The event was supported by the chaplains on the garrison, both Protestant and Roman Catholic. The young man, Nathanial Glandon, who was the acolyte, had been confirmed by Bishop Shaw last November.

On Sunday the 29th, Bishop Shaw confirmed Autumn Bridgewater and Alex Whittaker. When Bishop Shaw visited in November, he also confirmed Tristan and Isabell Glandon and Isla Bridgewater. The children being confirmed are all children of current or retired military members, and Alex Whittaker is a commander of a unit on the garrison. It is a way to get the families more involved in the chapel community.

The local Anglican clergy work with the military Anglican clergy, so there was support for Matthew Squires.
-Hilda Young

MY JOURNEY TOWARDS THIS ORDINATION to the diaconate in the Anglican Church of Canada begin in 2008. I was sensing a calling to military chaplaincy, but needed to complete a Master of Divinity degree (MDiv). My wife, daughter, and I were living in St. John’s at the time, and assisting in a Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland and Labrador church plant as a Pastor (later ordained in 2010).

Eager to expand my theological education (I already had a BTh in Pastoral Studies) and open to being exposed to a very different Christian tradition, I began studying at Queen’s College, the Anglican seminary located on the Memorial University Campus in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I was now on the road towards military chaplaincy and completing a MDiv.

While attending Queen’s College I grew to appreciate Christian traditions and rituals that I had essentially never been exposed to growing up in an evangelical environment. After completing my MDiv in 2012, I carried on applying for Regular Forces Chaplaincy as a Pentecostal Pastor, not realizing the impact Queen’s College had made on my faith.

Throughout the last ten years as a Chaplain with the CAF, I often found myself wrestling with an inner pull towards the faith expression I was introduced to for the first time in 2008 while attending Queen’s College.

I began to open up about my spiritual journey with the Bishop of the Anglican Military Ordinate (AMO), Bishop Nigel Shaw, in 2017. I remember this 90 minute (or so) conversation as being profoundly definitive. Because timing was important to my family, and identifying with a religious tradition you expect will feed your spiritually and shape your values, morals, and ethics is not a matter to be taken lightly, it still took me from 2017 until now to take the leap. And it was like experiencing a homecoming.

As a transitional deacon I hope to be ordained to the priesthood in roughly six months. While my residential Diocese is Central Newfoundland (where I may one day retire to from the CAF, and return to civilian ministry), I will remain on loan to the AMO and serve where I am posted. In the meantime, as I wait for ordination to the priesthood, I have been blessed with a wonderful family of local Anglican priests and parishioners, willing to invest in and prepare me for this sacrificial service to the Church and community. So drop by either St. George’s Chapel on Garrison Petawawa, Holy Trinity Anglican Church Pembroke, or maybe even All Saints’ Anglican Church Petawawa some Sunday, and say hi.
-Matthew Squires

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Some 20 years after the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70 CE, the Jews reorganized their shattered community at a council held in Jamnia, Galilee. By this time, the Pharisees had regained control, and other Jewish groups such as the Sadducees withered in their influence. As for the Christians, they had been decisively excluded from what had been the broad church of Judaism. The Gospel refers to the Jews putting followers of Jesus “out of the synagogue.” (John 9:22.16:2) This is not mentioned in the three Synoptic Gospels, and considering the time frame of their writing, it is unlikely to have occurred during Jesus’ ministry. 

The first three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, often referred to as “Synoptic Gospels,” present a similar or common view. John’s Gospel, often referred to as the “Fourth Gospel” has distinct differences. The purpose of John’s Gospel is succinctly stated “…so that you may come to believe…and that through believing you may have life in his name.” (Jn 20:31) At a time when Christianity was under attack from Jews, Romans, sceptics, and others, John wanted to present the essential truth of the Christian faith, to overcome the objections of its critics. 

John’s distinctive language and imagery, his focus on independent traditions, and the theological and philosophical milieu of his time, lend support to the view that he wanted to expand his audience to a broader religious world with a more universal appeal—to prove conclusively that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, and that all who believe in him will have eternal life. 

An overriding theme throughout John’s Gospel is the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ, “to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.” (Jn 1:11-12) The “Good News” is God’s action in Christ, and that “everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)

Interestingly, John only uses the phrase “Kingdom of God” twice (Jn 3:3,5), whereas he continually talks about life and eternal life. It is as though the tables are turned completely: with the “Kingdom of God” being the dominant theme in the Synoptic Gospels, and “eternal life” being very dominant with John. Scholars speak of John’s realized eschatology (that is the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind). Furthermore, John lived at a time when the church was having to adjust to Jesus’ failure to return (the so-called failure of the Parousia) or the Second Coming. And that he chose to emphasize Jesus’ spiritual presence in the church through the Holy Spirit rather than on his future return. Jesus did promise to come again, but did so in the person of the Spirit. 

