Advent 2005 Editorial

By Lucinda Landau

For the past four months I have been immersed in the study of Christianity. I’ve been learning about the Jewish antecedents to our worship and liturgy; the effect of persecution on the early Church; the origins of the monastic tradition; the function of contemporary churches as emotional systems; the principles and practices of Anglican Liturgy; the influence of mystics on the Church and more!

I’ve taken apart the New Testament and analyzed the editorial style of the Synoptic Gospel authors. Most of us consider the Bible to be the revealed word full verses which so often inspire great hope and courage. Well, I’ve discovered that the individuals who recorded those verses wrote in the context of their social, cultural and ideological biases of their day. For many of my fellow students this came as a complete shock. We all grew up with the Bible as, well, as the Bible! We never considered the point of view of the various writers.

The Synoptic Gospels – the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, were written to attract and encourage specific audiences. Luke’s Gospel is often considered the most beautifully written with the greatest compassion for the poor and disenfranchised; Matthew’s Gospel addresses a community comprised largely of Jewish Christians under oppression from within and without; Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of these three similar accounts and largely seen as a Greco-Roman biography of Jesus rooted in a Jewish world view.

As a student of divinity, I have applied the principles of ‘scientific exploration’ to our spiritual history. By examining the debates that took place in the early Church, I have gleaned a greater appreciation for how our Church has evolved. This is not to say that I have any less belief in the veracity of the Bible, I think that truth is discerned not given. Reading the Bible involves the interaction of the Holy Spirit, we are inspired to see the truth embedded in the dialogues and discourses of Christ. Science cannot undo the invisible dynamic of Faith which illuminates Scripture for a believer. In fact, I can testify that my faith has greater confidence now that I have placed our central text under scrutiny.

As Anglicans, we believe that Holy Scripture is an instrument of the Church’s shared communion with Jesus Christ and is a witness to our salvation through Christ. Our Church does not isolate texts to diverge from a coherent interpretation of the whole of Scripture; we are clear that we also need each other to discern truth. We can agree to disagree. Isn’t that the most marvellous way to approach the world? I think so.

Blessings and Peace to all of you this Christmas!

Sincerely,

Lucinda


P.S. Next semester I will be in a pre-internship parish placement at St. James the Apostle in Guelph under the direction of Reverend Kevin Bothwell. I’ll be there for 10 hours a week from January until early April. I’ll miss you all, but I plan to stay on as Editor of the Georgian – and on that note, I want to personally welcome Helen Vandermey to our team as Production Assistant. Helen brings her enthusiasm and her expertise in publishing church newsletters – we’re looking forward to her input. Welcome aboard, Helen!

A Christmas Greeting from the Rector

A Blessed Greeting to All,

As we move through the season of Advent and the four Sundays leading up to the celebration of Christmas, we anticipate the commemoration of the birth of Jesus. But in our society, the greater truth is that as December 25th gets closer, we often find ourselves filled more with the anticipation of the time off work, of being with our family, or with the hope of receiving a gift or two.

In the midst of all those current and important things of our earthy life, sometimes truly celebrating the birth of a baby born two thousand years ago gets lost in the shuffle. It drops to the middle (or bottom) of our Christmas "To Do" list. It is difficult to get too excited about something you already know you have.

Perhaps this Christmas we need to be reminded just how important this two thousand-year-old gift is to us and to the world today! The Messiah was certainly a much desired and much needed person in the days before Jesus was born. The prophet Isaiah, when he was looking forward in expectation of the birth of the Messiah, called Him, among other titles, the "Prince of Peace."

Oh, how much our world needs the gift that the Prince of Peace has to offer! I invite you to move celebrating the birth of Jesus back to the top of your "To Do" list. Find the space to mark Jesus' birth in your heart and in your home. Give thanks to God when you eat your Christmas meal. Join us in worship as we celebrate God's most wonderful gift. With these subtle, yet powerful personal actions may we help fill our world with the Peace that God wants for all creation.

Peace,
Rob

The Rev'd Robert W.A. Park
Rector

Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise

By Henriette Thompson

With World AIDS Day in the news (December 1st), I recalled Neusta – we met in May 2001 while I was visiting World Vision-supported programs in Rushwa district, western Tanzania, in Africa. She was a budding artist; while the adults talked, Neusta took the paper and crayons we gave her and drew a lovely picture of a lady with bright clothes and long hair.

