The Saskatchewan Anglican, April 2016

Saskatchewan The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • April 2016 www.facebook.com/thesaskatchewananglican

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Gruber given global citizenship award

By Peter Coolen

Having a flippin’ good time

Leonard Gray (left) and Norbert Carpentier flip pancakes at Church of the Ascension’s Shrove Tuesday supper. The church is in Arborfield in the Diocese of Saskatchewan. People from Nipawin, Zenon Park and New Osgoode also attended and had their fill of fluffy pancakes, plump and juicy sausages, plus hot coffee.

Photo by Linda Coates

Muyinga thanks Qu’Appelle for aiding displaced families, students

By Joanne Shurvin-Martin REGINA – The Diocese of Muyinga in Burundi, Africa, has thanked the Diocese of Qu’Appelle for financial aid recently sent to the companion diocese.

Many people fleeing violence in the capital city of Bujumbura came to the Diocese of Muyinga, arriving without food or clothing. With money sent from Qu’Appelle, Muyinga was able to purchase and deliver food packages for 200 displaced families.

Each family received 10 kilograms of beans and 10 kilograms of maize. The report from Muyinga states: “The

beneficiaries were overjoyed and grateful to the Diocese of Qu’Appelle for the support.

These days we see some of the recipients come to worship in our churches.”

In early February, Muyinga’s Bishop Paisible wrote to Bishop Rob Hardwick, saying, in part, “I would like to express once again my gratitude to your diocese for the great work you are doing for our diocese.

“We are seeing the fruits of your prayers.

“For instance, these days we are receiving some pastors, catechists and some members of our church who fled the country due to political

conflicts.

“They are returning home but they are facing the serious challenges where they find their properties looted.

They are living in desperate conditions. They need prayers.”

In addition to aid for displaced families, Qu’Appelle has supported Muyinga in helping vulnerable children cared for by the cathedral.

School uniforms were purchased for 200 children, while elementary school stutdents received a box with basic school supplies.

Some money also was used to purchase food to celebrate Christmas.

Redeeming our time; a diocesan lay retreat MOOSE JAW (Qu’A) – Is your life too full and busy? No time for yourself or for God? Come to the annual silent retreat for lay people, April 22 to 24 at Wood Acres Conference Facility, Moose Jaw. Rev. Lauren Miller will present five addresses on the theme to help retreatants rediscover God’s

gift of time and explore ways to redeem time as we experience it in our days, weeks and years.

The retreat chaplain, Rev. Susan Anholt, will lead daily worship. There will be ample free time for reading, meditation, prayer and walking in the nearby Wakamow Valley.

For more details and to

register, pick up a registration form from your parish, or register online at quappelle. anglican.ca/events. Payment of $250 must be sent to the Synod Office before the retreat.

Wood Acres provides private rooms with sink and toilet; shower facilities are in the dormitory area.

SASKATOON – Our diocesan refugee coordinator and cathedral warden, Klaus Gruber, is one of four people who was recognized and given a very prestigious Global Citizenship Award by the Saskatchewan Council for International Co-operation.

These awards are presented annually during International Development Week. The Global Citizen Award recognizes Saskatchewan people who make amazing contributions to international development, co-operation, peace and justice. His award was presented at a gala dinner on Feb. 11 in Saskatoon.

In presenting the award the Saskatchewan Council for International Co-operation issued the following statement: “Klaus Gruber and his wife Margie have been advocates for refugees for over 35 years in Saskatoon.

Klaus is the refugee coordinator for the Anglican Diocese of Saskatoon, a volunteer position he has held for more than 20 years.

He has been a member of the Saskatoon Refugee Coalition since 1994 and a member of the Canadian Council for Refugees. Klaus has also been on the council of the Canadian Sponsorship Agreement Holders Association and a member of the NGO-Government Committee, a national body addressing refugee policies and procedures.

“Klaus is also a member of the Primate’s World Relief Fund refugee network.

Klaus served on the board of the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund and remains an honourary member of the board. Beyond Klaus’

organizational leadership he has personally made a tremendous personal

Klaus Gruber contribution to refugees in Canada. He and his wife, Margie, have been involved in about 15 sponsorship cases involving about 50 to 60 people. Klaus and Margie have had more than 12 refugees living with them for various periods, from six months to about two years.

“They remain very close to many of these families. Klaus has had the opportunity to visit refugee camps and programs in Kenya, Cairo and Columbia.

Outside of his work with refugees, Klaus has been a social worker for 45 years and was executive director of Family Service Saskatoon for nine years and the executive director of the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers. He has also been a sessional lecturer at the University of Regina since 1988.”

In 2008, the Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the national church, recognized Klaus’ advocacy of refugees by awarding him the Anglican Order of Merit.

We are proud of Klaus and Margie; the people they have assisted and worked with; and their positive impact they will continue having on our community, diocese and province.

Photo courtesy Peter Coolen

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The Saskatchewan Anglican

April 2016

Tension between faith, science enlivens Truth Are faith and science compatible?

By Rev. Norbert Haukenfrers, D.Min “What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility.” Leo Tolstoy

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henever I buy electronics I always ask, “Will this work with what I already have?” “Are they compatible?” Richard Dawkins asked this question about faith and science and suggests they are incompatible. But are they?

Science raises more questions than it answers.

Today, there are more questions for science to answer than at any time in history. Nothing is better at raising questions than science, but science does not provide answers about meaning and purpose.

Science is the study of the behaviour of the physical world through observation and experiment.

