Niagara Anglican Newspaper
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IT CAN HAPPEN ALIVE AND FREE LITURGY AND LIFE CAMP ARTABAN Making poverty a thing of the past, PAGE 4 Our youth's challenge at Synod, PAGE 9 The dark side of the Holy Week, PAGE 13 A call to return again, PAGE 16 A section of the Anglican Journal NEWS • PERSPECTIVE • REFLECTION • FOR A GROWING CHURCH • MARCH 2008 Neither here WELCOMING OUR NEW ARCHDEACON nor there... surroundings of unrealized potential of our current context. The modern age was ushered in from about the 16th century onwards. Its source of truth came from empirical observation. Science quickly became the new way of knowing and, it was hoped, it would solve all the world's BILL MOUS problems. Democracy, rationalism and DIVINITY STUDENT the scientifi c revolution were some of Have you ever pondered what birth modernity's important movements. must be like? Not from the perspec- Myth and superstition—a hallmark of tive a woman giving birth, as many the pre-modern age—were tested and of you will no doubt have experi- challenged. Human intervention in enced this, but from the perspective the affairs of the world enhanced our of a baby. In the past couple of weeks life expectancy while at the same time I've been pondering it, encouraged made it possible to destroy the world by a colleague after sharing some in a matter of seconds. Personal free- Michael Patterson signs in acceptance of his responsibilities as the new Archdeacon of Niagara at Christ's Church refl ections about where we fi nd the doms and self-determination became Cathedral on the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. MORE PHOTOGRAPHS ON PAGE 19. church today. cemented as values and rights. From a biological perspective, and under normal circumstances, the End of Christendom womb offers a comfortable existence. The post-modern age is still very much The basic necessities of life are pro- in its infancy. Beginning in the latter "What are you giving up for Lent?" vided for and an incredible amount half of the twentieth century, we began of growth occurs within its walls. Yet to see a loss in faith in the reign of sci- there comes a point in time when the ence and reason. Neither solved all our womb begins contractions to expel problems and so, for example, holistic A meditation on mortifi cation its ever-growing baby into a world of approaches to medicine grew in popu- unknowns. This new environment of- larity. There was also an explosion in JOHN BOWEN Paul thought?' He was just a crabby, sweet message of happiness into a fers a place where the baby can grow the information age—how we gathered ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, HAMILTON misogynistic old bachelor... We are miserable anti-life diatribe. and mature in ways it couldn't in the information and communicated that If I say the word "mortifi cation," what followers of Jesus, not of Paul. Let's say fi rst: the idea of "mortify- womb; while at the same time be- information has changed rapidly. Our comes to your mind? Nothing very But there is more of Jesus than we ing" things is not just a weird religious ing a place where business as usual black and white worldview is gradually cheerful, I guess. We say, "I was morti- like to admit in the teaching of Paul. idea. Everybody has experienced this simply cannot continue. From breath- fading into a grey one. No longer should fi ed" when we feel we might die of em- (I think I began to realise this when kind of putting to death. Parents who ing, to feeding, and even communi- one judge the lifestyle choices of others barrassment. A mortician's job sounds as someone pointed out that the Epistle to get up in the night to feed the baby put cation, once out of the comfort of - as there is no longer one mold for liv- though it might well have something to the Romans is fundamentally a com- to death their desire for a good night's the mother's womb, a newborn baby ing one's life. Distrust in institutions, a do with mortifi cation. And then there's mentary on the parable of the runaway sleep. People who give up smoking faces a whole series of opportunities rise in both plurality and spirituality, all that stuff about fl agellation in The son and his older brother.) Paul was put to death their addiction to tobac- and challenges. along with the reevaluation or abandon- DaVinci Code: mortifi cation again. not particularly trying to be original in co. People who work out put to death In a lot of ways, the church is ment of established truths have become So, is there anything Christian his teaching. Like us, he was trying to their preference for sitting in front much like the baby; albeit a baby that hallmarks of this new age. about such a concept? Certainly the come to terms with who Jesus was and of the TV. Now, we know why those is still being born. Slowly, and per- Perhaps even more disconcerting Apostle Paul seems to have thought what he taught. He too was a follower people do these things. But why does haps reluctantly, we're being pushed for the church is that the end of Chris- so: "Put to death, therefore, what- of Jesus. Paul say disciples of Jesus should put from our all too comfortable existence tendom—the alignment of Western ever belongs to your earthly nature," things to death? in the modern age, and into the vast civilization and Christianity by Em- he urges in Colossians 3. That's the Not just a weird religious idea The blunt answer is: Because there unknown region of existence called peror Constantine in the 3rd century - origin of that ugly term, "mortifi - So could this negative kind of talk is stuff in our lives which will kill us un- post-modernity. Like child birth, we're is looming in our future. In fact, many cation." But it sounds so negative! about "putting to death" have come less we kill it fi rst. We like to say "There experiencing a natural, but signifi cant, theologians argue that Christendom Surely Christianity is a religion about from Paul's understanding of Jesus? is good in everyone"—and that is true. development in our existence as a liv- has ended in North American soci- life? Jesus came to bring us "life in Examples are not hard to fi nd. "Cut But—although it's not very popular to ing entity. Given this, perhaps the role ety, except in the minds of many in all its fullness"—not "death in all off your hand, pluck out your eye!" say it—there is also evil in everyone— of the contemporary priest should be the church. its emptiness"! says Jesus. "Take up your cross! Deny and that's harder to swallow. that of a midwife: guiding and ush- Of course, this is Paul. And many yourself!" So this really does originate ering the church into the unfamiliar CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 would ask, 'do we need to worry what with Jesus. Paul is not turning Jesus' CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 2 NIAGARA ANGLICAN MARCH 2008 PARISH NEWS Mountain churches Good Friday pilgrimage nearing forty years SUE CRAWFORD churches remaining who take part—St. information on their organizers and for the event. Mary and I began our Good an eye on us during the walk. I remem- ST. MICHAEL'S, HAMILTON Michael's, Holy Trinity and St. Stephen's helpers. Nancy Griffi n is the main or- Friday walkathons when we attended St. ber in the early years we even had the The -14°C temperatures (with wind and a few faithful from the Church of ganizer with Margaret Worsnop, Helen Augustine's. Sharron Hatoski often joins St. John's Ambulance crew patrolling chill) did not 'freeze' the spirits or pre- the Resurrection. Gregory and Gladys White helping to us if her husband, Ron is unable to walk. the streets for us. vent the 100 or so walkers who braved Margaret Read from St. Stephen's feed the hungry and cold in the parish At St. Michael's our pilgrimage We may not have the numbers of the cold to carry out the annual Moun- remembers a different route in the early hall. Maurice Moss seems to be one of begins with the Good Friday service walkers we had in the "old days" but tain Churches Good Friday Walkathon days of the walk. They walked in a west- their stalwarts who has been walking before we venture out. As we left the those who take part feel that it is a great last year. As I check the date for this erly direction along the mountain brow since the inception of the Good Friday parish hall we were greeted with a wind way to join with friends and family in year's walk we could very defi nitely be to the Bruce Trail as far as Magnolia trek. I know I never miss his tall, up- chill of -14°C as we walked west to- communion with one single purpose sporting the thermal underwear again. Drive and then turned and came back. right fi gure and walking stick. Mau- wards Holy Trinity. Many of us felt that on this our most holy of days. Has our Last year I decided to do some Last year the oldest members from the rice, I believe, is in his 70s and com- it was one of the coldest we had ever purpose or focus changed? I would say probing about the history of the Moun- church to walk were Eve and Al Avon pletes the route in about half the time experienced.