Neusta’s future was cut tragically and unnecessarily short. She never reached her 10th birthday – she died of AIDS just five months after we met. Her parents’ had already died from AIDS and she lived with her grandmother and two older brothers. Neusta had to drop out of grade 2 at the age of 9 – open skin sores and diarrhea, the symptoms of full-blown AIDS, prevented her from attending school. This child, who with her drawing skills may well have become an illustrator or graphic artist, was no match for a disease fuelled by poverty.

In 2005, more than 500,000 girls and boys like Nuesta have died. This brings the total number of child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa to 2.4 million. How did it come to this?

One month after my 2001 visit with Neusta, world heads of State and government representatives gathered at the United Nations for the first time to recognize that AIDS is a global crisis requiring global action. A ‘Declaration of Commitment’ signaled to governments that urgency would be required to address the devastation of the HIV pandemic with leadership, honesty and action.

$US 22 billion is needed in 2006 to reverse the AIDS spread in the developing world, by comparison a small percentage of annual global military spending.

To topple the unrelenting destruction of AIDS, we need to act and act now! We need to conduct campaigns with strong prevention messages, reduce stigma, build health infrastructures, provide necessary resources, and ensure treatment, care and respect for people living with HIV and AIDS.

Although the UN Declaration calls on governments to act, everybody has to be in on the fight against HIV and AIDS – including business, labour, faith-based organizations, the media, and, importantly, people living with HIV and AIDS.

Archbishop Andrew Hutchison signals to all Anglicans this month, “our church has AIDS. Our world has AIDS.” Our Primate calls us to “solidarity, to love, to compassion, to justice.”

The Anglican Church of Canada is taking on its share of this important battle. In May 2003, the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund approved an HIV/AIDS initiative called ‘Partnership for Life’. Its goal is to raise $1 million to support a rollback of HIV/AIDS.

“I call all Anglicans in Canada to rise to the challenge,” writes the Primate. He proposes that we raise our awareness; that we urge our government to support AIDS prevention and treatment; that we pledge our monthly support; that we pray for development partners and all people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Let’s stop AIDS. Let’s keep our promise to bright, energetic children, like Neusta, who do not have to die.

Please visit PWRDF’s Partnership for Life web site to learn more: www.partnershipforlife.ca

St. George’s Georgetown Excels in Scouting

By Lucinda Landau

St. George’s Anglican Church in Georgetown, sponsor of the 2nd Georgetown Scouting Group, has been lauded in the October the leader, Canada’s scouting publication:

Sue Bramley, Area Comissioner was thrilled to find out the 2nd Georgetown Group had the highest membership increase in the country. She said their sponsor, St. George’s Anglican Church, had a lot to do with it, as the minister had moved through scouting and was very supportive. The Beaver Colony was re-established [this year] and four new leaders joined. – October 2005, the leader.

Brenda Sisnett, Group Committee Chairperson for the 2nd Georgetown Group and long time member of St. George’s also said that Reverend Rob Park is a pleasure to deal with. The scouts appreciate the use of the church hall for its weekly meetings – for free.

Rev’d Rob moved through scouting as a boy and takes great pleasure in saying grace at their yearly dinner. “We have a long tradition at St. George’s of providing space for community groups and we welcome occasional group involvement in our Sunday worship services” said Rev’d Park. “It appears from our Church records that the date of the first Scouts charter was January 4, 1921.”

“Every February we commemorate the anniversary of scouting founders Lord and Lady Baden Powell’s birthdays in the Church with a parade and inclusion of scouts in the 9:30 am worship liturgy – last year we even had an artificial ‘camp fire’ going at the entrance to the nave. The kids really enjoy the service and bring their families to participate,” said Rev’d Park. Members from the congregation have actively supported the group by acting as group leaders and congregants sometimes come out to speak on special topics, such as world religions.

“Scouting can instil values that last a lifetime for children, I know it worked for my children and I’m proud that my own parish has provided consistent support,” said Brenda Sisnett. “This year, our group has grown the fastest of any other group in the country, that’s not surprising considering the wonderful partnership we have here” she concluded.

(Ed’s note: This article has also been submitted to The Niagara Anglican for publication in their January edition!)

The Basis of Stewardship

By Archdeacon John McMulkin

There are a number of great biblical themes which are too large to be dealt with in a sermon. Stewardship – of the earth, of time, of talents, of treasure – is one of them.

Stewardship has to do with the way we work, act, give, worship and live. The steward is entrusted with the responsible care of the whole community. There are two fundamental realities which form the basis of stewardship: God the Creator and Loving/Forgiving God. He created with infinite and loving care so that when it was done He looked at what He had made and saw that it was good. He pronounced that it was VERY good!

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Ps. 24:1) – in short, God owns it. The Book of Genesis tells us that God then created man and woman and gave them dominion over the earth.

‘Dominion’ is not a license to plunder and pillage. Rather it is a vocation to be God’s agents, His Stewards. We are His caretakers, those who care for what belongs to another in accordance with His known desires and purposes. God is the sovereign creator who owns and reigns over all that He has created. He is the “Master of the Universe”. Psalm 8 asks, “What is man that thou art mindful of him?” The answer that the Psalmist is given tells us that we are blessed with the responsibility and privilege of being stewards of what belongs to God. BUT we don’t own! We are tenants making use of what belongs to God.

It is difficult for us to accept what the bible declares to us, namely that we own nothing in any unconditional sense. We have, for a time, possessions to use for the necessities of life and for God’s other purposes. “You can’t take it with you” rings familiar despite the man who said “if I can’t take it with me, then I won’t go”. He was WRONG! He left it all behind!

The biblical insight is that we don’t own unconditionally. Indeed Paul declares that we don’t even belong to ourselves, but to Christ and He belongs to God (1 Cor 3:18- 4:5). In Philippians 2: 5-14, Paul says that Christ himself was a steward, that he exercised the lordship of the Father according to the Father’s purpose and will.

The bible makes clear what God’s purpose is: in the Old Testament we learn from the prophet Amos to practice justice, mercy and righteousness (Amos 5:24), “but let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an everlasting stream”. Further, in Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” These are great texts! There are many more such texts in the New Testament that teach us we are responsible for the welfare of our brothers and sisters who share life with us on this earthly home which the Father lovingly created.

The second fundamental fact regarding Stewardship is the fact that God is a giving and forgiving God. Stewardship is a theology of receiving with thankfulness; a response to what God does for us. We can even define Stewardship as a theology of purpose and of calling – a vocation.

Our foundational text, the Old Testament, emphasises the fact of creation. The New Testament builds on that and relates creation to Redemption – the NEW Creation.

God gave and continues to give the things of the earth – life, growing things for our nurture and He gives enough for all to live in abundance. This is in contrast to the world as we know it; inequity abounds. This stems from human acquisitiveness – some want more than enough. This human attribute has plunged the world into chaos and crisis. Jesus warned against this many times; consider the dramatic parable of the rich man and his full barns (Luke 12:13-21).

God gave his Son, for God gives and forgives. Through the Son we are given second, third and more chances to cast off our sinful nature and be reborn into a new life. By His word we were created and by His word made flesh He redeems us and gives us fellowship with Himself. Our response is to accept God’s gifts and to be thankful and faithful!

Stewardship is what follows from the sure knowledge of our blessings and of the gift of worth and purpose which God’s love gives to us. Christian Stewardship has its chief motives in gratitude and faith. It involves doing the work of God and giving to the work of God that which builds the kingdom and cares for our neighbour.

Stewardship is parallel to the Gospel; it’s the good news, not the law. Ideally, we live as stewards in joyful recognition of what God is doing in our lives. In strange and sometimes disturbing ways the kingdom is being built! We are invited to be part of that.

Participation in God’s work requires, among other things, giving from our treasure. For many this is the point where it gets tough! Our money is somehow an expression of ourselves; consider the story in Mark 10:17-22 of the rich young man who genuinely sought salvation, yet he turned away in sadness as he was held captive by his possessions.

