DECEMBER 20 13 a Section of the ANGLICAN Anglican Journal
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DECEMBER 20 13 A section of the ANGLICAN Anglican Journal MONT REAL Official Publication of ANGLICAN the Diocese of Montreal Synod hears a call to radical discipleship Staff in God’s Mission of Love. As the Diocese of Montreal con - “I will invite the Committee on tinues to struggle to keep its finances Canons and the Human Resources under control, Bishop Barry Clarke Committee to revisit Canon 34 on has urged his flock to allow them - vexatious behaviour and to include selves “to be teased by God and bullying as part of the Canon.” affirm our partnership with God” While addressing issues of stew - through the “inward and spiritual ardship, the bishop also invited his grace of money.” listeners to embrace the opportuni - In his address or “charge” at the ties and challenges of an era when the Eucharistic service that opened the church has lost power and privileges. diocesan synod October 19, the bish - Drawing on the Gospel of the day op said people devote great emo - – from Luke 9, with its emphasis on tional and psychological effort to radical discipleship – and on writings money but oen appear reluctant to by Anabaptist theologian Stuart speak about it. Murray and the late Archbishop “But as stewards and servants of the Oscar Arnulfo Romero of San Sal - ministries of God, we need to do this. vador, Bishop Clarke said, “ere can “e inward and spiritual grace of be no excuse not to respond in obe - money invites us to share this re - dience to the call of Jesus in our lives. source not only to manage and It is a call to radical discipleship. I maintain our own personal lives; it is believe that the crisis we are facing in also opening ourselves to be teased our institutional life as a Church is by God and affirm our partnership one of discipleship. e subtleties of with God in the wonder and beauty finding solutions to our challenges of the Mission of God.” will never be overcome with pro - In a heartfelt introduction to his grams and/or new models of min - address, he referred to his 20-week istry until we hear the voice of Jesus ECUMENICAL VISITORS at the synod pose with Bishop Barry Clarke. From left are Roman Catholic Arch - Sabbath Leave between March and calling out to us to come and follow.” bishop Christian Lépine of Montreal, Rev. Eric Dyck of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, Rev. August that took him from depression More on the synod, inside the Cathy Hamilton, president of the Montreal and Ottawa Conference of the United Church of Canada and to wellness and expressed gratitude paper. Adriana Bara, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism. (Photo: Harvey Shepherd) for those who had cared for him and the affairs of the diocese in that time. e bishop also announced that Soirée de prière pour l’unité he will ask two diocesan committees Cathedral host to to dra changes in the canons (or à la Cathédrale Christ Church bylaws) of the diocese to protect C’est dans un esprit de fraternité et de joie chrétienne et sous le thème: people against bullying. « Christ est -il divisé? » que se tiendra dimanche, le 19 janvier à 16h la neu - made-in-Canada “e beauty and mission of God is vième Soirée Annuelle de Retrouvailles Chrétiennes qui œuvrera la ultimately, the mission of Love,” he semaine mondiale de prière pour l’unité chrétienne. La prière de 2014, said. However, he said, “Our church qui sera utilisée dans le monde entier, est composée par Canada et est inter-church service continues to face issues of racism, donc d’un intérêt particulier au Canada. La grande famille chrétienne du Staff homophobia, prejudices of different grand Montréal y est invitée. Seigneur” and in Europe. shapes and colours and bullying. L’événement aura lieu à la Cathédrale Christ Church. An annual inter-church service A document introducing the In many places, both in our lives Le Centre canadien d’œcuménisme avec les représentants de différents for Christian unity that has usually materials for the 2014 service says and our communities, we live lives of églises qui composent le comité organisateur de cet événement, feront taken place in St. Joseph’s Oratory is “Canadians live in a country that is repression and denial that any of this ainsi écho à la parole de l’Apôtre qui, parlant de l’unité de l’Église, dit: moving to Christ Church Cathedral marked by diversity in language, even exists; lying to ourselves and to « Nous sommes un seul corps, en étant plusieurs, car tous nous partici - this year. culture, and even climate, and we one another that this fact is actually a pons au Pain unique ». Jésus lui-même nous dit avec insistance: « Qu’ils e annual Evening of Christian also embody diversity in our expres - reality. All of this is an obstacle and soient un pour que le monde croie ». Unity, which will mark the begin - sions of Christian faith even hurdle to overcome to engage ning of the Week of Prayer for “Living with this diversity, but Christian Unity will be held at the being faithful to Christ’s desire for cathedral Sunday, Jan. 19, at 4 p.m. It the unity of his disciples, has led us Welcome for a champion is co-ordinated by the Montreal- to a reflection on Paul’s provocative based Canadian Centre for Ecu - question in 1 Corinthians: ‘Has menism. Christ been Divided?’ Such services take place world- Preparation of the materials “is wide as a joint effort of the Pontifical very inclusive,” says Ven. Bruce Council for Promoting Christian Myers of the Diocese of Quebec, co- Unity and the Commission on Faith ordinator for ecumenical relations and Order of the World Council of for the General Synod of the Angli - Churches. can Church of Canada. “It tries to Each year, prayers and other offer a glimpse not just of the diver - materials for the services world- sity of the church, but also the diver - wide are prepared by inter-church sity of humanity. representatives from in different e Canadian writing team was country. drawn from several denominations e service for 2014 is of special and from all over the country. Rev. interest to Canadians. Materials for Canon Dr. John Gibaut – an Angli - the Montreal gathering were pre - can priest of the diocese of Ottawa – pared by a group of representatives was the World Council’s lead staff from different parts of Canada, person guiding production of the brought together at the invitation of resources. the Canadian Centre for Ecumen - “It’s a very easy and important ism and the Prairie Centre for Ecu - way to participate in the ecumenical menism in Saskatoon. movement,” Archdeacon Myers said. is year’s theme, “Is Christ divid - “Sometimes it’s undervalued. ‘Well ed?” is drawn from the first chapter we’re just getting together to pray.’ of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthi - at in itself is a really important ans. ecumenical witness. In a sense it’s e ecumenical celebration will radical because there was a time CARLEEN TAYLOR, Mile End Mission board member and volunteer co-ordinator of food recycling at the mis - be filmed by Radio-Canada and when some of our churches forbade sion, shares a moment with the guest speaker, Otis Grant, former boxer and activist for worthy causes. He France 2 and broadcast in Canada worshipping with Christians of was keynote speaker at the Mission’s annual fund-raising banquet. See Page 12 on the program “Le Jour du other traditions.” 2 – ANGLICAN MONTREAL ANGLICAN – December 2013 ‘Our God who also weeps the tears of a little child’ is message by the Very Rev. Paul Kennington is from the Christ Chèrs amis, chères amies, Church Cathedral Dean’s Newsletter. Noël, ce n ’est pas qu’une occasion de faire la fête. On aime bien les Dear Friends, sapins, la dinde et les cadeaux enrubannés, mais Noël me semble Christmas is much more than a party. Trees, turkeys and nicely bien plus terre-à-terre que cela. Célébrer Noël, c ’est célébrer Dieu en wrapped presents are lovely, but it is more earthy than that, for plein milieu du chaos de notre quotidien. Christmas puts God right into the heart of our mess. Dans les cris de l’accouchement et la solidarité avec un/e ami/e – Where there is pain in childbirth and confusion of standing by Dieu est présent. Dans la peur, la violence et les préjugés des someone – there is God. Where there is fear and prejudice and the méchants – Dieu est présent. Dans l’itinérance et la saleté par terre – violence of wicked rulers – there is God. Where there is homeless - Dieu est présent. Lorsque nous sommes confus, tristes, souffrants, ness and muck on the floor – there is God. ere, where we feel seuls – Dieu est présent, un Dieu davantage « parmi nous », que dans messed up, low, hurting or unwanted – there is God, more “with us” le simple fil tranquille de nos affaires de tous les jours. than when we are happily just going about our business. On dit souvent que Noël est la fête la plus importante pour les It is oen said of Anglicans, that our greatest feast is Christmas – anglicans – la fête de l’incarnation – car Noël représente non seule - the incarnation – because here we see more than the triumph we ment la glorieuse victoire pascale sur le mal que nous espérons de long for, the Easter victory over all evil, here see God with us – in tout notre coeur – mais à Noël nous célébrons Dieu parmi nous, un real time grappling with evil as it happens, just as we must do.