move. Our churches (ships) are
sea-worthy, sturdy and well-designed even, as the hymn says, when heavy oft with drenching spray and torn with many a rift. It is the wind of the Holy Spirit’s freshening breeze we will feel and that will carry us to the destination ordained by that Great Pilot of our onward way. So cast-off and make some sail, me hearties! As we set sail, it is vitally important make sure the blood red flag that bears The Name of Jesus alone is flying freely from our mainmast. It is also important that we keep putting back to sea and braving cruise after cruise for the sake of the many people around us who are lost, adrift and marooned — people who need to be rescued from the stormy seas of life, sin and death in The Name of Jesus.
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
October 2021
Stewards of God's abundance
Ordinary people can do extraordinary things for charities By Kurtis Krug
A
Another baptism tree planted at St. Thomas, Vernon
After toddler John Achtemichuk (centre) was baptized at St. Thomas, Vernon, he helped with the commemorative tree planting by packing the soil with his bare feet. He poses with his parents, Erin and James Actemichuk, on Aug. 8. Since 1999, the congregation of St. Thomas has planted an evergreen for each baptism at the church. They initiated the tradition to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the church building. There are now 14 evergreens growing along the northern edge of the churchyard, with one of them already two metres tall. Other trees have not fared as well and had to sprout again from near ground level, after providing a winter’s meal for the porcupine that lives in the vicinity of the church. Photo contributed
Couple celebrates 50th wedding anniversary By Linda and Neale Morton MELFORT (Skwn) — On July 17 friends and family gathered in the parish hall at All Saints, Melfort to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Frank and Barbara Deck. Miss Barbara Barker came to Canada in May 1968 to fulfill an 18-month contract with an organization in England to operate the Sunday school van during the summer. Winters were to be spent under the direction of the Bishop of Saskatchewan. Her first winter was spent in Paddock Wood doing services there as well as Little Red and Christopher Lake.
Frank and Barbara Deck. Photo by the Mortons Sometime later, Barbara was enticed to move to Star City, as Rev. Bob McAdam reported that
he required assistance in the Tisdale parish while he had three prospective suitors lined up. One young farmer by the name of Frank, busy helping prepare the rectory for the newcomer, was blissfully unaware that he was on the reverend’s list. Nevertheless, Frank won the fair maiden’s hand and heart. They were married by Rev. McAdam in St. Thomas Church, Star City, on July 17, 1971. The Decks have enjoyed a long and active association with the churches at Star City, Norwood, Ridgedale, Excelsior and Melfort, as well as Camp Okema.
s a philanthropic advisor, I advise donors and charities on the best ways to either give or receive a donation. There are many exciting ways for donations to be win-win scenarios for both the donor and the charity. There are ways that ordinary people can do extraordinary things for their favourite charity with an effective donation strategy. Donors using good donation strategies can give their charities opportunities to do transformational things. The tips below apply to any charity, but of course I would encourage you to consider your parish and/ or diocese as you favourite charity. So, how can you, as a donor, make a positive impact for your favourite charity? There are many valuable ways to help, and many of them are easy to do. In future columns, we can look at other good ways to donate, but let’s get things started by giving you three great tips on ways you can donate using life insurance. Donated life insurance tip No. 1: You own the insurance policy and make the charity your beneficiary One method of gifting life insurance to your favourite charity is to purchase a new life insurance policy, with you as the owner, and your favourite charity listed as the beneficiary (where the proceeds go upon your death). You will not be able to claim the premium payments as charitable donations but, upon your death, your estate will be able to claim the donation tax credit for the entire value of the death benefit. In most cases, that donation tax credit can be used to reduce your tax payable in the year of your death and the year prior to your death. The estate can use the tax credit either in
the year of donation or year prior, or carried forward five years in the estate — giving plenty of opportunities to effectively use up that large tax credit. Donated life insurance tip No. 2: You make the charity the owner and beneficiary of the insurance policy Another method of gifting life insurance is to purchase a new life insurance policy and make your designated charity the owner and beneficiary of that policy. You are still responsible for paying the premiums for that policy while you’re alive. However, all premiums paid will entitle you to receive corresponding charitable donation tax credit receipts for the years you pay those premiums. Instead of having the donation tax credits come at the end, you are receiving and benefiting from claiming them while you’re alive. Donated life insurance tip No. 3: Donating an existing life insurance policy to a charity You may already own a life insurance policy that you purchased for a reason that no longer applies. Maybe your children, who were young when you purchased that policy, are now grown up with families of their own, and you don’t really need that policy for its original purpose. In this case, why don’t you re-gift that policy to your favourite charity? You can transfer the ownership of that policy to the charity. You will be considered by CRA (Revenue Canada) to have disposed of this policy at its current “value” — which is generally the cash surrender value (CSV) of the policy. There could be a policy gain realized, if the policy has grown a lot in value, which would be fully included in your income. However, you would be Continued next page