Spanish philosopher Ortega Y. Gassert reminds us that “scientific truth is characterized by its exactness and the certainty of its prediction, but these admirable qualities are contrived by science at the cost of remaining on the plane of secondary concerns, leaving intact the ultimate and decisive questions.”

Science studies what can be measured and observed, deciphering how things work, but leaving “why” questions unanswered. Faith reaches out for the unseen into why things are.

As humans, we search for meaning and purpose, longing for answers to the big questions of life; what am I here for? Do I matter?

Nobel laureate Peter Medawar observes that humans are unique among creatures for “only humans find their way by a light that illuminates more than the patch of ground they stand on.”

For many, faith offers a way towards meaning and purpose. Faith is a strong

belief in God or in the teachings of religion. Faith is based on a metaphorical or transcendent understanding rather than empirical proof.

Faith is our handle on the unseen. It is the deposit on our hope, the evidence for things we cannot see. It is by faith that we understand that everything we see was called into existence according to God’s outline (Hebrews 11).

Many see the conflict between faith and science as a ruse. Faith and science are not competitors; they are not mutually exclusive systems of belief, as both call us to make informed decisions.

The incompatibility arises when science is elevated to the position of arbiter of truth; when science is stretched to scientism and all truth is reducible to empirical claims.

Or, the clash between faith and science can result from the opposite error when science is bent to support a flimsy faith. A durable faith withstands the challenges of science, while leaving room to express doubt.

Faith and science are different roads to truth on intersecting planes. Thomas Oden tells of how a botanist makes no claims, to why the basic order by which plant life exists. A botanist “ascertains an order already present in the nature of the facts themselves.”

Similarly, a person of faith is not a master of belief, but its servant. Christian faith is not tailored to suit one’s fancy “anymore than a geologist can rearrange the strata of rocks according to aesthetic whim or personal desire.”

As Christians we affirm that truth does not have its source in human culture, nor in man as a rational being. Truth is a facet of the character of God. Maybe Tolstoy was right and the power of faith and science is found in the apparent incompatibility of faith and science.

The tension between faith and science animates truth.

This paradox of truth is resolved only in the person of Jesus who embodies truth.

Theology once considered ‘Queen of the Sciences’ Are faith and science compatible?

By the Rev. Alex Parsons

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believe faith and science are indeed compatible and think it possible to reconcile the two on many fronts.

Ultimately both are human attempts to come to an understanding of life, the universe and our place in it as best we can. It is therefore unsurprising that the questions posed are often the same.

Although much hope is placed on the exclusivity of science, especially in western culture, to be the sole voice of exploration and explanation it is not always adequate for this task on its own.

As an example we can analyze dust particles hanging in the air all we want, and the rods and cones in our eyes sending signals to the brain, and a host of other biochemical factors, all important and part of the picture.

However, that still cannot explain the reverent beauty of a sunset from such data and the feelings that are

evoked. It has been said that “nature seems more beautiful than strictly necessary” and for some reason we are able to appreciate it.

Empiricism only goes so far and the fullness of human experience leaps off the spreadsheet time and time again!

The relationship between faith and science for me is captured in the saying, “Before I went to university I didn’t know that psychology is really biology, biology is really chemistry, chemistry is really math, math is really physics, physics is really philosophy and philosophy is really theology.”

At one time theology was considered the “Queen of the Sciences” as it revealed God’s creative hand in general and specific ways.

The wonder of the natural world was there to explore since the “heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork” (Ps 19:1).

Creation is a vast window into the mind of the Creator for us to contemplate.

Faith then is part of a

continuum, not a separate entity, in seeking that understanding.

Certainly many early paleontologists had no problem blending scientific inquiry and religious piety exploring fossils and strata.

In a discipline that, along with geology, opened up the knowledge of how old the Earth actually is while cataloguing a growing list of prehistoric life, they revealed past worlds.

Quite a few of these folks were Anglican clergymen who saw that the natural world not only was around them but could change form.

Creation was discovered to be dynamic and ongoing. Then I saw “a new heaven and a new Earth,” for the first heaven and the first Earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea (Rev 21:1).

Of course heads have clashed over evolution, and some still dispute the methods of determining geologic ages, while at the same time others scoff at the very idea of Intelligent Design and give no credence beyond the laws of physics.

Not everyone agrees that faith and science can combine by any means.

And yet, on the touchiest of subjects for both sides, what is interesting is the more we explore our origins, the more unlikely our existence becomes.

The more unlikely any of it seems if it is all just random assemblages brought about by chance. The fact is the simplest organism is actually quite complex while the vastness of space we survey is utterly overwhelming.

One-hundred-billion galaxies and counting and yet we have been given ways to see all of it not granted elsewhere on this Earth to our fellow creatures.

“What is man that you should be mindful of him” asks the psalmist while at the same time noting “you give him mastery over the works of your hands; you put all things under his feet.”

The blessing of faith and the use of science captured in Psalm 8 express our awe at the grandeur of God and the gift to explore the place we have in creation.

Published by the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle.

Published monthly except for July and August.

Whole No. 292, Vol. 44, No. 8 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 June issue must be recieved by the diocesan editor no later than Friday, April 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: Munden and Linda Coates linda.munden@sasktel.net Box 208 Arborfield, Sask., S0E 0A0 Photo: 306-769-8339 PUBLISHING DETAILS Published from 59 Roberts Place Regina, Sask., S4T 6K5 Printed and mailed by Webnews Printing Inc. 8 High Meadow Place North York, Ont. M9L 2Z5

The Saskatchewan Anglican

April 2016

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Bishops in Canterbury

By Bishop Rob Hardwick

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n February it was a joy and great privilege to travel to Canterbury, England. With 27 other bishops from all around the world, I attended the 12-day course for bishops in their first few years.

