It was a time of quiet reflection amidst the atmosphere of our church family.
We endeavoured to envision the scene two thousand years ago of a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger in Bethlehem, and the angel said, “Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.”
(Luke 2:10).
At the same time, we must be mindful of the contrast between the spiritual and the secular concept of watching, waiting, and expectation.
Human nature has traditionally put a lot of emphasis on shopping, cleaning, baking, and decorating in preparation for Christmas, while watching, waiting and hoping that all material desires will come to fruition.

But Canon Jotie’s lessons delivered during these four weeks of Advent have reminded us that in our preparation for Christmas, we must not forget to include a holy Advent of watching, waiting, and expectation with the human and divine aspects coming together, as was demonstrated on December 9th, when our Holly Tea ladies, in the true spirit of Christmas, welcomed a full house of guests in celebration of the thirteenth anniversary of our traditional Holly Tea. 

Christmas is such a joyous time
Our inner feelings to evoke,
As a separate candle glowed each week,
Emitting peace, joy, love and hope.
At our Holly Tea we welcomed neighbouring guests,
To mingle with old friends and new,
Exchanging greetings for a Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year too. 

The post Our Spiritual Journey Through Advent and The Traditional Holly Tea appeared first on Anglican Life.

This Advent, the Church of the Good Shepherd in Norris Point displayed a beautiful variety of nativity scenes provided by parishioners. Some of the scenes came from different parts of the world, including Russia, Maldova, and the West Bank.

This year we celebrate 800 years of nativity scenes.

St. Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first live nativity in 1223 in a small grotto near an Italian village called Greccio, where he preached about the birth of baby Jesus.

Thank you to all who provided the nativity scenes and those who helped create a beautiful display.

The post 800 Years of Nativity Scenes: A Celebration in Norris Point appeared first on Anglican Life.

The post ACW Holds Annual Christmas Fellowship, Port aux Basques appeared first on Anglican Life.

While thinking about these big issues, I remembered a conversation I had with my father several years ago, when I was taking him to physiotherapy. During the drive across town to his appointment, we witnessed a traffic accident. Thankfully no one was hurt in the fender bender, but both parties jumped out of their cars screaming profanities at each other. One blamed the other for the accident and they started to push and shove each other. It was at this point that the police showed up and directed traffic to go around the accident. 

My father seemed really upset by what we had witnessed because of the behaviour of the drivers. He couldn’t believe that grown men would get on like that in the middle of the street. Dad said it was obvious that neither driver had meant to hit the other and that it was simply an accident. He said that neither driver had given the other grace. 

Dad explained that God’s grace was undeserved favour. God’s grace isn’t earned, but it is freely given. God forgives our mistakes. He sees our poor choices, watches us learn from them and then doesn’t judge us but rather gives his grace to us. Dad said he thought the world was lacking in grace because people had forgotten God’s grace to each and everyone of his believers. Dad said, if we gave our grace to the people we encounter on a daily basis then how much better would the world be. We don’t know the circumstances behind people’s behaviour. We don’t know the trials and tribulations people go through every day and we shouldn’t judge people for poor choices. Only God can judge us for our behaviour when we face him at the gates of heaven, so here on earth, we should give others our grace and not assume that we know what is going on in someone’s life.

The car accident that day, and that conversation on the way to physiotherapy, changed me more than my father ever imagined. I see people in terrible circumstances every day as I travel around the city. I see those who stand at the traffic lights with cups. I see the people stumbling up the road in the middle of the day. I see the angry people screaming at each other on the streets. Since my conversation with dad so many years ago, I try not to rush to judgement regarding these people. Instead, I think, but for the Grace of God, that could be me. I remember dad’s sage conversation about God’s grace, and I try to offer people who appear to be in trouble, my grace and pray that God will give his grace to these people as well.

God bless you all! 

The post By God’s Grace appeared first on Anglican Life.

Let’s give thanks for the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of our Saviour. Wishing everyone a blessed holiday season.

The post Visit to Riverhead Manor and Harbour View Apartments appeared first on Anglican Life.

