In the Hebrew of Genesis 1, the name for God is Elohim. This is a plural word. God says in the plural, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26a). Elohim is used as if it were singular to indicate that there is but one God only. The word “us” can mean any number over one. The use of the plural ending in the Hebrew text suggests that there are plural dimensions to God’s being. 

Genesis 1: 26a may suggest the doctrine of the Trinity. The word “Trinity” means “tri-unity” or “three-in-oneness”. It was first used by Tertullian (c. 155-230). The doctrine of the Trinity is commonly expressed as “One God, three Persons”. It means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is one in essence and three in person.

God declares that he was alone when he created everything “by myself” (Isaiah 44:24). Yet Jesus was the instrument of God’s creation (John 1:1-3), in company of the Holy Spirit who was hovering over the primordial waters (Genesis 1:2b). Only the doctrine of the Trinity can explain it all. God exists as an eternal Trinity.

 The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct persons. The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Philippians 1:2), Jesus Christ as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4). The Father is distinct from the Son because the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16).   Later, the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). Thus, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son. They are different persons, not three different ways of looking at God. Each person has a distinct centre of consciousness.   

Each member of the Trinity is completely and fully God. Each person has the whole fullness of God’s being in himself (Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, 1994, p.  252). The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. Each person is not “one-third” of God. Wayne Grudem writes, “When we speak of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together we are not speaking of any greater being than when we speak of the Father alone, the Son alone, or the Holy Spirit alone” (Ibid. ).   They are all identical in attributes. They are equal in power, love, mercy, justice, holiness, knowledge, and all other qualities. “No one Person has any attributes that are not possessed by the others” (Ibid. ). The distinction between the persons is not a difference in “being,” but a difference in “relationships”. 

There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 45:21-22; 44:6-8; Exodus 15:11; I Timothy 2:5). In Matthew 28:19, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinguished as distinct persons.   We baptize into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each person must be deity because they are all placed on the same level. We are baptized into their name, not names. The three persons are distinct, yet only constitute one name. This can only be if they share one essence. 

 The persons of the Trinity have different primary functions in relating to the world. Wayne Grudem writes, “In the work of redemption there are also distinct functions. God the Father planned redemption and sent His Son into the world. The Son accomplished redemption for us. After the Son ascended back into heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son to apply redemption to us. He empowers us for service” (Ibid. , p.  249). Alister E.  McGrath writes, “every person of the Trinity is involved in every outward action of the Godhead” (Christian Theology, 2001, p. 326). 

There are many differences in doctrine between today’s various mainstream Christian denominations, but the doctrine of the Trinity is not one of them. All true Christians believe in one triune God. Millard J. Erickson writes, “We do not hold the doctrine of the Trinity because it is self-evident or logically cogent. We hold it because God has revealed that this is what he is like. As someone has said of this doctrine: Try to explain it, and you’ll lose your mind; but try to deny it, and you’ll lose your soul” (Christian Theology, 1998, p. 367).

The doctrine of the Trinity is still unfathomable. We cannot fully understand the mystery of the Trinity. When someday we see God, we shall see him as he is, and understand him better than we do now. Yet even then we will not totally comprehend him. 

The post God As “Us” appeared first on Anglican Life.

Last year, someone shared this prayer:

“Fast from judging others; feast on Christ in them.
Fast from wanting more; feast on being thankful.
Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from worry; feast on trust.
Fast from complaining; feast on enjoyment.
Fast from negatives; feast on positives.
Fast from stress; feast on prayer.
Fast from anger; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from fear; feast on truth.
Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.
Fast from gossip; feast on silence.
Fast from fighting; feast on peace.”

There are other variations on that prayer–they all encourage good behaviours and habits and that is good. But I still plan on giving something up.

In the first place, it’s a habit that has been with me since childhood when we gave up candy during Lent. It was a competition between me and my siblings to see who could last the whole 40 days (actually if you count Sundays, it’s 45 days), so it brings me back to my roots. There’s also something concrete, something measurable about giving up something. You know when you don’t eat sweets. You don’t have to wonder if you have done what you intended.
On a more serious level, it’s what Jesus did. He went into the wilderness and fasted. It was a time of self examination and prayer. It prepared him for what was to come. Okay, giving up sugar is a pretty frivolous equivalent. However, it is a reminder: a reminder that sometimes, we need to deny ourselves.

Every time I look at a chocolate bar or a cookie or my favourite candy and I say to myself that no, I will not eat it, I am reminded of why I am doing this, I am reminded that this season of Lent is a time of preparation, a time to draw closer to God, a time to be more intentional about prayer, a time to remember that this Jesus whom we follow, spent time in fasting and prayer to prepare himself for the ministry that was to come. He would emerge from the wilderness to serve God, to care for others, to teach and to heal—and to preach the gospel.

If giving up something helps remind me that my call—our call—is to be disciples of Jesus, to follow his example, then it is no longer frivolous, even if it appears to be such at the outset. It really is a discipline and one discipline has the potential to lead to another, for example to the discipline of prayer or the discipline of service—and they are anything but frivolous.

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Patrick was a 5th-century Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland, and was of Roman descent, born in Roman occupied Britain some time in the 4th century. Tradition (most of which comes from a supposed autobiography) says that he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland when he was 16 years old, and was a slave and a shepherd there for some time until he escaped and went back to Britain, guided by God. He went on to be ordained a priest, and later returned to Ireland to spread the gospel of Jesus, and to convert the Irish.

There are lots of legends of St. Patrick, including the one that says that he drove all of the snakes from Ireland. There is a pretty good chance that, like our own island of Newfoundland, Ireland had no snakes to begin with, but the story does no real harm. 

One of my favourite things about St. Patrick is his explanation of the Holy Trinity using a shamrock. The shamrock was already considered a sacred plant in Ireland, believed to announced the arrival of spring. So, in the way that was Christianity often has a habit of taking over local customs and putting a new spin on them, Patrick used the humble shamrock to explain how God could be three persons (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost), and yet be only one God, just as the three leaves were part of the one plant. It’s a beautiful, simple, and clear illustration, and whether Patrick himself came up with it, the symbolism continues to be useful to us today, and has aided generations of faithful Christians.

Here in Newfoundland, we have lots of people who have a connection to Ireland—you can hear it in the way that we talk, and there are plenty of Irish traditions that were brought here and adopted as our own. It seems perfectly in order then for us to enjoy a little break in our Lenten fasts, to wear our green, and to enjoy some good tunes. As I said, I love St. Patrick’s Breastplate, the words of which are said to have been written by Patrick himself. There are a few tunes out there for it, and it might feel a bit “all over the place” with the tune changing as the hymn verses vary, but I promise you that it’s wonderful. If you don’t know it, give it a try this year. I’ll leave you with the last verse:

I bind unto myself the name,
The strong name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.
Amen.

The post A Day For Us All To Be A Bit Irish appeared first on Anglican Life.

The Diocese of Central Newfoundland is pleased to share that on December 8th, 2021, the Rt. Rev’d John Watton ordained Christine Hoffe to the priesthood at St. Margret’s Church on Change Islands. The vestry provided a catered meal prior to the ordination. Homilist for the ordination was the Rev’d Gail Thoms-Williams. Rev’d Christine represents the growing energy of the many visions of sustainable and missional thinking in the Diocese of Central Newfoundland. The parish and diocese are excited about her ministry. 

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Prior to COVID-19, ministry at Pleasant View would have been focused on visiting Anglican residents who were on each of the 16 units. In addition, with the assistance of St. Mark’s and St. Thomas’ congregations, we provided worship opportunities to residents. These monthly services, all projected on screen for ease of worship, were conducted in each Tower in the Chapel area. As chaplain, I had also initiated Godly Play on a number of the units. With the onset of the pandemic, all worship opportunities ended as did the support from our volunteer teams.

