Crosstalk June 2021
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Page 2 Page 5 Pages 6-7 Pages 14-15 Thoughts from our Bishop St. Martins delivers Affordable housing: Next steps Nurturing creativity in Almonte THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF OTTAWA Section of the Anglican Journal Crosstalk June 2021 PHOTO: CANADIAN HERITAGE – PATRIMOINE CANADIEN Bishop Shane Parker offered a prayer and a blessing as part of the televised national commemoration ceremony for HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Christ Church Cathedral. Read more about the service from James Calkin, the Cathedral’s director of music, and see more photos on pages 8 - 9. Shaping the future Bishop asks parishes to work and discern together as one BY LEIGH ANNE WILLIAMS tradition, our diocese is the church of our population, as there have 2021 is the 125th anniversary of epresentatives from every we all belong to.” He then went on to been social and cultural changes, the creation of the Anglican Diocese parish across the diocese explain that a helpful image is to see as secularism and pluralism and of Ottawa. In his sermon on Easter gathered online on April Christ as the head and the diocese relativism have done their work, we Sunday at Christ Church Cathedral, R20 for the launch of a major as a body with two arms. One arm have been changed,” he said. “The the bishop challenged his listeners collaborative initiative to shape parish represents community ministries — shape of our parish ministry has been to honour the past by vitalizing the ministry for the future. “how we together use our resources changed in many ways without our future. He echoed that challenge to Bishop Shane Parker opened the and our skill to reach out into our consent. There has been in the last those gathered to begin the work evening’s discussions by affirming community in the form of ministries 10, 15 years about a 30 percent drop of reshaping parish ministry in the the importance of parish ministry. that serve those who live precariously, in the shape of our parish ministry.” diocese. “Let’s think of ourselves Parishes are “where we experience are marginalized or disenfranchised.” Framing the situation in personal as the generation who has been community and belonging, a sense Parish ministry is the other, equal terms, Parker said, “So I don’t know tasked to do this. Other generations of place… where we are visibly and arm, Parker said. “The work that about you, but I am not fond of in the 125 years of our diocese and tangibly in communion with one we’re about to do in many ways asks being shaped by change. It’s not a before that were tasked with building another,” he said. “It’s where we us to think as a diocesan church good feeling to have your life shaped the structure, the shape of parish feel our community of faith in the about our parish ministry as a by other factors than what you would ministry, and in many ways we’re most profound ways. And for that whole.” choose. Instead,” he said, “I would still living from the vestiges of that reason, parishes need to be healthy, Then the bishop sketched the rather consciously guide change, and structure. But we are the generation sustainable and well-resourced.” outline of the challenges the Diocese I hope and pray that you will join that has been tasked to address As critical as parishes are, and larger church face. “As there with me in guiding the changes we fundamental issues in the shape of “parishes are not really our church,” have been changes in population must make to the shape of our parish parish ministry,” he said. the bishop said. “In our Anglican distribution, in the composition ministry at this time.” Shape of ministry, page 3 Page 2 • CROSSTALK • June 2021 FROM OUR BISHOP As summer begins and we seek rest... t is very hard to believe that Shortly before I was consecrated, one year ago, on May 31, I wrote a pastoral note to our 2020, the day of Pentecost, I clergy, and offered the following Iwas consecrated to be your bishop. thoughts, which I share now in a After the service I went out to the slightly modified form because they forecourt of the Cathedral to “pray apply to all of us—especially as the for the city” as is traditional for a new summer begins and as we seek rest bishop. As I prayed silently by the and refreshment after another long “Homeless Jesus” sculpture, bathed pandemic winter and spring. in the dramatic light of the sunset, I Please be careful with your was conscious of the deep, reassuring time and energy. We have all been presence of the Holy Spirit. I upheld adjusting and innovating in order to the clergy and people of our diocese, live out our baptismal vows, without letting my mind travel through the the benefit of the familiar rhythms deaneries and parishes, and the names that anchor us. Some of our duties and faces that appeared as I prayed. have disproportionally expanded, and And I knew all will be well, in time. the lines between working and not Since then, I pray daily for you, working have likely blurred for all of but the pandemic has allowed very us. few opportunities to pray with you Pace yourself and keep it simple. in person. I have “been in church” Measure what you feel you need to on barely a dozen Sundays since be doing now against what you would becoming your bishop a year ago! normally be doing, and if it seems However, like most of you, I have like you are stressed and spread thin, been online on Sundays, joining in then aggressively assess what you worship with congregations across our need to scale back. Stay within your diocese, and appreciating all the hard natural gifts and strengths: the most work that goes into producing “virtual important thing is for people to know worship” week in and week out. that you care about them and are there for them. PHOTO: ART BABYCH If you feel like you are spending too much time in “Hollywood” mode, arrange for your parish to plug into a Sunday liturgy being streamed or offered by another parish. It is okay to take a Sunday off. If you are spending more time checking in, phoning, texting, or “meeting” than them). Knowing when you are off a crisis, you will be unable to help you ever have before, step back a bit, work, and being able to say to a others: there is nothing selfish about trusting that everyone is ministering friend what that looks like is really self-care. to one another. important—and if you don’t have a I pray that these summer months And if you don’t know when you cogent “here’s what I am doing on will bring many times of rest and are not working, ritualize your time my time off these days” narrative, relaxation to all, and that the Holy off: turn off the phone, change your then take that seriously. Spirit will visit you frequently, filling The Rt. Rev. Shane Parker, clothes, go for a walk, do something Take good care of yourselves and your hearts and minds with grace Bishop of Ottawa that is only about you (and if you one another. If you don’t stay healthy and peace. All will be well, in time. have a partner or family, only about in mind and body in the midst of CLERGY NEWS The Rev. Cathy McCaig will The Rev. Dr. Jon Martin has The Ven. Eric Morin has been The Ven. David Selzer will retire, effective Aug. 20, 2021. been appointed the Incumbent appointed Archdeacon of West retire June 1, 2021. While serving of the Parish of March, Quebec, effective June 1, 2021 as Interim Dean of St. George’s effective July 12, 2021. Cathedral in Kingston, he remains canonically resident in this diocese. June 2021 • CROSSTALK • Page 3 The team leading the process includes Anne-Marie Clysdale (co-chair), Ann Chaplin, the Rev. Tim Kehoe, the Rev. Rhonda Waters, Archdeacon Mark Whittall, as well as the Rev. Dr. Jon Martin (co-chair, photo on page 2) and Barbara Gagné. Shape of Parish Ministry from page 1 Stage 1: Generating a Parish Stage 2: Analyze and work with Stage 3: Gather with Profile •May 2021 - Oct.2021 the profiles •Nov. 2021 – Feb. 2022 neighbours and build “We must take on this task together proposals • March 2022 – Aug. One of the members of the Shape Martin explained that the team as a diocesan church,” he added. 2022 “The whole is greater than the parts. of Parish Ministry consultation will analyze the data and work with The body is much stronger and more team and another person assisting parishes as they go through their With support from the SPM team, resilient than any of the parts, than them will come to each of the profiles to understand them better participants will learn about either arm, and the body needs to parishes. “We will be sitting down but also to begin the work of looking change processes, and consensus take on this task.” to learn about your parish and get at the profiles of their neighbours. decision making models, develop Parker then introduced the team you to answer some questions for “Some of you may assume that when a curiosity about other parishes, leading the work on the shape of us. At the same time, we’ve also I say neighbours that means maybe meet with their neighbours very parish ministry.