Our soul, intertwined with our mind, is an ever-present source of uncertainty. Amongst Christian believers many hold that divine and human wills act simultaneously. But the process of these interactions is a mystery that cannot be unravelled through intellection. And for those of us who ponder an afterlife, even amongst the most devout believers, there’s wonderment and uncertainty as to what shape and form an afterlife would take. Perhaps not surprisingly, scriptures have little to say on afterlife specifics. Just how would one go about explaining a supernatural setting to those of us already experiencing the many uncertainties and unknowns of our natural world, the world in which we live?

As with other important matters, some of us give it a lot of thought while others not so much. The struggle in deciding just where we want to be, presents us with choices and challenges. We are always searching for new information, new evidence, to prop up what we already believe. It is as though we need to keep piling on new sources and new findings to sustain our beliefs. Over a lifetime, and it really doesn’t matter how far along life’s journey we are, whether we are young or old, repeated reinforcement of our own rationale results in the further positioning of our view. 

When someone close to us, be it a friend or loved one, offers up differing opinions, it sometimes becomes necessary to defend our own well-established position. In the main, we are unable to easily change our minds, especially on important matters that we’ve developed over time. Why is this? Life’s ever-changing scene and our mind’s handling of the steady onslaught of uncertainties experienced in everyday living, cause us to routinely fortify our delicate array of personal views. If we become efficient at suppressing personal doubts then it may become too easy to over-do it and cut off our critical thinking path. The more fortified our personal view becomes and the closer we arrive toward a sense of certainty, the more comfortable and established our thinking becomes. And if and when we become too relaxed in certitude, then that can become a dangerous place, especially when we conclude beyond a shadow of a doubt that “that’s it.” In such a mindset, we can easily fall victim to “being often in error but never in doubt.” 

For whatever reason, we are so configured that our thinking process is a constant activity, forever trying to get us to a level of acceptance and comfort. Our comfort levels or peace of mind often vary, and that level of variance may well increase or decrease our level of thinking. If we arrive at too high a comfort level, then we may prematurely shut down and jeopardise our very own thinking machine. On the other hand, if we run our thinking machine full tilt and don’t slow down to relax and refresh, we run the risk of over-heating and overdoing it. Either direction has its pitfalls. An abundance of self-awareness, the ability to ponder without jumping to absolutes, help us to keep it all at an acceptable balance. But it ain’t easy! 

Finally, for those of us who believe in the power of prayer and acknowledging what God can do, know that it surpasses all of our frail worldly attempts, in understanding life’s many unknowns. Pondering anew what the Almighty can do, provides us the opportunity to further understand and comprehend all those things we do not know. 

The post Reasonable and Probable Grounds to Believe appeared first on Anglican Life.

In that time, a lot of work has progressed to complement and adorn the Columbaria area. Since June 2020, parish volunteers have worked intently to actualize the beautification of this area: 

• Trees and bushes were cleared and trimmed at the entrance to the columbaria area.
• A perennial rock garden was created to which many parishioners graciously donated plants from their own gardens.
• Four raised mini gardens were carved out adjacent to each columbarium in which were planted vibrant annual plants, with the addition of Japanese (Nishiki) Willow trees, to add colour and further vibrancy.
• Thirty holes were dug on each side of the walkway to the columbaria where boxwood shrubs were planted to begin the creation of a cultivated hedge and walkway.
• An additional adjacent area behind an existing bench was dug out to create an extension to the perennial garden which has since been fully planted.
• Four additional Japanese Willow trees were planted at the back end of the columbaria in the area of the three existing crosses.
• Each garden area was finished with the addition of garden mulch, regularly watered, and fertilized throughout the season.
• Each flower bed adjacent to the two columbaria were planted with daffodil, hyacinth, and tulip bulbs in anticipation of spring blooming.
• The garden was winterized by covering and securing the boxwood plants and willows from the elements. All of this laid the groundwork for further enhancements to the area which have been carried out by our team of dedicated volunteers since November 2020. Additional ornamental trees, bright yellow luscious Laburnum (Golden Chain) trees, now adorn one of the donated park benches.
• The perennial rock garden has been further enlarged and expanded to another area behind one of the new benches. Parishioners have continued to graciously share plants from their own gardens to this end.
• Several large trees overlooking the columbaria were removed as result of damage incurred from hurricane force winds that compromised both nearby gravestones and the columbaria.
• Three steel crosses were donated, erected, painted, and placed in the area behind the columbaria to remember three unknown infants whose graves were located under the sanctuary of the original St. Philip’s Church, formerly located on this site. 