In the new role, I provided pastoral care to all residents, regardless of their religion. This involved one-on-one conversations and a time of prayer. The visible presence of a cleric spending time with residents and staff offered a beacon of hope. In a place where people often do feel forgotten, seeing a cleric, provided a reminder that God is with them. The simple smile, the pleasant greeting, and not being in a rush often led to some deep conversations about God and his presence in the midst of our uncertainty. This ministry of presence has led to some truly interesting conversations not only with the residents but also with a number of the staff throughout the building who (like all of us) are struggling with the changes this pandemic has wrought. 

There is a passage of scripture that, in my mind, best describes ministry in Long Term Care homes; Isaiah writes, “Can a woman forget her nursing-child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb?  Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.”  Isaiah 49:15 – 16. The pastoral presence offered in our hospitals and in long term care homes is a visible reminder to all concerned, that we are not forgotten by God.   

As the pandemic’s lockdown continued, on the majority of units, there was an overall decline in unit mental health. This decline in mental health correlated to the elimination of all organized activities and all external stimuli. From discussion with the Pastoral Care Manager, Paul Grimes, and with assistance from the Music Therapist and Recreation Therapy, we proposed (to the administration) initiating worship services on each unit. These services were short, lively and very interactive and have been extremely well received by the residents.  Since the services’ inception, other Chaplains (Salvation Army, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal and an Eastern Health Pastoral Clinician) have begun to provide pastoral care at Pleasant View and they now share in the leading of these worship opportunities. 

In June 2021, Bishop Rose and Archdeacon Taylor accompanied me for one such service; 25 of the 28 residents from that unit were in attendance, 9 of whom were Anglican. While people’s memories had begun to fail them, they had not forgotten the joy of worship. Prayers were offered, praises sung, and the spoken word was valued. These are people who had been in our pews for years, who now find themselves in a new home—they have discovered that their spiritual needs are still important to the Anglican Church as their pastoral care continues in a new way.

In December 2021, I was able to conduct Holy Communion services on a number of individual units. Distributing communion and seeing residents raising their hand(s) to receive it was deeply heartwarming. It appears that, for some memories may disappear, it is often the resident’s relationship with God that is the deepest rooted, and thus not forgotten. The Lord’s Prayer and receiving Communion are some of the deepest religious experiences, and seem to be what we remember best even in times of memory loss. 

As this article is written, I was back to serving the five sites of St. Clare’s, Veteran’s Pavilion, Miller Centre, Waterford Hospital, and Pleasant View Towers. But because of the omicron variant outbreak, I am once again serving as the Ecumenical Chaplain to all residents at Pleasant View Towers. The changes, necessitated by COVID-19 and its variants, have remained in place. The ministry we provide is one of affirmation and recognition. Affirmation that a living faith is important and recognition that God does not forget us, even when many can feel forgotten.

Chaplaincy work would be much more difficult without the support from a number of people:  Rev’d Canon Ed Keeping, whom I talk to daily, is a true encourager and a true pastoral presence; Paul Grimes, Pastoral Care Manager at Pleasant View, has keen spiritual and pastoral insights; Rev’d Dr. Jacintha Penney, Pastoral Care Director for Eastern Health; Susan Cummings, Pastoral Care Manager at the Waterford Hospital; and the chaplains I work with at Pleasant View Towers:  Major William Hopkins (Ecumenical Chaplain), Father John Costello (RC Priest), Captain Lynette Barrett (Salvation Army Long Term Care Officer), Pastor Shawn Bowers (Pentecostal Hospital Chaplain), Rev’d Denine Morgan (Pastoral Care Clinician), Rose Powers (Music Therapist) and a number of recreation therapists, all of whom are a delight to work with. 

And of course the prayerful support I find through the ministry and encouragement of Archdeacon Charlene Taylor and especially Bishop Sam Rose, is deeply appreciated.

As Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”  Matthew 25:40 

The post Ministry During The Pandemic in Long Term Care–Pleasant View Towers appeared first on Anglican Life.

Women’s daily workload is only one of the issues the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) attempts to address in developing countries through its “Empowering Women” programs. Programs range from ensuring local access to clean water so girls can easily continue their schooling, to providing family planning education, offering instruction for women farmers, providing micro-finance programs that allow women to earn a respectable livelihood, and teaching women to advocate for themselves on issues such as land ownership and community-based decision-making. These, and many other PWRDF-supported programs, address the injustice of gender-based gaps as they seek to ensure physical, psychological, and economic equality.

But, gender is an issue not only for women. Men and non-conforming genders also need to be part of this discussion for gender equity to occur.

PWRDF Communications and Marketing Coordinator Janice Biehn provides an insightful example from Mozambique of one man’s growing understanding of parenthood. She writes that when Amina Bente was pregnant with her first child, husband Janiero Alberto did not want her to visit a health centre, so she visited a traditional healer. For the next two pregnancies, Bente went to the health centre alone. After Amina and Janiero became involved with the PWRDF and Government of Canada supported (with a 6 to 1 match) All Mothers and Children Count (AMCC) program that teaches gender equity, they began to take the children to the clinic when necessary, they learned to prepare more nutritious foods that improved their children’s overall health, Alberto began sharing the housework and childcare with Amino, and the couple now discuss issues and make decisions together.

Although most of the world is currently focused on COVID-19, HIV and AIDS are still a daily reality and site of stigmatization for many in the developing world. In a 2019 report on HIV and AIDS work in El Salvador, PWRDF Fundraising and Donor Relations Facilitator Mike Ziemerink demonstrates how PWRDF partner CoCoSI (Committee Against AIDS) offers practical assistance, support groups, and drama therapy to those with AIDS, but also teaches gender equality, even to children, to mitigate the gender-based violence and hate crimes too often experienced by those with this disease. 

The emphasis on gender equity in these programs—“Empowering Women”, the AMCC program in Mozambique, and the work of CoCoSI in El Salvador—is not merely a byproduct: it is intentional. Consequently, gender workshops led by and for local partner staff offer pathways toward a greater understanding and practice of gender equality and inclusiveness. Perhaps we should all be guilty of a friend’s criticism of his teen-aged daughter: “She thinks all people are equal!”

For further reading, may I suggest the following:

https://pwrdf.org/our-work-impact/empowering-women/
https://pwrdf.org/gender-program-changes-fathers-too/
https://pwrdf.org/teaching-gender-equality-from-the-beginning/

The post “She Thinks All People Are Equal!” PWRDF and Gender Equality appeared first on Anglican Life.

Our principal was a kind and gentle man, honest and full of integrity, and everything he said about God and Jesus the Son of God had such a ring of truth to it. From these early days of listening and reasoning and pondering the pros and cons of it all, the practice of praying to God, for me became a lifelong experience. 

At 9 years of age, I was longing to reach 10 so that I could join the Church Lads Brigade (CLB). Most of my school buddies being slightly older than me were already members. The CLB turned out to be everything I imagined it would, a well-disciplined organization with sharp looking uniforms, and real rifles to take on parade. Marching proudly on parade in the company of fellow brigade members opened up a new and exciting period of growing up. Brass had to sparkle, boots had to be spit-polished, and uniforms pressed and spotless. “By-the-right-quick-march” the command to get on parade, and march around a huge armory. Rifles shouldered, arms swinging, the blaring and banging of bugles and drums, the drill sergeant barking out “left-right-left-right”, all combined to produce a pronounced tingle up my spine. I felt as though I was one of those “Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war…” 

Our school principal was also the Commanding Officer. Even though we were boys he talked to us as adults, leaving the clear expectation that we were to behave accordingly. His closing addresses, standing in front of the platoon, would include topics flowing from the CLB motto “Fight the Good Fight”, and the parade finale would end with a boisterous singing of the brigade hymn Fight the good fight with all thy might / Christ is thy strength and Christ thy right / lay hold on life and it shall be / thy joy and crown eternally… 

Some 10 years later, the CLB experience served me well in adjusting to life as a new recruit in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. That pronounced tingle up my spine experienced on CLB parades, was activated over and over whilst on recruit marches at the RCMP Academy. 

At the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Academy, Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1961, one of the early sessions on the Criminal Code of Canada included the procedure of laying a charge against someone on behalf of the crown. I Ford Matchim, a peace officer, have reasonable and probable grounds to believe, and do believe, that John Doe, on or about the 16th day of October, 1961, in the town of Anywhere, in the province of Saskatchewan, did unlawfully assault Jane Doe, contrary to and in violation of Section 000(1)(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada… 

The phrase reasonable and probable grounds to believe meant that if you provided the investigational information you had acquired, say to four or five ordinary people, and sat them down and had them discuss the whys and wherefores of your information, then after a reasonable period of pondering the matter, they too would conclude like you, that reasonable and probable grounds were present to believe that the person was responsible for committing the offence. 

So, then for me after spending a life time of pondering and reasoning whether or not there is a God, and concluding that there is, it is in this context that I present reasonable and probable grounds to believe. 

Even when we believe there is a God, to prove or disprove there is, befuddles all of us. Faith is believing without proof. When I say I believe in God, it means there is a divine essence that pervades everything that exists, that is ever present and real. Faith is an experience perhaps more from the heart than the mind, and to logically conclude anything spiritually is beyond ordinary comprehension. There is no rational justification for a final leap of faith, and if I am looking for proof of God’s existence, I am engaging in something other than faith. 

I am mindful of other mainstream religions that do not believe in a single, all-powerful God. Believers in God who are in the Abrahamic faith tradition include those world religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Other religions—which are not God centred—are Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Daoism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, and so on. It is difficult to group religions under one or even a few common labels. To find a single meaningful definition to encompass the various faith-based traditions that would be acceptable by all is simply not doable. 

One does not need proof to have faith. To those of faith, the need of so-called facts to support their belief may well be looked on as shallow and irrelevant, not to mention irreverent, and that a claim can justifiably be made it is religiously improper to attempt to explain faith by rational argument. Perhaps the most scientific proof that there is a God comes from the simple fact that so many people believe that indeed there is a God. In essence then, for me to embark on a “reasonable and probable grounds” approach to believe there is a God flies in the face of our common senses. Nevertheless, I shall try and sally forth.

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“We are so grateful for this grant,” says Maureen Lymburner, Director of Development, Home Again, “because we will be able to provide beds to children and youth who have been sleeping on floors, sofas, air mattresses or other makeshift beds.” Lymburner says too many families and youth-headed households on the Northeast Avalon are living without basic furnishings, including beds.

The grant was awarded in November as part of AFC’s Say Yes! to Kids campaign and Request for Proposals (RFPs), which was the largest one-time investment in youth-focused ministry the Canadian church has seen. Seventy-nine projects received a total of $470,000 in funding, pushing AFC’s 2021 grant total to the $1 Million milestone.  

“We were so pleased to be able to support Home Again for the second year in a row,” says Dr. Scott Brubacher, AFC’s Executive Director. “It was particularly meaningful because of the way the people of Newfoundland supported our Say Yes! to Kids campaign.” Last spring, Newfoundlanders joined the movement to grow a brighter future for young people by raising nearly $12,000. 

“A gift of $5,000 from the Anglican Charitable Foundation for Children was matched by another gift of $5,000 from the Diocese of Central Newfoundland,” says Brubacher. A team effort championed by loyal AFC supporters in Eastern Newfoundland raised another $1,700. “This was AFC’s first community-based peer-to-peer fundraising campaign,” says Brubacher, “and we would not have been able to make our goal, and say yes to so many worthwhile projects, without that incredible generosity.” 

“We are closing in on two years since the onset of the pandemic,” says Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and Chair, AFC, “and we know our churches continue to face challenges. But the entire Board feels so energized by our capacity to fund these innovative, missional projects and to support Canadian Anglicans in their vision for an engaged, compassionate church. There are creative, visionary projects from across the country here and we are praying for all of them.” 