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Public theology and the common good By the Rev. Dr. Iain Luke Principle, College of Emmanuel & St. Chad
J
ust a few weeks ago, millions of Canadians cast their ballots, elected new members of Parliament, and decided who would serve in our government for the next few years. It’s a process that usually unfolds with little excitement, a lot of predictability, and perhaps not very much reflection. Voting does, however, represent a moment of decision, in two different ways. Each individual voter makes up his/her mind to choose a candidate, while the country as a whole makes a shared decision about who will hold the levers of political power, and who will control the agenda for legislation and debate. The moment of decision crystallizes a much longer and larger process of civic engagement. There are five weeks of focused campaigning, when the politicians make their case. They invite us to zero in on specific policy questions, and to endorse their answers. Even the campaign, though, is just a miniature portrait of the push and pull that goes on all the time in Canadian society, as all of us make choices and decisions about how we contribute to the country in which we want to live. Is there a faith dimension to any of this? That is the question at the
heart of a growing discipline known as “public theology.” Public theology serves, on the one hand, to encourage individuals to connect their faith with
Public theology promises a different kind of approach. People of faith exist in Canadian society, and for many of us, religion isn’t something that we can keep private. Just as one illustration, the biblical command to “love your neighbour” requires us to be free to build neighbourhoods where we know our neighbours, learn how to appreciate them, and provide for them their personal decisions, in a way that considers the well-being of others in society. On the other hand, public theology invites us to re-think what faith communities can offer, in the process of large-scale social decision-making. This is an area where we have seen enormous change in the last halfcentury. Not too long ago, traditional Christian denominations wielded a great deal of social influence in Canada. They exercised this
... Ordinary people can do extraordinary things for charities Continued from page 14 entitled to a donation tax credit for the “fair market value” of the policy, which will usually more than offset any tax payable on the disposition of that policy. I encourage you to speak with a professional advisor before deciding on the gifting of an existing insurance policy, or before making any large donations to your charity. You and the advisor can discuss the best method for you to donate to your favourite charity.
power in many ways, from the “old boys’ clubs” of the political establishment where church leaders sat with government ministers, to the creation of social norms reinforcing the practice of faith, like
These are just a few of the many easy and exciting ways you can “do well by doing good” for your favourite charity. If you have any questions about charitable donations, I would be happy to discuss them with you. I can be reached by email at kurtis.krug@ freedom55financial.com or 306-581-9734. Kurtis Krug, B.A. Hons (Econ), PFP, Professional Financial Advisor, is chairman of the Board of Trustees with the Diocese of Qu’Appelle.
the special status granted to Sundays. Those times are gone, and not only because of the decline in religious attendance. We have begun to acknowledge how churches failed, in their use and abuse of social power. We also recognize why it would be inappropriate to continue to hold that kind of power, in a country where the majority now identify with other kinds of religious expression or reject religion altogether. Perhaps the most common response, inside
and outside the church, is to redefine faith as a private matter. A law in Quebec, for example, prevents public workers from wearing symbols that identify their religion. Worshippers sometimes complain if the sermon or prayers touch on political issues. Public theology promises a different kind of approach. People of faith exist in Canadian society, and for many of us, religion isn’t something that we can keep private. Just as one illustration, the biblical command to “love your neighbour” requires us to be free to build neighbourhoods where we know our neighbours, learn how to appreciate them, and provide for them as they provide for us. Other faith traditions have their own ways of saying similar things. This is why one of the main concepts of public theology is a shared commitment to the common good. Any one religion may have its own way of describing the “why,” but all embrace the idea of human flourishing, and want to be part of it. The common good
provides a shared ground for action, everywhere from local groups paying attention to affordable housing, right through to global interfaith advocacy for the environment. But it also invites us into conversation with one another. As religions come alongside each other, collaborating for the common good, we start to learn more about one another, and about ourselves. The witness of Judaism, or Buddhism, will help Christians rediscover aspects of our heritage, or acknowledge ways in which we need to grow deeper. At the same time, we need not doubt that the gifts our own tradition are a vital part of the whole. Public theology of this type does not involve any compromise or our basic beliefs or values. For Anglicans, it may be exactly what we need to fulfill our baptismal promises, to “Seek and serve Christ in all persons,” to “respect the dignity of every human being,” and to “safeguard the integrity of God’s creation.” Those promises remind us that faith is something we practise in the world, and in our society. They demand action, the kind of action we can only take in concert with others. I hope that public theology, and its focus on the common good, will give you some of the tools to do just that.