John’s Gospel gets underway with: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1) The Word became flesh and dwelt among people in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. John sees Jesus as the new Spirit endowed leader, bringing the universal experience of the Spirit to all believers, and John viewed eternal life as fellowship with the Father and the Son, since it is precisely through the Holy Spirit that the Father and Son come to dwell within the believer. This approach to the meaning of eternal life can be thought of as accessible, even to us in the here and now.

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I have known others to undertake similar commitments. A dry January, February or Lent. I never understood why, nor did I have a desire to do so myself. I don’t know what changed, but certainly I did feel like it was getting out of hand.

A Lenten commitment would probably have made more sense. It is a time when we often deprive ourselves of something that brings pleasure. I gave up coffee for Lent one year; I’m not allowed to do that any more. Sometimes I’ve started a new, healthy or productive habit like a book study. Lent, however, is 6 weeks long and February only has 28 days, so February won out.

As I prepare to submit this column on the last day of dry February, I thought I would share some reflections on my fast.

It wasn’t as hard as I thought, but it was challenging. I did not feel physically deprived, but I discovered that I have been using alcohol to self medicate; to help with my anxiety and emotional regulation. While not shocking, I suppose, this discovery was a little unsettling. There were some days I didn’t miss it at all, but others where I really did miss having that drink while cooking supper or unwinding after a long day. I also felt extra irritable as a result and that was unpleasant for everyone around me as well.

I had hoped that I would start to feel differently, maybe better. I hoped I would sleep better, maybe lose a couple pounds, but I can honestly say those were not side effects of cutting out alcohol. As I don’t typically drink to excess, or just to “get drunk” I would not be in a steady state of hangover/recovery. And I found I was eating more, to fill the void, perhaps. I also hoped cutting out alcohol would help my tummy issues, however I don’t think it had a significant impact on that either.

Fasting isn’t supposed to be easy, and this one definitely was not. I did initially consider carrying on through Lent, but have ultimately decided against it. It was an interesting experience, and I feel that I did learn a lot about myself. I think, or I hope, that it has changed my relationship with alcohol for the better. 

I never understood why fasting was important. But now I wonder if the point is to make you think about the choices you make, learn about yourself and grow as a person. If so, I think I did it right.

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Surrounded by a silence
that only a stone Cathedral encapsulates

we hear music.

The rhythmic clink and clank and rattle from the loops as the tenor wind
shakes the scaffolding tarp like an ancient sail.

The whistles and hisses and hums and staccato clicking beat as the

dusty radiators warm the Nave. The woosh and crash and bang as the icy crusty snow drifts slide

from the slate roof.

We are not distracted by the melody
only inspired this morning by the anthem.

February 22, 2023 E.B. Reid

Tracks

Sometimes the road we travel
has not yet been cleared for us,
has not yet been cleaned of snow,
has not yet been been sanded and salted and is not bare and smooth. And the wind is cold these days and ice pellets sting our cheeks and we wish for Sun
and crave the smell of sunscreen. But we are thankful
that the treads of our boots
and the grooves of our foot falls are not worn down
as we trek every morning
up that snow crusted hill.

February 22, 2023 E.B. Reid

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For the Christian Church, the darkest time of our faith is Holy Saturday. Death comes to us on Good Friday. Life comes to us on Sunday at the time of resurrection. Inbetween those there is the darkness of Saturday. In order to appreciate the brightness of Easter, we need to be aware of the darkness of Saturday. It is in the darkness we are to be Christ-like: we are called to rest.  We believe through the auspices of scripture, reason, and tradition that Christ in this time of darkness (at the time) wrestled with the Evil One to overcome the powers of sin and death. 

There are times in life when we have our Good Friday Moments. There are times in life when we have our Easter Moments. In order to be fully aware of when we have those respective moments, we need to have our Saturday Moments too. Saturday Moments are indeed dark—they are very dark. They are dark because this is the time before we see the brightest light of all—the light of Resurrection. The words of the Exultet remind us of this: 

This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave. […] The power of this holy night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy.

As we move in this Easter Season, know that the darkness does not and will not last long. Know that in the darkness, light is coming. Once we become aware of God’s loving presence in the light of Jesus, the one who died and now lives, words cannot and will not be able to express the love and joy which we experience. It is in that moment that the darkness does indeed turn to light, and that light is God’s finest gift of love for each and every single one of us. Alleluia!

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This year I find myself thinking about one commandment in particular: the commandment that we should not make idols to worship, but should only worship God. Lately, I’ve come to believe that we have made idols of our churches, and maybe even of the Church as a whole. Do we worship Church/churches or God?