It was an amazing experience, enriched by the Primates gathering held there just a week earlier and the stories shared of that gathering.

Each day we prayed, worshipped, studied and fellowshipped together. It was rich diet and I learned so much.

It was humbling to hear the stories of persecution, war, martyrdom, climate and medically related disasters; of kidnap, radicalization and the mass exodus of so many displaced people seeking refuge in strange “to them” lands.

Many a tear was shed and many a prayer said for sister and brother bishops on the front lines and for their churches in the turmoil the

world finds itself in these days.

And yet, each bishop would testify to the miraculous hand of God working in their midst.

At times the stories seemed almost like the testimony of Scripture in the Acts of the Apostles. In the midst of such poverty, disease, persecution and trial, the church is growing at an ever-increasing rate.

I am sure none of us would wish the turmoil that so many in our world face day

to day, but one has to ask why we in the West see the church declining daily.

Canterbury itself was also amazing. I do not think I have heard as many different languages being spoken in one place. The cathedral is still a place of pilgrimage and many testify to healings and to the peace they have received there.

The cathedral employs 320 people and has 800 volunteers who keep the church open.

Every day 50 or more people were at Morning Prayer, at 7:15 a.m. At 8 a.m., around 80 attended the daily Eucharist and at 5:30 p.m. nearly 200 gathered for Evensong, complimented every day by a 30-strong male voice choir.

At every service, prayer goes out for churches and nations around the world and especially the Anglican Communion and our ecumenical partners; 86 million Anglicans, in 165 countries and 38 provinces, all formed by Scripture; shaped by liturgy; ordered by doctrine; and directed by

mission.

Amazing too, that these numbers relate only to the Anglican Communion and do not include the whole Christian world.

People of faith in the one incarnated Saviour who died, yet rose again and ascended into heaven that we might have life, life in all its fullness.

I am sure the disciples who were fearfully gathered in the upper room that morning – the women hurriedly appeared in their midst with news of the resurrection – could never have imagined the numbers of Christians who there would be in our world today.

“Father, may they be one as you and I are one.” This prayer in John 17 is a prayer from the very heart of Jesus, a prayer said just hours before He was to be betrayed, arrested, tried, humiliated, tortured and crucified.

A prayer, an appeal to His Father for the people He loved, and the people, like us, that Jesus knew would follow

in the future. This is a prayer we should take seriously, “that we be one,” one as a congregation; one with other congregations; one with the diocese; with the National Church and Worldwide Communion.

In Canterbury, it is clear the Primates meeting, and our own, experienced that oneness.

Yes there were differences in the way we speak, make decisions and live out our faith, but all of us could testify to the fact we were sisters and brothers in the Lord.

“Father, may they be one as you and I are one.” Through all our trials, persecutions, decisions and disagreements, this prayer, from generation to generation, goes out, and, in gathering by gathering, it is being answered.

Whenever possible may we continue to pray this Kingdom prayer and be open to the oneness that Jesus prayed for. (Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!

Opinion

Battling a culture of death

By Jason Antonio Managing Editor

A

year ago, a survey came out in the United States showing the percentage of people who considered themselves Christian had dropped to 71 per cent from 78 per cent.

In response to this seven-per-cent decline, the media had a field day and proclaimed that this was the end of Christianity in America; that people were throwing off the shackles of religion and embracing the enlightenment; and other similar platitudes that ridiculed the faith.

What had actually happened was that “cultural Christians” – people who previously called themselves Christians but didn’t actually believe the tenants of the faith, didn’t attend church or pray – no longer identified themselves as Christian.

This concept of cultural Christians came to mind recently as I read an article

by Evan Solomon about doctor-assisted suicide for MacLean’s magazine.

Solomon explained that “religious leaders have a less overt relationship with

politics” in Canada than the U.S., but as the Canadian government was hearing recommendations from the special joint committee studying the issue, religious leaders entered the picture.

In response to the unanimous Supreme Court decision, which ruled the prohibition against physician-assisted suicide violates the Charter, religious groups mobilized.

Solomon noted Roman Catholic Cardinal Thomas Collins from Toronto informed the joint committee

that the message from the Supreme Court was “some lives are not worth living.”

Solomon then wondered to what level religious leaders and organizations should get involved in the debate. In the end, Solomon wrote: “The courts and politicians ought to listen to religious leaders, consider their views, and then, in their own separate way craft legislation. But in Canada, when it does come time to tell a religious leader to butt out … We have the Charter.”

My curiosity got the better of me and I clicked on the comments section of the article – which I recommend you never do when reading a secular article about religion or Christianity – to see what people had said.

This part of a comment caught my eye: “But in these enlightened times, even those within their religious community may differ with their leaders. We all know a religious affiliation is more of a cultural thing these days.”

How disheartening to read that practising a religious faith is now considered more of a “cultural thing” than a serious, God-fearing, Jesusbelieving undertaking.

But I disagree with that comment. While 41 per cent of Canadians don’t consider themselves religious – according to Abacus Data – 59 per cent do.

Of that 59 per cent, there are probably Christians who are cultural Christians. But there are probably many more who are serious about their faith and put it into action. Let’s look at a few examples.

