Standing Up and Taking Action Against Poverty

This past Sunday at St. George's the topic of my sermon was justice. Justice is, for me, a basic value of fairness and equality. It is a place where we should begin life and end life.

Of course, as we all find out, life is not like that. Justice is something hard to find and injustice is too often where we find ourselves. Human frailty and the ease with which we fall to selfish greed and pride, makes for a world full of injustice.

Poverty is one of the greatest injustices. How many times have you heard that there is enough food in the world for everyone on the earth to eat and not be hungry? Yet, if we really believe that then why are people still dying of hunger?

I have often found myself feeling so overwhelmed when I think about poverty, because it seems like such a big and complex problem that I feel helpless to do anything to stop it. Truthfully, it is not in my power to do anything about it. How could I? I am just one person.

In 2000, the United Nations got together and got 189 nations to agree to the Millennium Declaration with its 8 Millennium Development Goals. The first goal was to end extreme poverty by 2015. As "pie in the sky" as declarations may seem, you know, they often seem like all they are is a "nice thought". This said, somehow, deep down in heart, I actually found this Declaration stirred up some of my hope. Hope that we might actually be able to address this great injustice if we actually do it together. Maybe with the weight of the whole world, we might be able to end poverty.

I want to be part of the generation that can actually see the end of the extreme poverty that taints our world.

Canada, was among the nations that agreed to the Millennium Declaration, and we have passed bills which officially have given our country's support. The problem so far, in Canada, is our government has not done much to actually show its willingness to make it happen.

Since I have a vote here in this great country, I decided to write an email to my local MP and let him know that, I, one of the people he represents, would like to see Canada be a world leader in helping our world be a more just place by seeing that Canada meets its Millennium Declaration commitments.

Part of my letter included my own version of the "Stand Up" pledge found at www.standagainstpoverty.org. Actually, I found the site and the action it encourages to be very hopeful. Here is a video of Archdeacon Desmond Tutu that helped inspire me to "Stand Up" in my own way and to make the pledge my own.

New Crosses Installed

When the current stone church was built in 1878, the peaks of the stone walls on the east and west ends of the nave were adorned each with a stone cross, as was the stone wall of the entrance to the church basement on the Guelph Street side. These crosses are visible in many of the early photographs of St. George’s. In 1921, the sanctuary of the church was extended and the cross that was placed on the peak of that east wall has remained to this day, but the other three crosses had fallen or broken off at some point. No records of how or when that happened are found in our current records, although anecdotally, some believe that lightening was a cause. The design for the new crosses now on the peaks of the nave walls is a match to the existing cross on the sanctuary wall. The cross over the middle door is based the square cross design as seen in some of the early photographs of the former cross from that location.

In recent years, a desire had been voiced to replace the missing crosses with new ones. Much of the cost of restoring these crosses came from a memorial in remembrance of Mr. John Rankin, a former warden, lay reader, and member of the property committee. These crosses are a most appropriate gift from the Rankin family.

A survey about space at St. George's and how we use it

I am posting the pdf file of a survey we are circulating to all parishioners, so that anyone who needs a copy can get it from here as well. I realize that you would probably have to print it out to answer it and submit it, and that does seem a bit counter-productive as no trees would be saved in the process.

I would be interested in anyone who might be able to give me a better solution to provide so sort of online or email based way to have this kind of survey answered.

Anyway, the purpose of the survey is to help us better understand how we are using our building to carry out our ministry here at St. George's and what parts are most important for us to focus on for the future.