Each summer, the parish’s cemetery committee avails of a government grant program to hire a student whose responsibility is to assist in the care of the cemetery grounds including the columbaria area. This student is a tremendous help to the volunteers in helping maintain the area, mow the grass, and assist in watering the plants, shrubs, and trees as necessary. 

Two memorial park benches were donated by two parish families and installed on each side of the walkway adorned by brightly coloured annual plants. These provide a peaceful place for prayer, remembrance, solitude, and contemplation. 

As this project continues to be a work-in-progress, the parish envisions more enhancements to the area over time to include the further extension of the boxwood hedge at the entrance to the columbaria, the installation of two large cement planters adjacent to the smaller benches near the columbaria, the construction of a replica of the original St. Philip’s Church and, in the long-term, the installation of two new columbaria behind the original ones.
It is noted that many parishioners value the importance of caring for the resting place of loved ones by coming to spend time in the area. Parishioners, family members, friends, and visitors who have visited the area are the beneficiaries of experiencing a peaceful, safe, and quiet area for prayer and contemplation that is being made into a lasting memorial to those who have gone before us. All this is indicative that the primary recipients of the beautification of the columbaria area are indeed all those present and future generations who take the time to visit and sit in solitude and remembrance of dearly departed family and loved ones of St. Philip’s Parish. 

As a parish, we are proud that this initiative strives to uphold our Baptismal Covenant, “to safe-guard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain, and renew the life of the earth.” The Parish of St. Philip is committed to addressing the crisis of climate change. By planting trees, shrubs, and plants, this naturalization project helps to further purify the air in this already beautiful area close to the sea overlooking Conception Bay. The work done through this project is a labour of love for our dedicated volunteers. This beautification project serves to enhance the landscape of the cemetery while having created a peaceful, safe, and quiet area for prayer and contemplation for those who visit. It also serves, in part, to enable us as a faith community to actualize our involvement in and commitment to the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador’s Strategic Plan, called “Set Sail.” While endeavouring to maintain a focus on each of the “ships” outlined in the strategic planning framework: Deepening RelationSHIPS, Transforming DiscipleSHIP, Renewing StewardSHIP, and Strengthening PartnerSHIPS, this initiative, in particular, centres itself around the ship of Renewing Stewardship, and Goals 4 and 5 of this diocesan plan: 

To renew our understanding of the true, holistic nature of our stewardship and responsibility to all of God’s creation both individually and together as faith communities (Goal 4) and 

To examine our current environmental footprint in light of the ongoing climate emergency and take action to tangibly reduce the negative impact we as individuals and faith communities are having on God’s creation (Goal 5). 

Additionally, this project has served to deepen relationships, transform discipleship, and strengthen partnerships amongst parish members, volunteers, and community members by enabling individuals to work towards the shared goal of caring for our environment, God’s creation, while creating a space for all to honour our dearly departed and to give solace to loved ones.
The Parish of St. Philip is truly thankful to the Anglican Foundation of Canada for its generous grant under its 20/20 Vision initiative. This grant, supplemented by countless hours of volunteer work by passionate gardeners, donations of annual and perennial plants, mulch, and fertilizer, and donations from two families to cover the cost of two beautiful memorial park benches, as well as the receipt of numerous compliments, has enabled the parish to fulfill a dream to enhance an already naturally sustained and pristine environment within the parish’s cemetery overlooking the sea. 