The Church in Canada is speaking out against doctor-assisted suicide and the erosion of the value of human life. Roman Catholics, Evangelicals, Presbyterians and others, including Jews and Muslims, have attempted to defend the sacredness of human life, saying it is a gift from God. The Anglican Church of Canada put out a “white paper” in 2010 stating: “[W] e believe that respect for persons would not be well served by a change in law and practice to enable a physician, family member or any private citizen to take the life of another, or assist in their suicide.

“Both the request for assistance in committing suicide, and the provision

of such assistance, must be taken seriously as a failure of human community.”

Another example of Christians pushing back against Canada’s culture of death is Saskatchewan MP Cathay Wagantall putting forward a private member’s bill to protect the life of preborn children.

This is not an attempt to re-criminalize abortion, she explained, but an attempt to fill a gap in the Criminal Code. The bill would amend the Criminal Code to give a stiffer sentence to an individual who attacks a pregnant woman knowing she is pregnant and ends up killing the preborn child.

Existing offences such as murder, assault and manslaughter can’t be applied, since the unborn child is not considered a human being under the law.

These are but two examples of Christians working to fight back against Canada’s culture of death and attempt to stop the erosion of the value of human life.

These are not the actions of noncommittal “cultural Christians” but are actions from committed Christians putting their faith in action.

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The Saskatchewan Anglican

April 2016

We have a winner!

By the Rev. Emily Carr

Church of the Ascension’s mission statement stands as a timely reminder of duty and direction.

Photo courtesy Alice Carpentier

A new mission statement for Church of the Ascension

By Alice Carpentier ARBORFIELD (Skwn) – Father Jeremy Boehr felt the Church of the Ascension in Arborfield needed a mission statement.

He asked members of the congregation to

submit ideas as to what the mission statement should be.

The combination of those ideas became our new mission statement.

A committee was formed under the leadership of Father Jeremy.

Betty Edwards, Alice

Carpentier, Colleen Walton and Shauna Bitzer put their heads together and came up with a design that met with everyone’s approval.

Committee member Shauna Bitzer used her artistic talent to create the final product that now hangs in our church.

SASKATOON – Congratulations to Christopher Sanford Beck, the son of the Rev. Sanford Beck of Battlefords Parish.

Christopher is one of 10 national winners of “Imagine A Canada,” a national art and essay competition sponsored by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) that asked young people to share their thoughts on what the future of Canada will look like through the lens of reconciliation.

Great work Christopher!

The competition is open to grades 1 to 12 as well as to undergraduate students at the post-secondary level.

Participants may submit works of art, poetry, film, video or traditional essays in this competition.

His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, recognized the top 10 participants from the inaugural “Imagine a Canada” competition at Rideau Hall, on March 1.

For the ceremony, His Excellency, who was inducted as an honorary witness of the Truth and Reconciliation

Commission (TRC), was joined by fellow honorary witness Clara Hughes, as well as by Eugène Arcand, Indian

Christopher Sanford Beck Residential School survivor and member of the Governing Circle of the NCTR. The Governor General provided opening remarks reflecting on the role of reconciliation in our country’s future.

Earlier in the day, the selected participants and students took part in roundtable discussions on defining meaningful involvement in the reconciliation process.

The works of each participant were presented as well.

DIOCESE OF SASKATOON

Announcements for April 2016 Saskatchewan Anglican online! You can read current and past issues of the Saskatchewan Anglican online on the Diocese of Saskatoon website or on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ saskatchewananglican. g Diocesan ACW Spring Conference: The Diocesan ACW spring conference “Leaders of Courage, Serving

by Faith” is at All Saints’ Anglican Parish, Saskatoon, from April 15 to 16.

Event schedule to be announced in near future. Keep watching and plan on attending! See noticed elsewhere in this issue. g New West Side City Native Ministry: The Native Ministry groups at Holy Trinity Anglican Church and St. George’s Anglican Church of Saskatoon have come together to offer a new ministry in the West Side of the city.

Once a month they are gathering for an afternoon

Eucharist led by the diocesan indigenous bishop, Bishop Adam Halkett, from the Diocese of Saskatchewan.

The gatherings are open to all, take place in a circle and incorporate Cree language in the prayers and music.

If you or someone you know would like to get involved, please contact the Rev. Emily Carr, at St. George’s Anglican, or the Ven. Ken Watts, of Holy Trinity Anglican. g The Parish of St. George’s, Saskatoon, Community Coffee House every Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m.

Join them for a warm social time with coffee, tea, toast and some type of baked goods at no charge.

The coffee time is followed by a weekly Bible Study from 11 a.m. to noon. All events are in the Parish Hall, 624 Avenue I South. g Seniors’ Lunch in Battleford: The Friendship Committee of St. George’s, Battleford invites all seniors

to join them for lunch the first Monday of each month until June. Each Seniors’ Lunch begins at noon. g Volunteers needed at the Saskatoon Friendship Inn: The Friendship Inn needs help to serve breakfasts and lunches every day.

If anyone is interested in this opportunity or if your parish wishes to become involved, please contact the Saskatoon Friendship Inn at 306-242-5122. g Diocesan Synod 2016: the next session of Synod of the Diocese of Saskatoon will held Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

Appointments, Awards and Memorials: g Congratulations are due to our diocesan refugee co-ordinator and cathedral warden, Klaus Gruber, who was given one of four Global Citizenship Awards by the Saskatchewan Council for International Co-operation (picture and text in this issue) g Congratulations are also

due to Christopher Sanford Beck, one of 10 national winners of “Imagine A Canada”.