In a recent article in the Anglican Journal, Archbishop Nicholls talks about a new commission that is being tasked with finding “radical solutions” for the Church in light of all the challenges that we currently face. She says, “Every organization needs to ask itself periodically whether the framework for the life of the institution is helping or possibly hindering its professed mission.” The article is called “Primate proposes new commission to look for ‘creative, lifegiving solutions’ for church” for those who want to read it for themselves. 

How much time do we spend worshiping our own physical churches, the parish structures, or the various groups within them, seeing them as the most important thing? These are not necessarily bad things, but by our nature we are all fallen, and what we build is always faulty on some level. We cannot put our human structures, no matter how well intentioned, in place of God.

There is a phrase being used lately to refer to those who don’t go to church for worship, but are quick to voice their opinions when the actual worshiping community tries to come up with the radical solutions that our primate talks about—we say that the people who scream loudest about change are the ones that identify the Anglican Church as “the church they don’t go to.” They are the ones for whom church has become an idol—the thing that they worship instead of God. They’re the ones who you don’t see coming out to share in the Eucharist, but they’re quick to voice opinions at congregational meetings—or worse still, in angry emails that spread through the community like a cancer. A list of past contributions to the Church is not a replacement for regular worship and communion; it is about propping up the institution that has made them feel powerful. What is being worshipped?

If there are fewer people in the pews these days, then so be it. Maybe those who have fallen away have done so because they weren’t there to worship God, but were there to worship the past, or the building, or were going because of an obligation to parents or grandparents, or they were really more interested in the social gatherings. There’s a good chance that those who have stopped going to church are just being more honest than previous generations who may have gone for all the wrong reasons. A friend recently said to me, “You know, you can’t make people go to church.” We need to stop making idols of our current, flawed structures, and be willing to focus on God, the sacraments, and the grace that we receive from them. Everything that we need will be provided when we put God first.

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On February 12th, as our congregation assembled at our place of worship, we were gladdened to be introduced to, and be a part of, this Christingle service a service, symbolizing God’s gift of Jesus to us as the Light of the World. And as an aftermath to the winding down of Advent, Christingle serves as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.

Rev’d Jotie used the analogy of an orange as a motif to demonstrate the “Best Gift of All,” which represents the concept of a circle—round like the world.

A candle protruding from the top represents God’s light. A red ribbon encircling the orange signifies the blood of Christ, and also the love of God that goes all around the world. Toothpicks surrounding the orange are a sign of God’s love pointing in all directions. And the candy in each pick is representative of the sweetness of God’s love all over the world.

Five year old Faye Hillier, the youngest member of our congregation, accompanied Rev’d Jotie at the foot of the altar as he prepared the Christingle.

She digested each of the five steps in the demonstration with such enthusiasm that later, at home, she succeeded in manufacturing an almost perfect replica.

The accompanying photograph is of Faye, displaying her masterpiece.

After the conclusion of the service, everyone was invited downstairs for fellowship and food, prepared and served by the ACW.

A blessed day was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

“Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” 

Matthew 5:16

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Legal experts tell me that you should know that it is extremely important that you have an up to date will. If you die without a will, the Intestate Success Act will decide, that is, the courts will decide, how your estate is distributed, and this may not be in the best interests of your loved ones. However, we do know that if you have a will, then the decisions are in your hands.

To die without a will is irresponsible and places a tremendous burden on your survivors. Do not put it off any longer. 

I sought advice from lawyer Glen Roebothan (of Roebothan, MacKay and Marshall) about a few common misconceptions: Here are his responses:

“It’s obvious who will get my estate. It will go to my spouse.”

Local laws will determine who will receive your possessions, which may or may not reflect your intentions. If you die without a will and you are married with children, all assets will not automatically go to your surviving spouse.

“I don’t have an estate of any value.”

Even if you don’t believe that you have an estate of any value, your death itself may generate a sizeable benefit. For example, your beneficiaries may be entitled to the proceeds of a life insurance claim, a wrongful death suit, a claim in the event of some negligence resulting in your death. These can be significant sums of money.

“I prepared a will twenty-five years ago when our last child was born. Isn’t that enough?”

No. You should regularly review your will to ensure that it meets your current family and financial situation. A will can be changed at any time by adding a “Codicil”, which is an addition or an amendment to your existing will, or by simply making a new will. 

Some circumstances that could require you to change your will include:

a) A change in marital status; if you marry, your will is automatically revoked;

b) The death of a beneficiary;

c) The death of an executor or trustee;

d) an executor or trustee becomes unwilling or unable to act;

e) a change in family circumstances; for example a friend or family member may have a special need that you may wish to provide for.

In conclusion, a legal will is especially important when you are considering leaving a bequest for your church.

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