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This year, and every year when we heard St. John’s account of the resurrection on Easter Day, I cannot help but think about how the conditions of the post-resurrection tomb are described; in particular, I think about the condition of the cloth that is by itself. It is the cloth that was wrapped around the head of Jesus. We presume that this cloth was placed there to cover the injuries from the crown of thorns. In the world of dinning etiquette, a napkin folded midway through a meal is an indication to the waiting staff that a person is not finished their meal, but that, for whatever reason, they have left and are coming back. It is often the presumption that the cloth which was on Jesus’ head was left as an indication that he is not finished but he is coming back. Thus, in the emptiness of the tomb, there is the fullness of the expression of :“Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” 

The same is applied in our celebration of the Holy Eucharist. When at the end of the Eucharist the corporal (which is the linen cloth that is placed on the altar, beneath the chalice and paten) is folded, it indicates to the worshipping community that although the worship has ended, the meal certainly has not—the meal goes on. We come to the table week after week for the nourishment not only to the body but to the soul—we are not finished receiving Jesus, but rather we need him all the more. This is how we witness to the emptiness that only can bring fullness from the tomb. 

This year, let us focus on the fullness which comes from the emptiness. It is from the emptiness that we gain life: eternal life. The tomb is empty but the life lived because the tomb is empty is life in fullness, which can only be described as the joy of the Gospel. Focus on the fact that because the tomb is empty, the cloth indicating that there is going to be a return, there is nothing but joy and also the hope that one day, it will all come to a completion and the joy will be turned to love. The joy that turns to love is the joy of the Gospel giving to us the assurance of the love of God for us. Emptiness is indeed fullness, and this fullness is because there is a tomb in Jerusalem, and it is empty. Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Alleluia! 

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Here at St. John The Evangelist, Topsail, it is customary to celebrate each one, as we participate in a special service to complement the event.

Yesterday, February 4th, as the congregation both young and older assembled in our place of worship, we were gladdened to be introduced to, and be a part of the 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 meaning of Christmas.

At the foot of the altar, with three of the younger members of our congregation participating, Canon Jotie used the analogy of an orange as a motif to demonstrate the best “Gift” of all. As Canon Jotie demonstrated the steps symbolizing the embodiment of the Christingle, he involved each child in the structural procedure of all five.

An orange represented the concept of a circle around the world.

A candle protruding through the centre to the top symbolized Jesus Christ as the Light of the World.

A red ribbon circling the orange was an embodiment of the blood of Jesus.

Toothpicks surrounding the orange represents God’s love pointing in all directions.

Candy in each pick is the sweetness of God’s love over the universe.

The children enthusiastically digested the instructions, and I know that at least one of them successfully repeated the procedure after church, at home.

To quote Benjamin Franklin: “Tell me and I will forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I will learn.”

After conclusion of the service, everyone was invited downstairs for fellowship and food, prepared and served by the ACW. A blessed day was enjoyed by all.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16

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At a period when we are experiencing an onslaught of emotional and psychological wellbeing issues, there’s a substantial and growing demand for health services, counselling, and therapy, to respond to these emerging needs. It seems as though we’re living in a time when many, many people no longer feel grounded and are looking for a deeper purpose in living out their lives. 

It’s common for many individuals wrestling with their spirituality to not have had a faith based living experience. One is mindful of the diminishment, and in many instances the outright loss, of religious practices. And that, mostly, younger generations no longer attend church worship of any kind. And even fewer ponder at all “What the Almighty can do!” Hence a fallout of the very foundation on which the promises of God, the benefits of hopes and prayers, and the psychological comforts and security that many folks of yesteryear accepted and took for granted as serious props in their lives. One has to assume that, for many, the absence of faith based living has its consequences, and can leave one feeling rudderless and adrift. 