“Imagine a Canada” was a national art and essay competition sponsored by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that asked young people to share their thoughts on what the future of Canada will look like through the lens of reconciliation.

Great work Christopher! (picture and text in this issue) g Elizabeth Gill, wife of Canon Lewis Gill, died suddenly on Feb. 17.

Her funeral service was held at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Saskatoon, on Feb. 23.

Canon Lewis Gill passed away in the early hours of March 2; plans for his funeral were pending at the time of publication.

Canon Lewis Gill was a member of clergy in our diocese for many years.

Please keep the Lewis family members in

your prayers as they mourn the loss of Elizabeth and Lewis. g The Rev. Douglas (Doug) Reeves, a former priest of this diocese, passed away on Feb. 1. Doug had been sick for some time.

The funeral was held Feb. 17 at St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Lantzville, B.C. Our sincerest sympathy to Doug’s wife, Anna, and family.

Deadline To be included in a timely manner, brief notices should be sent to the Associate Editor by fax, e-mail or “snail mail” by the last week of the month, two months before the month in which the insertion is desired (for example, December submissions will be in the February issue).

Detailed and longer texts of upcoming events will not be included in this section, but should space allow, could be the subject of article and notices elsewhere in the Saskatchewan Anglican.

The Saskatchewan Anglican

Norbert Haukenfrers: 10 years as a priest

By Munden Coates PRINCE ALBERT – It was a cold, windy day in January 2006 when Norbert Haukenfrers was ordained at St. Alban’s Cathedral in Prince Albert.

With his ordination he committed himself to serving God as a priest within the Anglican tradition, following the Master who had never experienced snowbanks, frostbite or frigid cold; not in any literal sense anyway.

Norbert began his Christian journey as a German-speaking Baptist, whose teens were spent in the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church.

Before being ordained Norbert spent time working as a construction superintendent across Canada and then as a marine engineer in Ontario.

While in Kingston he and his family found their church home at St. James Anglican Church.

It was at St. James where Norbert discovered his calling to priestly ministry.

For the first two years

Norbert Haukenfrers’ ordination at St. Alban’s Cathedral in Prince Albert in 2006, with his wife Teresa and daughters Ellora and Jasohna.

Photo courtesy Reinhardt Haukenfrers

he served at Emmanuel, St. Louis; St. Stephen’s, MacDowell; and St. Alban’s, Prince Albert. The last eight years he has been the rector of St. David’s, Prince Albert.

His mission is to encourage the church to be the Body of Christ that serves the community. Merle Johnston, a former Warden

at St. David’s, attests to his motivational leadership in providing soup and sandwich lunches as a community outreach.

She describes Haukenfrers as an honest, personable listener. He actively supports 12-step groups for people struggling with drug and alcohol addictions.

He continues coaching boys’ and girls’ basketball in Prince Albert, currently coaching the Carlton Jr. A girls’ team.

He participates and encourages prison ministry while serving on the Canadian Mental Health Board in Prince Albert, as well as a national director of Threshold Ministries and is looking forward to his first book, Fire Water and Wind: God’s Transformational Narrative, being published this fall.

Haukenfrers feels it is the duty of members of the Anglican Church to strive for reconciliation, in the broadest sense of the word.

His parishioners consider that he has brought a great deal of warmth to St. David’s.

Music big part of Kutnikoff’s life

By Munden Coates PRINCE ALBERT – Clara Kutnikoff is a recent inductee to the Order of Saskatchewan.

In 2012, Clara had a great year, as she received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal and the Order from her church.

Music has always been central to Clara’s life. She started playing the organ in church when she was 14.

In addition to her work at St. David’s Church, she has offered her talents to various churches and organizations.

Word has it she has had to train many of the clergy!

If you enjoy old time dances, you will undoubtedly know of Clara’s band, the Country Toe Tappers.

With Clara on keyboards, long-time partner, Eugene Levitsky on the violin, and Zenon Butchko on guitar, the classic dance tunes never sounded better! Clara says playing with the band gives her the opportunity to meet many new people.

Clara finds that her hour in church is a time for peace

when played with chimes.

At the dances she especially enjoys playing the waltzes.

Her only regret is she seldom gets an opportunity to dance herself.

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Lewis Gill a lover of animals Courtesy the Saskatoon Funeral Home SASKATOON – It is with deep sadness but very thankful hearts that the family of the Rev. Canon Lewis Gill announces his passing on March 2 at the age of 90.

Lewis was born in Unity to Frank and Gladys Gill and grew up on the family farm near Neilburg.

After spending his early adult years working on the farm with his father and brother Archie, Lewis answered a call to the ministry and entered Emmanuel College in Saskatoon, graduating with his LTh. He was ordained a deacon in the Anglican church in 1961 and ordained priest in 1962.

He began his ministry at Cutknife, during which time he met his wife Elizabeth.

They were married in 1965 and spent the next 25 years together serving parishes at Watson, Lashburn and Biggar.

After retiring to Saskatoon in 1990, he was active for some years as an interim priest at various parishes and was an honorary assistant at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church.

During his ministry Lewis was very involved in Marriage Encounter and the Order of St. Luke, serving as chaplain for the Saskatoon chapter and for a time as regional director for Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Lewis was a devoted priest, husband and father with a kind, gentle soul and a sparkling sense of humour.

He was a great animal lover and would entertain his family with stories of various animals from the family farm, including a series of

dogs named “Pete.”

In later years the family dog Pecan was a faithful “hound dog” to both Lewis and Elizabeth. Lewis’ love for God, his family and all people will remain with those of us who knew and loved him.

