The Ordination of john R. stephens as Co-adjutor Bishop of The Diocese of New Westminster the feast of the conversion of st. paul the apostle saturday | january 23, 2021 | 11am Christ Church Cathedral | vancouver bc welcome Greetings, people of the Diocese of New Westminster, the Anglican Church of Canada and other friends and supporters, It is with great joy that I welcome you to participate in Because this is a livestream-only liturgy, most people at- the Ordination of John Stephens as he becomes the Bish- tending will be participating from their homes. We encour- op Co-Adjutor of the Diocese of New Westminster. John age all who are participating virtually to say the responses has served in many roles in this very diocese: Rector of and to sing the hymns. This contributes to the strength of St. John’s, Squamish; Rector of St. Philip’s, Dunbar; and prayer that this important liturgy deserves, and, of course, most recently Rector of St. John’s, Shaughnessy. He has also it allows those at home to play an active part in the event. served as Archdeacon of Vancouver and as a member of Though the limited nature of what we are doing has meant the Finance and Property Committee of Diocesan Council, that we do not have as elaborate a liturgy as we had hoped, two important leadership roles in the Diocese. I do want to thank those who have devoted their time and Today John and the Diocese take a big step forward, the energy to planning and carrying out today’s liturgy: The first of two steps that culminate in his installation as Di- Very Rev. Christopher A. Pappas, Dean of the Diocese; Ru- ocesan Bishop on February 28, 2021, the last day of my pert Lang, Cathedral Organist and Choirmaster; The Rt. term as Diocesan and as Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Rev. David Lehman, Bishop of the Diocese of Caledonia; Province of British Columbia and Yukon. The Rt. Rev. Lynne McNaughton, Bishop of the Diocese of Kootenay, preacher on this occasion; and Randy Murray, While we had all hoped to be able to gather in a limited Diocesan Communications Officer. way for this important liturgy today under the previous “50 people or under allowed to gather” provisions of the Finally, +John, and the entire Stephens family, as well as all Provincial Health Officer, the health orders today allow for the people and parishes of the Diocese of New Westminster, livestream liturgies only with strict safety provisions. Ac- my prayers are with us all as we begin this important leader- cordingly, I and the Diocesan Re-opening/Safety Team sub- ship transition together. mitted the plan for today to our local Health Authority and were given the permission to proceed. In the power of the Holy Spirit and with a full heart, cover image Calling St. Paul. artist James He Qi © 2021 All Rights Reserved All music is printed with permission: License #705, LicenSing — Copyright Cleared Music for Churches, and OneLicense.net #A-710782. All rights reserved. 2 DIOCESE OF NEW WESTMINSTER The Gathering of the Community Prelude Music As the community gathers for the ordination, pre-recorded music from the Cathedral Choir (CD selections) will be offered. gathering This celebration is taking place on unceded ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Greeting The Most Reverend Linda Nicholls, Primate (pre-recording) welcome The Indigenous Elder welcomes the community: Margaret George (pre-recording) Entrance Hymn In the Name of Christ We Gather Text: Shirley Erena Murray (1931 – ); Music: Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695); Westminster Abbey The Dean of the Diocese welcomes the community: The Very Reverend Christopher A. Pappas, Dean of the Diocese of New Westminster, Rector of Christ Church Cathedral The Archbishop greets the community: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. And also with you. 3 Collect for Purity The Archbishop says: Almighty God. to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. The Collect of the Day The Archbishop invites the community to pray, saying: Let us pray. Almighty God, by the preaching of your servant Paul you caused the light of the gospel to shine throughout the world. May we who celebrate his wonderful conversion follow him in bearing witness to your truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Proclamation of the Word The First Reading The appointed reader — Teofilo Bosaing — reads the first reading in Tagalog. A Reading from Acts (26:9-23). Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death. By punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was so furiously enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities. With this in mind, I was travelling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, when at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.” I asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. 4 DIOCESE OF NEW WESTMINSTER I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles — to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.’ Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church. Thanks be to God. The Psalm Psalm 67 Setting: Rupert Lang May God be merciful to us and bless us, show us the light of his countenance and come to us. Let your ways be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations. Let all the people praise you, O God. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide all the nations upon earth. Let all the people praise you, O God. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. The earth has brought forth her increase; may God, our own God, give us his blessing. May God give us his blessing, and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him. Let all the people praise you, O God. (This setting of Psalm 67 was composed for David Somerville, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his ordination, April 1989) 5 The Second Reading The appointed reader — Helen Cheung — reads the second reading in Mandarin. A Reading from Paul’s letter to the Galatians. For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother.