On July 30th, 2021, at 6 am his bright light in our lives left us to seek new adventures in what Nathan called “the great mystery.” Nathan was 71 years old. 

His love of family was larger than life and he was greatly loved by his wife Isabel, their three children, Jenny (Jacques), Andrew (Grace), and Nicholas (Sarah) and six adored grandchildren: Nicholas, Sophia, Orion, Alex, Isaac, and Chloe. He also enjoyed a close relationship with, and will be greatly missed, by his brothers and sisters Joyce (Don), Leslie Gordon (Millie), Norman (Marguerite), Isabell (Allister) and Cecilia (John). He will also be fondly remembered by a great many friends. Nathan was predeceased by his parents Leslie and Meta Cutler of Ramea. 

Nathan was a storyteller and a people person who loved to strike up a conversation with anyone. He saw the good in all of us and enjoyed both the serious and the humorous nature of life. An avid flower gardener, he created a beautiful sanctuary in his back garden in Fredericton that was a source of joy for family and friends. 

Nathan was born and raised in Ramea, Newfoundland. Nathan lived in various places around Newfoundland, the United Kingdom, and in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He received his B.Ed and M.Ed from Memorial University of Newfoundland followed by his Certificate of Theology from St. John’s College in Nottingham, England. Throughout his life, he was involved in the life of the Anglican Church. As a child he was closely connected with St. Boniface Anglican Church and along with his twin brother Norman was an altar boy and server. Later, as a layperson, he was involved with many aspects of the ministry of the church, most significantly with Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton. 

Nathan began his career as a teacher and later served people as a guidance counsellor and school board administrator. Nathan was always a free spirit and risk taker, and for ten years, Nathan and Isabel developed a business to serve children with disabilities. In the last two years of Nathan’s life, he was privileged to be an ordained priest who served with his wife, Deacon Isabel in the Parish of Isle aux Morts, Margaree, Fox Roost, NL. Nathan has always had a deep Christian faith. His belief in what he termed “the great mystery” guided his life which he always regarded as ‘a wonderful adventure” 

Nathan had many interests in life; his family first but then besides his garden: music, photography, and history. However, Ramea continued to be one of the main passions throughout Nathan’s life. His fascination with genealogy and Ramea led him to become the administrator of the All Things Ramea Facebook site in the last few years. He loved to connect with friends and family of Ramea who lived around the world. He always considered Ramea , his final resting place. 

The family received visitors on August 3, 2021 at St. Boniface Church, Ramea from 7 to 9 pm. The Funeral Service and Interment of Ashes took place on Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at St. Boniface Church, Ramea. l 

A Memorial Service was held in memory of Nathan at Holy Spirit Church, Isle aux Morts on August 8, 2021 

A further Memorial Service will be held in memory of Nathan at Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton, N.B on Saturday October 23rd 2021. 

Nathan’s family established a fund to create a public rose garden in Fredericton to honour him. They wish to thank all those who contributed to this fund and also to memorial funds in St. Boniface Church, Ramea; Holy Spirit Church, Isle aux Mort and St Augustine Church, Fox Roost Margaree. 

One of Nathan’s final sentences was “I feel the winds of God today.” 

We continue the hymn for Nathan: 

“Today my sail I lift…I’ll seek the seas at his behest, and brave another cruise.” Godspeed Nathan, off on another wonderful adventure.

The post The Rev’d Nathan Hartley Cutler appeared first on Anglican Life.

Look at how many things are no longer tied to the clock on the wall. Scheduled TV has been replaced by binge watching Netflix or quick YouTube videos. Work for many people has gone from 9-5 weekdays, with weekends free, to working a wide variety of hours and shifts, with days-off coming haphazardly week to week. COVID-19 even has resulted in many people working from home, keeping hours as they choose.

And I’m not saying these are bad things. In many ways they have been a great blessing to many people. But it does represent a major shift in our culture. A shift which has, in a quite negative way, affected the church.