We grieve but are happy knowing he is at peace with his beloved wife who passed away just two weeks before him.

Lewis was predeceased by his wife Elizabeth, his parents, brother Archie, brother-in-law Arthur Thompson and sister-in-law Eleanor Thompson.

He is lovingly remembered by his daughters Ruth and Donna, honorary granddaughter Danielle Turple, brother-in-law Walter Thompson, nieces, nephews and friends.

A celebration of Lewis’s life was held on March 9 at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church.

Memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Bible Society National Support Office (10 Carnforth Road Toronto, Ont., M4A 2S4).

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Samaritan Place for the loving care that Lewis received during these last four years.

Special thanks to Karen and Greg Charyna, Trudy, Terry and all of the wonderful people at Home Instead Senior Care too numerous to name for the loving care and support they have shown to Lewis, Elizabeth and the entire family.

We will always be grateful for your kindness. Condolences may be left at www. saskatoonfuneralhome.com.

Photo courtesy Saskatoon Funeral Home

It’s Sunday morning and Clara is playing the organ at St. David’s Church. Photo courtesy Norbert Haukenfrers and reflection. Her favourite hymn is “How Great Thou Art” because it acknowledges the great power of God. She thinks that “Silent Night” is very soothing, particularly

April 2016

The Rev. Canon Lewis Gill

6

The Saskatchewan Anglican

April 2016

Shrove Tuesday at St. George By the Rev. Emily Carr SASKATOON – On Shrove Tuesday over 40 members of the King George, Riversdale and surrounding communities attended a pancake supper in the parish hall of St. George’s, Saskatoon.

St. George’s is one of the oldest parishes in Saskatoon and is located in one of the original core city neighbourhoods, west of and upriver from the city centre.

The parish is typified by single family homes, lower

middle-class incomes and a large Aboriginal population.

The area is currently undergoing slow renewal and locally, gentrification, includes the new Farmers’ Market and the trendy 20th Street commercial strip.

In addition to the meal, entertainment, games and community time, those present also had a chance to take part in the burning of last year’s palm fronds and crosses to produce the ashes that were used for the Ash Wednesday service the following day.

The author, Canon Michael Jackson (second from right), proclaims the Gospel at the Solemn Eucharist of the Conversion of St. Paul, at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Photo courtesy Margaret Ball

Looking at Liturgy

Proclaiming the Gospel

By Canon Michael Jackson

P

roclaiming the Gospel is the focal point of the Liturgy of the Word in the Eucharist.

Accordingly, the Gospel reading is preceded and followed by acclamations/ responses, which may be said or sung; it is also usually accompanied by some form of ceremonial, ranging from a simple move by the reader to the place of the reading, to an elaborate Gospel procession with servers and incense.

Regardless, the proclaiming of the Gospel should be done with care and be the focus of attention of the assembly.

Who reads the Gospel?

If a deacon is present among the ministers of the service, that person should always read the Gospel. The Book of Alternative Services is specific: it is “the function of a deacon to read the Gospel.”

What happens if no deacon is available? The BAS only notes “lay persons should normally be assigned the readings preced[ing] the Gospel.”

The generally-accepted custom, says Ormonde Plater, Episcopal deacon and liturgist, is that “in the absence of a deacon functioning liturgically, the presider or an assisting priest reads the gospel.”

Lay persons do not

normally proclaim the Gospel at the Eucharist.

Where does the reading take place?

The Gospel should be proclaimed from a prominent location in the church.

According to The Book of Alternative Services, “It is desirable that the readings be read from a lectern or pulpit, and that the Gospel be read from the same lectern or pulpit, or in the midst of the congregation.”

However, the custom, introduced in the 1950s, of processing down the centre aisle of the nave to read the Gospel “in the midst of the congregation” should, in my opinion, be discouraged.

A Roman Catholic authority has observed that “it is better not to read from the middle of the community because the word comes to us from elsewhere. It is proclaimed; it does not simply arise out of the community.”

Deacon Plater says if we want the gospeller to be heard and seen, half-way down the nave aisle is the worst possible location!

(Admittedly, wireless microphones, if available, resolve the sound problem.)

At St. Paul’s Cathedral in Regina, the deacon normally proclaims the Gospel from the top of the chancel steps, using a wireless microphone; a sub-deacon holds the book during the reading.

The Gospel Procession The Gospel reader, if someone other than the presider, may first receive a blessing from the presiding celebrant.

In processing to the place of reading (and in small church buildings this may not be practical), a common practice is for servers bearing candles to lead the reader, carrying the Book of Gospels, to the place of proclamation during a hymn.

Deacon Plater tells us that “traditionally, a cross is not carried in the procession, since in this proclamation the gospel book is the primary symbol of Christ.”

There is a practice in some churches of singing the final verse of the hymn after the Gospel, giving time for the procession to return and the preacher to move to where the sermon is delivered.

However, this is not recommended: nothing should separate the Gospel reading from the homily, says Episcopal priest Patrick Malloy, “so that the preaching would be related directly to the Scripture.”

The gospeller returns to his or her place and the preacher gives the homily – presumably related to the Gospel that has just been proclaimed.

Canon Michael Jackson is deacon at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Regina.

On Shrove Tuesday, more than 40 people attended a pancake supper in the parish hall of St. George’s, Saskatoon.