This year AFC will step up its commitment to young people across Canada yet again with an even more ambitious plan to fund youth-focused ministry and outreach. “Our hope is that Say Yes! to Kids 2022 will be both empowering and energizing,” says Brubacher, “enabling our churches to grow sustainable revenue streams for youth programs, while connecting them with other churches across Canada, as well as diocesan and national ministries.”

Michelle Hauser, AFC’s Development and Communications Consultant says, “Any Anglican parish in Canada with a vision for outreach to young people is eligible to apply to form a fundraising team and campaign alongside like-minded parishes nationwide from April 1 to June 30.” Hauser says teams will be able to set their own fundraising goals, and they will receive support with communications, case development, and training from AFC throughout the campaign. “Teams will also benefit from an AFC-led leadership giving campaign that will boost their efforts, including matching gifts.” 

Those who wish to learn more about Say Yes! to Kids should visit anglicanfoundation.org/say-yes-to-kids to register for an upcoming webinar and download AFC’s campaign FAQs sheet. “I also encourage anyone who has questions to reach out to me directly,” says Hauser, who can be reached at:
mhauser@anglicanfoundation.org. 

The post Home Again Furniture Bank Benefits From AFC’s Movement For Youth appeared first on Anglican Life.

On December 19th, 2021, St. Augustine’s Church in Margaree – Fox Roost held a program of the “Story of Christmas.” It was a lovely service.

The Rev’d Ed Coleman spoke to children and used his paintings in the discussion. The other photographs are the children who took part in the program, and at the lectern, Sarah, and Sophie (narrators), and Zion (who sang a song).

The ACW of St. Augustine’s Church, in Margaree – Fox Roost, again this year prepared and delivered fruit trays to seniors in the communities. Thank you to everyone who helped!

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The invitation that Jesus offers us us is not just to receive the care and attention of the church, but to follow him. In John’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that servants are not greater than their master, and messengers are not greater than the one who sent them. We are called to be the disciples of Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve. That means that sooner or later, if we are serious about that calling, we are going to be expected to stop being served and to start serving others.

There are no volunteers in the church, only ministers. We all have different gifts, and will be expected to put those gifts to work in different ways, but God expects all of us to use those gifts. Some of us have more time that is free to serve, and others have less time, but God expects all of us to serve. The service that we offer to God, to each other, and to the wider world is something more than ‘volunteering’. It is ministry. It is the way we take the good things God has given us and put them to good use. It’s what humanity has always been meant to do, all the way back to the Creation stories in the Garden of Eden.

The church also gives opportunities for others to offer their time and talents, and sometimes people begin to ‘volunteer’ for ministry and outreach in the church. But we can’t stop there! In the Great Commission, Jesus didn’t tell his disciples to ‘go into all the world and recruit volunteers.’ He told them to ‘make disciples.’ I remember a thought that Bishop John Watton once shared in his Facebook feed that said, in effect, that ‘a disciple is someone who has stopped receiving the church’s ministry and started contributing to it.’ 

The volunteer opportunities that we give to people should not be the main way we expect the ministry to get done. Instead, volunteering should be a chance for people to get their feet wet, to explore how God may be calling them to contribute to the ministry of the church. But as long as we rely on ‘volunteers’, we are relying on guests and visitors, and people who have not yet committed themselves to the kind of ministry that is expected of disciples. 

It’s time for those of us in leadership positions to stop trying to recruit volunteers. It’s time for those of us who work without getting paid for it to stop thinking of ourselves as volunteers. When we do either of these things, we’re often focusing on the need and the work to be done, rather than on the gifts and abilities of those who are available to do it. There’s good news: God has already given us everything we need to do the work he has given us to do. And when we have done the work given to us, we should say, as Jesus tells us to, ‘We have only done what we ought to have done!’ (Luke 17.10)

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