Much of the current day lament that manifests itself in emotional upheaval and a lack of psychological wellbeing is grounded in individuals experiencing a sense of loss, and being faced with feelings of having no purpose in life. Life’s changing times, with all its new challenges, is an ongoing realty. We are required to adjust and get on with the business of living. Of course, most of us do just that. However, the current predominance of despair, and sense of unease that’s continuing to increase, particularly amongst our younger generations, is a cause of concern. Our collective challenge is to build up—to build up others, to build up ourselves, and to build up the communities in which we live. 

To separate spiritual intelligence from the Holy Spirit, we go to the Apostle Paul who writes in 1 Corinthians, 2: 11-12, “For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.” 

And then in 2: 14-15, “Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them …Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny.” 

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Result: not a thing.

At first, I determined that this was due to poor choices in fishing spots. I had tried to follow guidance from more experienced anglers, but I had no luck at all, and spent hours watching water whisk by with nothing larger than a small trout breaking the surface. “There are no salmon here,” I told myself.

Undeterred I tried out several different fishing spots. And behold! I began to see salmon jumping out of the water, sometimes nearby, sometimes further away. And as a result, I caught…

Still nothing.

In the end I realized that, as an amateur angler, my technique was poor, and my chosen flies were unsuitable to the locations I was fishing. In short, I caught no fish because I did not present anything which they had any interest in.

“There are no salmon here,” sounds a lot like something else I hear frequently as a member of the clergy: “There are no young people here.”

I’ve heard it from parishioners, from vestries, and from other clergy. It seems to be one of the standard laments of the Church, as well as the reason behind failing Sunday Schools and youth programs. “We’d like to have a vibrant youth ministry,” they say, “but there are no youth here.”

It makes me wonder then who all those people at the local school are, and in the local playground, and in the hockey rink. It seems to me that there are young people everywhere, just about. I’m sure there are some small communities where youth are truly absent, but for the most part there seem to be young people all over the place, absorbed in whatever it is that they enjoy doing.

But they’re not in the Church. Why not? Well, are we offering them anything they’re interested in? Or are we poor anglers, convinced of the absence of fish simply because they don’t bother with our flies?

I know the struggle. Getting youth involved in church life is truly difficult. There are so many other anglers on the river, seeking youth interest, that it’s hard to compete. It takes so much energy; and with aging congregations, and aging clergy, it can be a trial to summon up that much energy, time, money, interest, and creativity to make any headway. Perhaps the time is better spent in service to those who are older, and who (by and large) are the ones who keep the church going?

But by doing that aren’t we saying that bringing the Gospel to younger generations is not worth the effort? That the spirituality and love in knowing Christ is, when directed at young people, mostly just seeds thrown on the road, or on rocky ground?

Because there are ways. It takes determination, and it takes sacrifice: often requiring that youth take priority over some traditional ministries that our parishes expect from us. But most of all it takes listening to the needs, wants, and cares of young people today. It means finding what can be offered, and making a real effort to encourage youth to take advantage of it.

And there is a lot out there. In my diocese (Central Newfoundland), a Youth Camp is offered every summer, which is a joy to all who attend. And every year kids only come from the same two or three places. The Anglican Charitable Foundation for Children offers financial aid to children in need, bursaries, and will even help send a child to the aforementioned camp. And often the committee does not even bother to meet, because no applications are made.

Let’s be better anglers. Let’s consider different techniques. Let’s throw the net on the other side of the boat. Because in the end it is not the youth that are left behind… it is us. 

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From April 1st, 2022, to March 31st, 2023, PWRDF supported 76 projects in 33 countries. $1,939,933 was spent on development projects (indicated by blue dots) and $6,828,929 was spent on humanitarian relief responses (indicated by the purple dots). 

The following are examples of some of these projects and responses: 

Development projects: 100 indigenous people accessed an inner city program (Winnipeg); 48 indigenous youth from 32 communities were trained in water monitoring (Pikangikum, Ontario); 500 families from indigenous communities achieved food security through sustainable agriculture (Mexico and Guatemala); 114 young people were trained in environmental journalism for the radio (Columbia); 1743 farmers learned how to improve their business productivity (Columbia); 350 women gained leadership skills (Haiti); 1,440,079 COVID-19 home care visits were made (Mali); 48 remote health clinics were outfitted with solar power (Mozambique); and 81,383 refugees learned about substance abuse through a prevention program (Thai-Burmese border). 