In a world where people are released from much of the routine that existed a few decades ago, what is Sunday morning? For a people two or three generations disconnected from the church, what is the ringing of a bell to call them to worship? Each person’s time is precious, and they have for many years now enjoyed spending it however they wish. The liturgical rituals, hymns, and prayers, for all their beauty, are appreciated far less than the comfort of a warm bed or a child’s hockey practice by many of today’s young people.

And here we stand, the church amidst a culture that has moved on from us in so many ways, pleading with them to come and make our oversized building feel a little less empty. We’re trying every trick in our very limited playbook to entice the young back into the pew, trying to pretend that the reasons why they left in the first place aren’t still there. And we never ever come to terms with the fundamental truth of this new age of God’s creation:

If our church is going to live, it cannot just be on Sunday morning.

We spent years building ourselves a pretty box to live in. We believed it was the best thing. Now, more progressive church leaders are trying to spread the message that the building is not the important thing, and that we must extend beyond the walls of the church instead of using them to hide from the world. But the truth is that it is more than that. We need to extend beyond the walls of everything we do, and when we do it.

They see it, those we hope to take our place to keep the church alive. They see us confine our faith to an hour each Sunday, which is equal to just over two days a year. They see us sitting as tens in buildings that were built for hundreds, and putting most of our energy into making sure they never change or close.

And we wonder why they choose not to join us.

The Lord continues to work in this world. The seeds of faith lie, waiting to be nurtured, everywhere we look. But if all we do is wait for Sunday morning, hoping that somehow there will be more in the pews this week than last, we will be left watching the reruns of our own worship, while Christ streams past, out into the world, meeting people wherever and whenever they need him.

The post Church Cannot Be Just Sunday Mornings appeared first on Anglican Life.

The boards now cover both walls and record the names of people in a variety of programs. We still train people for ordained leadership in the Anglican Church, but our student body also includes people from a variety of denominations—or no denomination at all. We have people who have questions about faith and God and want a safe place to explore. We have folks who want the skills to offer care to friends and neighbours in times of loss and pain.

Each name on those boards is a story of someone who has chosen to equip themselves with the skills they needed to serve. Some have served in the church in towns throughout Labrador and Newfoundland; some have travelled the world. Many serve in the Canadian Armed Forces, deployed where and when they are needed. There are folks on that board who have served in your parish as your clergy and licensed lay ministers. And there are folks on our boards who quietly serve in your community: visiting, praying, and sharing their time and gifts with those in need.

This fall, we will be sharing some of these stories online and encouraging you to consider how you might support the continuing work of Queen’s College. So please follow us on Facebook (Queen’s College, Faculty of Theology | Facebook) and YouTube (Queen’s College – YouTube) and pray for us as we begin this new academic year. And if you are able, please donate to Queen’s College (Donate Now – QUEENS COLLEGE (canadahelps.org)), and enable us to continue this important work.

The post Queen’s College: Equipping People To Serve For 180 Years appeared first on Anglican Life.

In 2011, our then priest necessitated a sudden departure. So for the immediate several months, our spiritual needs were adequately met by the expertise and presence of the Rev’d Sandra Tilley. Rev’d Sandra served in the parish up until October, 2013, at which time, we welcomed the Rev’d Wayne Parsons.

Our months together with Rev’d Sandra had hurdles to overcome, but everything was done in the name of reconciliation and healing. Then on September 1, 2014, Rev’d Wayne assumed the role of our leader. The first Sunday that he shared worship with us, I learned something very significant about him: we wouldn’t have to worry about the reliability of the sound system. His distinct and strongly audible voice clearly put forth his valuable messages as it resonated throughout the congregation.

With the resignation of Rev’d Wayne, we welcomed the dual partnership of Dean Bellamy and the Rev’d Keith Sheppard. We owe much gratitude to Dean Bellamy, who guided us in worship for twelve months with Rev’d Keith’s assistance. Both Mrs. Bellamy and Mrs. Sheppard played a very active role in the social aspect of our church with the ACW and Altar Guild.