The project coordinators are Joyce Fewer Keeping and Dawn Cheeseman. Both are parishioners and the spouses of former rectors of St. Philip’s Parish, Archdeacon E. B. Keeping, and the late Canon E. B. Cheeseman. 

The post Creating A Lasting Legacy appeared first on Anglican Life.

“In recent years, Canada has experienced an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters. Wildfires, hurricanes, and floods have affected thousands of families and individuals. In response to unprecedented wildfires from coast to coast, PWRDF launched a separate fund for in-Canada emergency response in 2023. This fund will allow PWRDF to respond quickly when a diocese asks for support, rather than wait to raise funds for individual disasters.” 

Dioceses can request short-, medium- and longer- term support depending on their specific needs, including:

• emergency accommodations

• gift cards to purchase food, water, clothing, and other essentials

• emergency services such as washrooms, generators, or charging stations

• counselling and post-trauma supports 

• locally identified long-term recovery activities to help rebuild community assets and increase community resilience

One Canadian diocese that benefitted from the In-Canada Emergency Response Fund in 2023 was the Diocese of Kootenay in BC.  A grant of $5,000.00 helped cover immediate expenses when 95% of the Okanagan Anglican Camp (OAC) was destroyed during the McDougall Creek wildfire. 

Located just north of Kelowna on the Okanagan Lake, Camp OAC was a valuable community space for over 70 years. It was enjoyed by thousands of campers during the summer, and by those who came for family, school, or community get-togethers during the off-season.

In a letter to the Diocese after the fire in August 2023, Archbishop Lynne McNaughton wrote: “It was daunting to view the scope of the fire. Buildings simply [became] small piles of twisted metal. The wooden dining hall that has stood for 70 years now is a lonely-looking stone fireplace standing by itself. The beautiful “Windsong” where we had community gatherings and joyful dances is gone.”  The staff quarters, residence building, crafts and program building, and the dock were all damaged, while the camp had to be evacuated.

As the fire approached the camp, the Diocese rented vehicles to safely transport and relocate all campers and staff who were onsite. High winds increased the speed of the fire, but everyone got out safely.

This $5,000 PWRDF grant assisted the Diocese in recouping some of those vehicle rental costs, as well as with plans to rebuild the camp. The grant also provided funds to reimburse Kelowna parishes that distributed emergency food to evacuated individuals and families, as well as support for clergy and families evacuated from nearby communities during the fires.

For information on accessing this fund see: https://pwrdf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/in-canada-emerg-singles.pdf

To donate, see https://pwrdf.org/give-today/ or phone 416-822-9083 or 1 (866) 308-7973

Quotations from https://pwrdf.org/our-work-impact/humanitarian-response/ and https://pwrdf.org/pwrdf-supports-the-diocese-of-kootenay-in-aftermath-of-wildfire/

The post PWRDF’s In-Canada Emergency Response appeared first on Anglican Life.

Of course, you can have too much. I made a meal of beef and broccoli for my family on New Year’s Day (there’s a limit on how much turkey I can face during the holiday season). It was quite good, but the consensus around the table was that, yes, it was too salty. Live and learn.

But if I took the salt out entirely, I doubt anyone would have eaten the meal at all, except that it was all there was for supper, and they would have otherwise been somewhat hungry.

We need the salt, in moderation.

When I think about the Church, back when we walked hand in hand with the state, holding all the power and apologizing to no one, I imagine it like having regular meals with way too much salt in them. We got used to it, and so we often didn’t notice the excess. But as our society chowed down on feast after feast, the salt built up, the blood pressure rose, and before long we had to quit the salt or face serious heart problems.

And it was a good thing to do. The separation of Church and state is vital, both for the fair and just operation of the government, and for the spiritual well-being of the Church. I would never have it go back to the way it was. A high-sodium diet is not the way forward.

But, truth be told, we still do need the salt. The Church still needs to have a voice in state matters.

Since the Church and state divorce, it seems we have become far too content to sit in our chilly buildings and watch the ups and downs of society, doing little more than saying prayers for the victims and asking for donations from the prosperous. We seem fearful to speak with strong voices about matters which have a very real impact on the people we are called to serve.