Photo courtesy the Rev. Emily Carr

Smalldon served the church as a deacon By the Saskatoon Funeral Home PRINCE ALBERT – A life well lived, with faith and in good conscience, Gary Smalldon passed away on Feb. 12 at the age of 72 after a courageous battle with cancer. He leaves behind his wife of 49 years, Muriel Smalldon, with whom he cherished every moment.

Together they raised two children, Greg (Candace) Smalldon and Sandra (Sean) Wyatt, and joyfully and proudly bore witness to six wonderful grandchildren.

Gary’s example and ability

to live life on his terms will continue to serve as inspiration for his grandkids in their own endeavours.

Gary was a former RCMP officer and was ordained a deacon in the Anglican church in the Diocese of Saskatchewan on Oct. 17, 1999.

He was ordained a priest on Oct. 18, 2000. He served at All Saints Church, La Ronge until his retirement in 2011. Gary attended all of the James Settee College classes and attended the first convocation service upon his completion of the first level of studies.

The Saskatchewan Anglican

April 2016

7

Saskatoon spiritual care By the Rev. Emily Carr

Bishop Adam Halkett

Photo courtesy Mary Brown

Bishop in a Chevy truck

By Diana Swift Anglican Journal (This is part 2 of Swift’s story about Bishop Halkett).

Freer now from family responsibilities, Halkett devotes himself to the challenges of ministry.

Similar to many aboriginal clergy, he faces Herculean tasks, with distant parishes carrying their share of social problems: poverty, school non-attendance, teenage pregnancy, poor health, domestic violence, substance abuse and, worst of all, suicide, which affects not just youth but a growing number middle age people.

Since January 2015, he has put almost 20,000 km on his truck, driving from reserve to reserve. He makes a particular point of visiting families who have lost loved ones to suicide.

Halkett strives first and foremost to counteract the anger and despair rampant in some aboriginal communities and culminates all too often in self-destruction.

For this task, he reaches back into the remembered strength of his parents’ support when he was struggling with drug use.

“They taught me the power of fellowship and communal prayer and hymn singing to give hope,” he said.

It takes time, but gradually communities are responding to this approach and to his exhortations to go forward and embrace a better future.

“Adam attends the funerals and wakes of people who have died by suicide,” said Russell Ahenakew, a former rector’s warden on the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation reserve, who Halkett said “took him under his wing” in the early days of his priesthood.

“For me, he’s like a brother. He’s a very fair and humble man and a worthy disciple of Jesus Christ,” Ahenakew said.

Halkett was a constant presence and facilitator during Saskatchewan’s wildfires in early July and continues to visit the homes of returned evacuees.

He points to a lingering anger over government’s poor communication and actions with regard to the disaster.

“First the ministry (of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada) said there was no danger and to stay put, then they gave people two hours to evacuate,” he said.

“And they wouldn’t let First Nations firefighters help put out the fires, but sent in military instead. We know how to put out forest fires.”

He’s determined to develop a better communications strategy and action plan for future wildfires.

“I think that under Bishop Adam’s leadership, we are going to see some leaps forward and some problems solved,” said Ahenakew.

Halkett notes that his fellow clergy play essential roles in strengthening communities’ response to endemic ills.

Working bilingually in Cree and English, they’re often limited in their ministry by the need to hold outside jobs since half of them are non-stipendiary.

“I would like to see more of them become stipendiary clergy,” he said.

Ever looking to the future, the bishop hopes to see more partnership between native and non-native members of the church.

“My co-bishop, Michael, encourages me to go to parishes where there are no First Nations people and I am connecting and making friends,” Halkett said.

Going further, Halkett envisions the development someday of an independent aboriginal church paralleling the main church and having its own primate.

SASKATOON – A new initiative, The Saskatoon Spiritual Care Collective, began Feb. 6.

This new training and support program trains lay people in the ministry of spiritual care and visiting those living in Saskatoon’s long-term care facilities.

The program involves guest speakers and teachers engaged in spiritual care in our community and includes a time of sharing that draws upon the wisdom and experience of volunteers.

Twelve people, from

four parishes, attended the Collective’s introductory workshop and training day entitled “Visiting Residents in Long-term Care Homes.”

The four-hour session was led by the Rev. Jessica Latshaw, hospital chaplain, and the Rev. Emily Carr, co-ordinator and chaplain of the Spiritual Care Collective.

This first training day was for the Saskatoon Deanery; additional training days will be arranged for the Western and Eastern Deaneries of the diocese.

The Saskatoon Spiritual Care Collective will meet

monthly for on-going training and support, the first Saturday of the month, at St. George’s Anglican Church, 624 Ave. I South, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for ongoing training and support.

If you are interested in living out your baptismal ministry as well, have a suggestion for a speaker, or know someone in need of spiritual care, please contact the co-ordinator and chaplain of the Spiritual Care Collective, the Rev. Emily Carr at 306-491-8505 or by email at emilycarrmusic@hotmail. com.

Youth raise money for Nepal EXETER (Ont.) In the spring of 2015, Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church’s South Huron Junior Community Choir, a small group, had the very big idea of helping victims of the Nepal earthquake through The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund

(PWRDF).

The fundraising was spearheaded by Broc, 10, and Ewan Wilson, 12.

To raise the money the group put on a production of The Drum, based on a tale of generosity set in India.

Recently, they ended up mounting two further productions of the

35-minute play at St. John’sby-the-Lake in Grand Bend, and St. Anne’s in Port Franks.

They had originally set a fundraising goal of $1,000, but ended up exceeding it by more than $200, all of which went to support PWRDF relief efforts in Nepal.