Redemption means we are set free from that; we are set free from all that binds us. Jesus spoke frequently about money as it is a subject with unavoidable spiritual connections. Many of his parables and sayings are about the effect that money can have on people. The way in which we acquire it and use it underlines our real values. It is necessary that we have money, but its importance to us makes the offering of some of what we have a worthy gift to God and dignifies the needs of others.

I have heard it said that there is too much talk about money in church. I wonder why! Is there a hidden agenda there? For myself, I disagree – there is too little mention of money in a positive way. Generally we only hear the negative perspective – ‘we haven’t enough money for this or for that’ to explain away why that which is for the good of all can’t be done.

I wish our talk about money could be more uplifting! I don’t hesitate to say, “Give, as you are able with joy and gratitude”. Perhaps parish corporations would rather I’d say, “Give it all to the church”. But I can’t do that because I don’t do that.

The Church does God’s work, but it is not alone. Others do a much better job of putting food on the tables of the poor and destitute in our towns and cities. The hungry and other social agencies deserve our financial support, along with the church. I split my almsgiving about half and half between the church and charitable agencies and the church doesn’t’ suffer. It is all God’s work.

We have been given the responsibility of caring for this parish here at St. George’s. We have an abundance of talented leadership and dedicated volunteers. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hire back our very good caretaker; replace the many tattered service books that are in the pews; patch the holes in the parking lot, and more? Let’s put into practice what we know about Stewardship right here and right now!

Evangelism Report

By Helen Vandermay

Almost all churches claim to be warm and welcoming, but what is it really like to walk into a brand new church on a Sunday morning?

Let’s consider that you are coming to church because you are troubled or upset, but you want to make the effort to belong somewhere. How would it feel if, as you take a seat, you are told ‘this seat is taken’ and a purse is shoved down where you were about to sit?

Maybe your first visit is spontaneous -- you hear some music coming from inside the church and you decide to go to the service. But, the door is locked. There is no indication on the door which direction one is to go to get into the building, so what next?

Perhaps you have just moved to town and you decide to visit your local Anglican parish. The door is open and people are milling about in the lobby, but you can’t readily find the direction for the worship space. No one talks to you, so eventually you decide to follow others and success, you find it. The music is appealing and the minister’s sermon was particularly meaningful to you. Feeling encouraged, you walk out with others after the service, shake hands with the minister who asks your name and then you follow the crowd into the church hall where coffee is being served. You get in line with others but no one seems to notice you. You wind up standing all alone looking at everyone else talking to each other. No one talks to you, or even seems to notice that you are there. You finally get up the courage to walk up to someone and say ‘Hi.’ They say ‘Hi’ back and then carry on with their conversation. You finish coffee and leave, not sure you will come back again. You have been ignored by almost everyone.

Of course, St. George’s is not like this. Or is it? Yet, the sad truth is, most of these stories have come from people in this parish! You would be surprised what I have heard from people when I ask them about the first time they came through our doors.

Part of making our evangelism efforts successful is to get the truth about our behaviour out into the open. Are we friendly and welcoming to strangers? Honestly, sometimes we’re not.

Sure, we love to connect with our old familiar friends at coffee hour, but can we try to scan the room first and see if there is a newcomer in the hall? Go over and say hello, find out who the Lord is sending to us. Romans 15:7 ‘Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God’. Most people decide within 5 minutes of entering a church whether or not they will come back.

It doesn’t end there, either. People exploring a new church home bring their hopes, needs, wants and desires with them. They may appear anxious and needy to us. But let’s face it; we’ve all had to walk into a church as a stranger. And look at us now, we’ve grown and developed and been fulfilled by our church – can we share our success with others? Our community life is virtually buzzing with activity and connections. The table may feel full, but as I look around during church services, I see some empty spaces in the pews.

As Evangelism representative to our parish, I’m here to help you welcome others to our church. Here at St. George’s we do a marvellous job keeping our outside grounds attractive, our programs vital and our services meaningful. We naturally attract new people who want to share this gem of Victorian architecture.

I’m starting a welcoming group for our parish. Bring me your stories of how you’ve been welcomed at other churches. I can train you on how to greet that stranger standing alone in the lobby. Get involved, tell me your ideas or things you’ve seen work elsewhere. Speak to me at church, or call me by phone at (905) 877-7636, or by e-mail me jvandermey@cogeco.ca.