Maybe it’s because we worry that our voices will turn out to be small and easily ignored. Perhaps we fear backlash and reprimand from the very society we desire to help. Maybe we’re even anxious that we might be successful and start finding too much salt on the plate again.

It has always been the role of prophets and spiritual leaders to speak truth to those in power. Not because we are powerful, but because we are not. Our calling is to hear and see the struggles of the outcast, the left-behind, and the forgotten; those that the powerful often fail to be concerned with. And when we have heard and seen, we are called to act. To speak for them as have no voices. To stand with them who have been pushed down.

In our context, here in Newfoundland, that seems more and more important. How many of us serve in small, rural communities: places which have many elderly and few young, broken roads, and fewer and fewer public services? How many of us watch as the outport towns (the very icon of Newfoundland culture and identity) are forgotten, and everything compresses closer and closer to St. John’s? We speak to our parishioners, who each week tell us, “I need to go into town for a doctor’s appointment,” only to have it cancelled while they’re on their way. Fixed incomes struggle to make ends meet, while prices keep rising and rising.

How long before all our people have passed away, or moved away, the parishes fade, the roads crumble, and the only things left are overgrown and forgotten cemeteries?

We need the salt. We need it so that our people might not be forgotten… not be ignored. Our Church may not be the entity of worldly power it once was, and that’s a good thing. But it still needs to be heard, on behalf of every person who still sits in the pew, and those who cannot manage to do so anymore.

Pass the salt, please, because the food is getting pretty tasteless. 

The post Can You Pass The Salt, Please? appeared first on Anglican Life.

A Rule Of Life. 

On page 555 of The Book of Common Prayer, it states: 

Every Christian man or woman should from time to time frame for himself a RULE OF LIFE in accordance with the precepts of the Gospel and the faith and order of the Church; wherein he may consider the following: The regularity of his attendance at public worship and especially at the holy Communion. The practice of private prayer, Bible-reading, and self-discipline. Bringing the teaching and example of Christ into his everyday life. The boldness of his spoken witness to his faith in Christ. His personal service to the Church and the community. The offering of money according to his means for the support of the work of the Church at home and overseas.

At the time of writing this article for the deadline for this edition, in the midst of Christmas, it is hard for one to wrap my mind around the fact that Lent is just around the corner. Yet in thinking about Lent this year, I cannot help but think back to the Rule of Life completed during those days of being prepared for Confirmation. 

On the night of confirmation, 16 June, 1996—The Feast of Pentecost—as part of our offering during the liturgy, not only were the collection and elements brought to the altar for consecration, but so too were two baskets with forty white envelopes holding the Rule of Life of each person who received the sacrament of Confirmation. I do not remember what I said I would do during that time but I do remember writing it. Now that I am much older and more mature in my faith, I keep coming back to the Rule of Life. I keep coming back to the Rule of Life because it is something that helps me connect closer not only to Jesus and my practise of faith, but it is something that helps my relationship, my discipleship as it were, with Jesus, the worshipping community and to love God and to love my neighbour. 

So, as I prepare for Lent, I am going to examine my Rule of Life; I will change the things that need to be changed, and challenge myself in ways that will improve my priestly ministry. As we approach Lent and prepare ourselves for the joyful celebration of our Lord’s glorious resurrection, I invite each and every single one of you to create for yourself a Rule of Life so that in the words of Richard of Chichester can be not only something of Lenten Discipline but of Easter Christian living: 

Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ
For all the benefits you have given me,
For all the pains and insults you have borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother,
May I know You more clearly,
Love You more dearly,
Follow You more nearly.

To those of you who instruct and prepare young people for the Sacrament of Confirmation, and; if you wonder if are you making an impact on a young person’s life, know that you are. To Joyce and Mary, you certainly made an impact, as I remember from 1996 about the Rule of Life. Thank you!

The post A Rule of Life—For Lent and Beyond appeared first on Anglican Life.