Humanitarian Relief responses: 400 people received trauma counselling after an earthquake (Haiti); 190 women were diagnosed and treated for osteoporosis at Ahli Arab Hospital (Palestinian Territories); 6730 people with disabilities and their families received supplies to get through the cold winter with power outages (Ukraine); 3,410 Syrian refugees were provided with food vouchers (Jordan); 640 South Sudanese who were returning home received 11 months of cash transfers to buy food (South Sudan); 500 households received food, water, tarps, and tents when floods forced them from their homes (Pakistan); and 883 children learned in a child-friendly space at a refugee camp (Ethiopia). 

These are only samples of all the work that’s being carried out by PWRDF. You can see more about their work on the website pwrdf.org, or you can call them at 1-877-936-9199, or write to them at 80 Hayden Street, Toronto, ON M4Y 3G2.

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As I grew up, I began to realize how difficult it is to keep a promise. The dictionary defines a promise as, “a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.” The dictionary also defines a promise as “declaring something will happen.” When I was young, I could promise to be on my best behaviour and to do my duty—I knew I would behave well because I promised to do so. It was a simple idea to me as a young child but as I grew up, I realized how difficult it is to keep making promises.

As adults we are pulled in so many directions. We have families to make promises to, and jobs, and volunteer activities. We make promises to our neighbours and our friends. We make promises to ourselves and our churches, and eventually we have promised things that we know aren’t humanly possible! Yet for those who take promises seriously, we attempt to fulfill all those promises to everyone. The result of trying to make all these promises come true leaves most of us feeling we have let everyone down. The problem seems to be: we promised too much!

As the dictionary says, a promise leads to a definite outcome—what you promise will happen, but not much about life here on earth is guaranteed.

The promise of Easter, however, is guaranteed! Jesus Christ died on the cross to guarantee that his believers will go to heaven! Jesus died so that we would be sure of his promise. He died so that we would be with him in heaven after we died. Jesus sacrificed himself so we would know, for sure, that our eternity would be spent with God in heaven—a place so wonderful that we can’t imagine what it’s going to be like! There’s nothing on earth that compares! I’m sure you all have been to a beautiful place where you have commented that it looks like heaven on earth. So, think about that image and imagine how wonderful heaven is going to be! Jesus wanted Christians to be assured of their place in heaven and that’s why he sacrificed himself for us. Jesus wanted his followers to know for sure that eternity will be spent in heaven because he gave himself for our sins. His promise will be fulfilled for us!

Easter, with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, assures Christians that we will be with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for all eternity. Jesus’ promise was fulfilled by his death and resurrection, and as Christians, this is the best promise we could ever have!

God Bless you all!

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This is all God’s doing! Creatures and creation are God’s own decisions and intentions to ‘let us make!’

Invested before time and through time and beyond time, God stays attached and determined to see it all through to perfection and glory: to life and light; to love and peace.

We human beings made by God and for God have been provided for in every way by the redemptive love of Jesus Christ, the third person of the Holy Trinity, the God-Man, fully human and fully divine.

In Christ, we are transported from the finite to the infinite! In him, we mortals have put on immortality! We are forever raised up!

Assured of everything and for all time, we can now live life with faith, hope, and love. We can make our life count and help make the world a better place. We can live out our forgiven, grace-filled lives with love for God, neighbour, and fellow-creatures. We can stand at the grave and see it is the gate to eternal life, where death and sorrow are no more!

Don’t miss the meaning and power of Easter! It is the greatest gift humanity and the world has ever known and could ever hope for! It makes life better here and lets us live forever hereafter. Rejoice!

Happy Easter,
+John Organ,
Western NL

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