September 2013 Remember the Sabbath
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ANGLICAN JOURNAL Inspiring the faithful since 1875 vol. 139 no. 7 september 2013 Remember the Sabbath September seems to be all about gearing up for back to school, back to work, back to the rat race after the fleeting reprieve of summer holidays (if you had any). The promise that computers and labour-saving technology would mean more leisure time for everyone now seems laughable in the face of statistics that clearly show most people are working harder and longer than ever. In the midst of that busyness, and the stress that comes with it, the Journal poses the question, have we forgotten Sabbath? “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work” is the fourth commandment (Ex. 20:8–10a), but what does it mean in a society that can shop, work and chatter online 24/7? What have we lost? What does it cost? What is the church’s role in calling people to keep the Sabbath? —Leigh Anne Williams See RX, p. 8 Drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of thy peace. Hymn 455, Common Praise MARKS OF MISSION PHOTO CONTEST FINALIST JOYCE COUVRETTE an ‘APPALLING, INHUMANE’ EXPERIMENT MARRIAGE MOTION CONTROVERSIAL On July 16, several publications various groups, including the church, carried a Canadian Press (CP) story for a federal investigation into the For some Canadian Anglicans, General Synod’s about Ian Mosby, a historian from the matter. decision on July 6 to bring to its next meeting University of Guelph, who stumbled Hiltz and MacDonald also noted in 2016 a resolution changing the church’s law on a little-known fact in the course of that issues around nutrition and to allow same-sex marriage will bring new life; his research on the history of food in lack of access to fresh, healthy food but others argue it will only serve to precipi- Canada. continue to be “a primary cause of tate the church’s decline. In the 1940s, the Canadian govern- significant health issues among many The Anglican Journal interviewed an equal ment subjected aboriginal children MARITES N. SISON indigenous peoples.” number of bishops, clergy and laity from from six Indian residential schools to The May 2000 issue of the Anglican The two church leaders reiterated opposite sides of the divide to gauge opinions nutrition experiments that included Journal, with a report on what happened the church’s commitment to address about the controversial resolution to change withholding food and basic dental to native children in residential schools. issues affecting indigenous people Canon 21 on marriage. care, Mosby told CP’s Bob Weber. in Canada as part of its efforts to “I feel that this is going to cause a lot of And yet, Mosby noted, little was and National Indigenous Anglican achieve “genuine reconciliation” divide in our church that we have worked very written about this. “A May 2000 Bishop Mark MacDonald issued a with First Nations, Métis and Inuit hard to heal,” said Falen MacNaulty, a lay mem- article in the Anglican Journal about joint statement describing the tests peoples. ber from the diocese of Fredericton. “I kind of some of them was the only reference conducted on aboriginal children Access to food and good nutri- thought we had put this behind us a little bit Mosby could find,” reported CP. as “appalling.” Using the schools as tion will be one of many issues to be and were moving forward…I feel that this may Reacting to the news, which has laboratories and children as subjects addressed by a commission that the have set us backwards slightly.” prompted calls for an investigation, of experiments, they said, is “so primate will appoint this fall, said Dean Peter Elliott, from the diocese of New the primate of the Anglican Church inhumane.” Hiltz and MacDonald. Westminster, acknowledged that the resolu- of Canada, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, The news prompted calls from — MARITES N. SISON See MIXED, p. 7 THANKS FOR SUPPORTING THE ANGLICAN JOURNAL APPEAL! REFLECTION GENERAL SYNOD ANGLICANS IN Angels: Prophetic or PUBLIC LIFE God’s punitive? The man from gift ‘The Rock’ 3 6 11 PM# 40069670 PM# Canadian2 Church 0 1 4 Calendar A N G l i c A N E D i T i O N Come unto me. Matthew 11:28 Celebrate our heritage! A beautiful calendar showcasing our own traditions On sale now! Only $5.00 (plus tax) with inspired photographs of Anglican churches Augsburg Fortress/Anglican Book Centre from across Canada. Significant Anglican church Phone: 1-800-265-6397 • Fax: 519-748-9835 dates and spiritually uplifting verses make it the 500 Trillium Drive, PO Box 9940, Kitchener, ON N2G 4Y4 E-mail: [email protected] • Web site: www.afcanada.com perfect calendar to give or keep. 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Memorial House (613) 544-1013 (709) 639-8712 Sue Cane 900 Vancouver Street (709) 256-2372 334 West 14th Avenue 360 Nicola Street Victoria, BC V8V 3V7 Vancouver, BC V5Y 1X4 Ottawa Kamloops, BC V2C 2P5 (250) 386-7781 Edmonton (604) 876-3720 Mrs. Catherine Hannah (250) 819-5753 Margaret Marchall 1003-1356 Meadowlands Synod Office Drive East 10035 103rd Street Nepean, ON K2E 6K6 Edmonton, AB T5J 0X5 (613) 727-9331 (780) 439-7344 2 anglican journal • September 2013 REFLECTIONS MAREKULIASZ For he will commend his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. —Psalm 91:11 The gift of angels FEAR NOT, GOD WILL ACT INSIGHTS AND INTUITIONS BY WILLIAM CLIFF count on some form of angelic BY JUDY ROIS scripture. Michael the Archangel help. Angels appear at God’s will fought victoriously against the N one and have a remarkably consistent N New Year’s Eve, Glenda power of evil during a war in of my message: “Don’t be afraid. God is ORowlands (not her real name) heaven. Raphael is depicted as Iparishes about to do something.” Angels found herself on the edge of a the angel of healing and Uriel as a number of are charged with delivering these bridge. Her boyfriend had de- the angel of transforming energy. years ago, I messages from God. clared their relationship over and Since at least the fifth century, the was visiting This is far different from she slid into despair. “This is it,” Christian church has celebrated with a very most of the artistic and dramatic she said. She uttered a prayer of the feast of St. Michael and All aged war portrayals of angels in popular desperation, closed her eyes and Angels to acknowledge the great veteran. culture. Pop culture angels show took a deep breath. mystery of the heavenly host. Tired of up with therapeutic affirming Then she felt someone touch Medieval theologian Thomas NEALE COUSLAND carrying messages or simply float past her arm. Aquinas wrote, “Angels often on after all his friends and family as tubby babies with harps and Glenda opened her eyes. Beside come in the form of inexplicable had died or faded from his life, wings. Other pop culture angels her was a misty figure. She heard insights or powerful intuitions.” he asked me: “Why am I still look like Hollywood stars and go the faint words, “Go home.” Then Many of us know that God here? Has God forgotten me?” on rampages of violence—more a the mist vanished. comes at unexpected moments He wasn’t angry; he was confused reflection of human rather than Later, Glenda said, “I wasn’t and in different ways, and since about what was taking God so angelic reality. afraid. In fact, I felt peaceful. I ancient times one of those ways long to come and get him. Real angels live and still turned around and went home. has been through visions and “Remember,” I told him, deliver messages from God. The When I got into bed that night, for visits of angels. “that all the host of heaven are message is the same: “Don’t be the first time in my life, I believed Scripture claims that angels arranged into armies, with the afraid. God is doing a new thing.” someone was out there looking are entirely real, quite natural archangels as their captains. Sometimes they wear flesh after me.” to human experience and one of Perhaps, as in any army, there has and look like your neighbour, John Henry Newman, the God’s unique ways of speaking to been a mix up and the clerk angel and other times they make an renowned 19th-century theologian, humanity.