DIOCESE OF SASKATOON
Safe Church workshops for all parish members continue in diocese SASKATOON — We continue to introduce and equip our parish clergy, wardens, vestries, parish councils and people engaged in youth and children’s ministry to the work of making our communities and buildings safe. The initial “Nuts and Bolts” workshop will take place once more: Saturday, Oct. 16, 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Registration
Deadline: Wednesday, Oct. 13. Course Delivery: In Person and on Zoom. Participation details will follow upon Registration To register, please send via email to our Safe Church co-ordinatorand canon pastor, Rev. Dr. Trish McCarthy: your Name, Parish, Email Address, Snail Mail Address and phone number to tmccarthy@ sasktel.net.
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
October 2021
Peach sale returns
Immanuel Parish in Regina held its first fundraising event on Aug. 21, with a drive-thru sale of fresh peaches. About 25 volunteers from all five of the founding parishes, plus about eight members of the local Eritrean community, worked together for the event. More than 1,100 cases (each weighing 20 pounds) were loaded into trunks and back seats for customers in the parking lot behind the Massey Road location. Photo by Joanne Shurvin-Martin
Archbishop of Canterbury speaks about the situation in Afghanistan By Anglican Communion News Service LONDON — The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has spoken about the ongoing situation in Afghanistan. Speaking in the House of Lords, the upper house of the UK parliament, he said: "I look forward today especially to hearing noble and gallant Lords, diplomats, and others with local knowledge in Afghanistan. "We rightly remember the courage, suffering and sacrifice over the last 20 years, and the courage being shown by our ambassador and the service people in Afghanistan at the moment, together with their colleagues and reporters. "When we look back, I remember a cathedral, full for the funeral of a soldier: family and many colleagues silent in
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Photo courtesy ANS dignity, some wounded, mourning their loss. "The failure we face today is not military or diplomatic: they did all they could. It is political. Recovery and hope will come to Afghanistan with us supporting commitment to the neediest and most
desperate. We have proven capacities in soft as well as hard power. "We owe an absolute, lavishly generous moral covenant to all those who are at risk because they served with us in Afghanistan or took seriously our frequently
professed commitment to its future, women and girls included. "An Afghan refugee, now a UK citizen said to me this week, “families in such times of trouble belong together”. His words are not politics but humanity. This is about morals not numbers. Will the Government confirm that their policy will reflect moral obligation and not be controlled by numbers? "In Pakistan, a country facing huge pressure including from refugees, we must undertake dialogue and support, learning afresh the religious and cultural literacy which is essential to effective work. "We must not put any groups there, or in Afghanistan, into a corner where they may be driven to greater extremes. The aid we offer must support dialogue, inspire hope and prepare reconciliation. And that aid must be genuinely additional, not a
transfer from other places of need. Is that going to be the case, I ask the Government? "We must renew commitment to freedom of religion and belief everywhere, a point not much mentioned so far. "That will count in Pakistan and Afghanistan for Christians and religious communities such as Shia, Hindus, Jains, Ahmadis and Sikhs. A WhatsApp, from a Christian in Afghanistan yesterday, asked for support there and in Pakistan. Memorably, it said, “I am willing to die for Jesus, but I do not want to die forgotten.” "My Lords, this is a very bad time, especially for so many in Afghanistan, and for those who served there. It is a time for prayerful humility – and for us to display generosity, virtue, and courage. "Rebuilding our reputation in such ways will give many others hope as well."