Morning Star Newsletter - Jan 6, 2020, Vol 13

THE MORNING

THE WYCLIFFE COLLEGE COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER JANAUARY 6 2020 | VOL. 13

STAR

The Broken Wall

UPCOMING EVENTS

BY STEPHEN ANDREWS When the announcement was made in 2012 that the then-Bishop of Durham, Justin Welby, was to be made the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury, those who knew him praised the decision, heralding him as a peace-maker at a time of deep division in the Church and in the world. Indeed, reconciliation has become a hallmark of his ministry as Archbishop. He has written, “In a world plagued by conflict and division, the Church has a crucial role to play as a community of peacemakers. Jesus calls every one of us to love God, our neighbours, ourselves – and our enemies. It’s a challenging command, with nobody left out. We’re all given the message and task of reconciliation.”

Jan 14—18

Now, you may imagine that the root of our division is human self-centredness. And you would be right. But the way we often talk about this is in reference to God’s law, for God’s law describes the virtuous life of love for God and neighbour that all are bidden to aspire to. The problem is, as everyone who has ever failed to keep even a New Year’s resolution can testify, none of us are capable of living up to the standards of God’s law.

In one respect the law may be regarded as a cheerleader on the sidelines encouraging us, spurring us on; but then it turns out to be the judge who disqualifies us. Is there any way we can get a break? Without diminishing the law – without resorting to calling them “God’s good ideas” – is there a means by which the seemingly unscalable barrier of our self-centredness might be overcome in order to give us access to holiness?

Jan 22, Wed

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Preaching Day, p. 3 PAGE ONE

Mission Week at Wycliffe

Jan 15, Wed Wednesday Event with Prayer Book Society at 3 p.m.

Wednesday Event with Bishop Kenya Wondera at 3 p.m.

Jan 31, Fri Theology Pub Night, p. 3

Feb 18, Tues

continued from page 1 St Paul answers our question in the affirmation that Christ himself “has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances” (Ephesians 2.14-15). There is only one who was capable of fulfilling the law’s demands, and that was Jesus Christ. He perfectly conformed his life to God’s law. Through his costly obedience (for it ultimately meant surrendering his very life) love and forgiveness have been set loose in the world. The victim of the world’s enmity, Christ has brought us near to God in the declaration that all hostility has been brought to an end.

And that includes hostility between Christians. True, the signs of division still exist. In the world there is still discrimination on the basis of gender, of race, of creed, of age, and of social class. In the church, there remains tension between high and low, liberals and conservatives, Protestant and Catholic. But in Christ we have access to a grace which has the power to dissolve hostility and to bring about a healed vision where we see one another as the forgiven and forgiving, and to experience reconciliation.

In the middle of the 19th century, slaves captured on the mainland of East Africa were brought to Zanzibar in chains, often enduring horrific hardship on their journey, and sold in the city’s slave

“The victim of the world’s enmity, Christ has brought us near to God in the declaration that all hostility has been brought to an end.”

market. When the market was closed on the orders of the Muslim sultan in 1873, the Christians set about building a church. They resolved that it would be a monument of emancipation from a tyranny that affected all the people of the region. And so they built a cathedral on the very site of the old slave market.

The high altar is said to stand on the very place that used to feature a whipping post, as if to remind those who worship of the cost to the Son of God of their reconciliation.

My friends, it is this same Jesus Christ who stands as the figurative “high altar” of the church today. Later on in Ephesians 2, Paul employs three images to describe the church. He says that we are citizens, a family and a temple (vv.

19-22). Note that none of these images makes any sense apart from Christ’s reconciling work. Because of him we are

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no longer refugees looking for a nation, but citizens serving under one banner; no longer orphans looking for a home, but brothers and sisters adopted into one family; no longer held aloof from a God who has ignored or turned his back on us, but all granted an equal and welcome access to his table of forgiveness. This is what it means to be reconciled.

At the outset of his ministry, Archbishop Welby sent out a request that all Anglicans might join him in a prayer of reconciliation. It is a prayer that is part of my daily prayer diary, and I invite you to use this prayer at the beginning of a new decade: Almighty Father, Lord of all the world, in your Son Jesus Christ you have reconciled us to yourself and have given us the ministry of reconciliation. By your grace draw us deeper into Jesus’ compassion and love and prayer, and give us the gift of unity, that we may be strengthened to proclaim the good news of Christ’s love and truth to those without hope and to bring reconciliation to this troubled world; through the same Jesus Christ, our only Lord and Saviour.

Amen.

ABOUT Bishop Stephen Andrews is the Principal of Wycliffe College.

Events at Wycliffe THEOLOGY PUB NIGHT WITH MARION TAYLOR AND KIRA MOOLMAN: THE MISSING VOICES OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH Friday, January 31st, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. in Leonard Hall, Wycliffe College Professor Marion Taylor, scholar of Old Testament and Women’s Interpretations of the Bible, will join Kira Moolman, PhD student at Wycliffe College, on uncovering the voices of women in the church and why it matters. This discussion will be a precursor to the launch of an exciting new podcast around the topic. This is a free event and it is open to the public.

There will also be snacks and beer so bring your friends! For more information: wycliffecollege.ca/ theologypub

PREACHING DAY—THE PSALMS: SONGS OF HEALING Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Wycliffe College Preaching Day is an annual event at Wycliffe College.

This year we welcome Dr. Ellen Davis from Duke Divinity School, whose research interests focus on how biblical interpretation bears on the life of faith communities and their response to urgent public issues, particularly the ecological crisis and interfaith relations. For this event, Dr. Davis will be exploring preaching from the Psalms in the context of some of the traumas we experience in life and in ministry such as the opioid crisis, PTSD, and the global refugee crisis.

Purchase your tickets at wycliffecollege.ca/ preachingday.

Notes from the Bookstore Wycliffe course textbooks are available at the Law Bookstore, Room P125, 78 Queen’s Park.

The Law Bookstore will be open for the Winter Term beginning January 6, 2020.

January 6-19 Hours: Mon-Thurs 9 am – 5 pm and Friday 11 am – 7 pm; Saturday Jan 11 ONLY: 11 am – 2 pm PAGE THREE

From the Registrar Happy New Year! I hope your Christmas break was peaceful and joy filled.

Welcome back to all returning students and welcome to all new students beginning their studies at the start of the Winter 2020 term.

Every blessing on the term ahead.

Barbara Jenkins, Registrar, Director of Enrolment Management

Some key academic dates

2019 tax forms

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Last date to add a winter class is Friday January 10, 2020.

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New Student Orientation Session is January 16 at 4:30 pm

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Last date to drop and receive a full refund of tuition is Jan 19, 2020. Please note that if you drop the last class you will be charged the $286 minimum fee.

All students on ACORN should complete the request for a SIN to be eligible for the 2019 tax forms T2202A and T4A. Canada Revenue has advised the U of T that no form will be processed without the SIN. If you are a non-conjoint program, please check your email for the process to collect the SIN for your tax forms.

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New January academic starts in the Winter Session can opt out or enrol their spouse and/or dependent children in the UTSU health plan between Jan. 1 – 31, 2020 for coverage from Jan. 1 – Aug. 31, 2020.

Jan 24, 2020 is the date the U of T cancels registrations for non payment.

Stay Connected

If you are an international student, not working in Canada and not submitting a tax return you can ignore this request.

Are you Registered on ACORN? If you haven’t done so already, please check your financial invoice on ACORN and make sure you have a REG status by making a payment.

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