Huron Church News

8

The Saskatchewan Anglican

April 2016

Camp Okema news

By Amy Dow PRINCE ALBERT — St. Alban’s Cathedral, Prince Albert: Come join us as we journey through the calendar year in Scripture and song.

Friday, May 6 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $15, which can be purchased prior or at the door. For more details, contact Amy Dow at 306-941-0788.

Charlie Pirie of CAP Masonry working at St. Matthew’s, Regina.

Photo courtesy Rev. Blair Dixon

St. Matthew’s moves forward in faith to serve the community

By Karen McBride Dixon REGINA – Scaffolding and drop cloths make an interesting contrast in the sanctuary as the sunlight streams through the magnificent stained glass windows of St. Matthew’s Church.

The workmen are busy, day and night it seems, and so for a few weeks in late winter, worship services were held in the basement.

Although more casual, worship in the basement creates a sense of intimacy and connection between priest and people.

In some ways it is like going home. Since its origin, the roots of the parish have been deep in the community.

It began as a Sunday school in the Broder farmhouse at the present day intersection of Victoria Avenue and Winnipeg St. In 1910, the tiny woodframe Grace Church was consecrated on land just north of the present site of the rectory.

Following that humble beginning, George Broder donated land to accommodate the growing needs of the parish.

The rectory was completed in 1913, followed by construction of a “basement church” two years later.

Given the hardships of the Great War, the parish worshiped in the roofed-over basement of the present day St. Matthew church building from 1915 until 1926.

Given the shifting nature of “Regina gumbo,”

St. Matthew has undergone various restoration projects over the years.

In 2014 it became clear it was time to do it yet again.

Assisted by the Building Advisory Team, the wardens and vestry have worked hard for well over a year, planning and managing the restoration project to stabilize, protect and preserve the building.

The parish has been especially blessed to have highly skilled engineers and masonry experts. Some of these professional contractor firms have donated part of the required labour and equipment.

The parish is very grateful to have received generous donations from individuals and community groups, as well as matching grant funding from the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation.

Determined and energetic, the people of St. Matthew Regina have continued to host a number of events designed to welcome and serve the community.

The ACW is particularly active and has continued to host the familiar ACW Christmas and spring teas, as well as fundraisers for Qu’Appelle’s companion Diocese of Muyinga, in Burundi.

In addition to supporting international needs, the ACW ladies continue to make donations to local organizations.

In keeping with a longstanding tradition and led by a parishioner who has been a member of St. Matthew for

more than 60 years, the fall fashion show again took place to a full house.

The parish continues to seek opportunities to develop new and deeper alliances within the community.

Recent examples include hosting regular communal cooking sessions in partnership with Core Ritchie Community Centre and making worship and meeting space available to Via Apostolica.

Adding to the bustle, St. Matthew has recently embarked on a new leadership model.

Mae Boa has been appointed lay incumbent and lay administrator and Rev. Anne Marie McNeil and Rev. Blair Dixon are serving the parish as associate priests.

Supplementing the business focus of vestry, a core team of lay leaders meets on a regular basis to strategize about the future of the ministry within the community.

A larger parish team meets to exchange ideas and share information.

The restoration work is progressing very well and the wardens and vestry are confident that Sunday worship will be back upstairs before Easter.

Despite the sense of reaching back, 2016 is also about moving forward, not only with the restoration of the beautiful church building, but also moving forward in faith to discover new ways to “be the church” in the surrounding community and in the world.

By Steve Mitchell In this 40th anniversary year of the Okema Society for Christian Development, please check out our camp schedule, planned events and other information.

Summer Camp Schedule: July 3 to 7: Cabin Leader Training (ages 14 and up) July 10 to 14: Small Fry 1 (ages 7 – 9) July 17 to 22: Junior 1 (ages 10 – 12) July 24 to 28: Small Fry 2 (ages 7 – 9) July 30 to Aug. 1: Celebration Camp Long Weekend (ages 18+ and families) July 30 to Aug. 4: Celebration Full Camp (ages 18+ and families) Aug. 7 to 12: Junior 2 (ages 10 – 12) Aug. 14 to 20: Teen Camp (ages 13 – 16) Events Dessert Events: This spring, several parishes will host Okema dessert events as part of our 40th anniversary celebrations.

Check our website, at www.campokema.com for details.

Work and Leisure Weekend: May 21 – 23. All are welcome to join us in preparing the camp for the rental and camp season. For more information, contact Darryl McRae at 306-270-5182 or renos@yourlink.ca.

Celebration Sunday on July 31. In the midst of Celebration Camp, we are inviting guests to join our campers for a day of activity at the camp, including a worship service, banquet, beach activities, visiting and an early campfire.

Banquet tickets will be available for our guests and must be purchased in advance of this event. Check our website for more details.

Other Information Rentals: The camp is available for rental in May, June, late August and early September.

Parishes are encouraged to consider a weekend rental as an excellent way to build community and develop leadership.

For more information and available dates contact Andy Tomyn at 306-382-8447 or campokema@hotmail.com.

Manna House Project: We are currently fundraising to make needed renovations and improvements to Manna House, our main building, including kitchen, dining hall and washrooms.

Our goal is $15,000 and we invite any interested person to make a donation through our website or by mail (Camp Okema, Box 140, Caronport, Sask., S0H 0S0).

All donations will receive a tax receipt.

The warden in the hat

St. Luke’s, Regina, warden Jenny Williams leads a small group of students in a lesson at Kids’ Club, which is a weekly program of songs, games and Bible stories for children ages four to 10.

Photo courtesy Sid Gaudry