On September 15, 2016, the men of our parish prepared and served a delicious dinner in recognition and thanksgiving to Dean Bellamy and Rev’d Sheppard, and to welcome the incoming priest-in-charge, the Rev’d Jolene Peters. She came just in time to adorn the altar for Thanksgiving with displays of fresh local vegetables and fruit. Rev’d Jolene was the presiding priest when marriage equality in the Anglican Church was initiated. Parishioners were given the opportunity to vote by private ballot to seek permission from our Bishop to perform marriages for all people, if asked. The outcome favoured marriage equality, making us a parish of inclusiveness by the end of 2019.

Rev’d Jolene was our rock and crutch as we dealt with the onset of COVID-19 in March of 2020. When our Bishop closed the churches for six months, she administered services virtually. When the ban was lifted, in person services resumed cautiously.

In January of the present year, we had the distinct privilege of having in our midst Archdeacon Greg Mercer. Together with our own Deacon Lisa, they provided us with uninterrupted Sunday services, as well as special events leading up to Holy week.

We owe a great debt to Archdeacon Greg, as he guided us through the most foreign and unprecedented crisis in the history of the church: the pandemic.

Today, our guest priests have been relieved, as we welcome into the fold the permanency of the Rev’d Jotie Noel.

We like and appreciate what we see and hear. His capacity to inject that element of humour in his very serious spiritual sermons is nothing short of magical.

I must again quote from the wisdom of the late Canon George Earle:
“For Church life to be lived at its richest, humour must not be confined to the secular, but must permeate the Spiritual.”

The post Hello, Goodbye, and Thank You appeared first on Anglican Life.

The old St. Mary’s (with its slate roof) was where Andrew, at the tender age of 15, began to read at church. He loved to read a lesson or two on Sundays, or for special occasions like Christmas and Easter. When it was built, he was invited to read at the new St. Mary’s, and with that he made up his mind to become a licensed lay minister and eucharistic assistant. One could only imagine how proud his parents were. They supported him and hoped he would become a priest.

Now getting back to August 22, it was also Andrew’s 75th birthday, and he was so happy that he reached that age. He had lived longer than his parents and many other relatives.

This special event was the first time all three Peddle siblings would come together as lay readers, for Andrew’s two sisters Elaine and Betty had become lay readers as well.

The Rev’d Iliffe Sheppard called Andrew to the front of the church and read a letter from Bishop Samuel Rose saying, “It gives me great pleasure to recognize a significant anniversary of one of our lay ministers, Mr. Andrew Peddle, on the fifty-seventh anniversary of his licensing of this important ministry in the parish.” He further stated, “For Andrew to be in service for 57 years as a lay minister is an amazing act of faith and devotion to God and his Church.”

This writer could not believe that one hundred and eight people showed up for the service. Andrew spoke, and in his confident voice announced that he was accepting his award on behalf of all the lay readers out there. At the end of the service, his sister Elaine announced that they has collected $170 loose collection, and it would  be donated to Queen’s College on behalf of Andrew.

Following the service, everyone was invited to the Lions’ Club to celebrate Andrew’s 75th birthday with cake and refreshments. It was a wonderful day and I must say that Rev’d Sheppard, Elaine Peddle-Spurrell, and Betty Peddle-Brown did a marvellous job planning the event and bringing it  to completion. While at the Lions’ Club, everyone sang Happy Birthday, and Andrew warned all in attendance to leave out the “We hope you live to be hundred” verse.

Andrew said he will continue in his ministry, however, for how long, we cannot say because he has been diagnosed with a rare type of cancer which has no cure and treatment. But he is not alone; he reads his Bible and he trusts that God will lead him home. Aside from this, I wonder what his  parents would say if they knew that three of their six children are lay ministers in service to God.

One day, God will say to them, “Well done good and faithful servants.”

The post Parish of The Holy Spirit Honours Lay Minister appeared first on Anglican Life.

The whole family went to church, for the first time since COVID became a thing, on a Sunday morning over the summer. It was an absolute disaster trying to get out of the house—a situation I brought on myself by completely forgetting I was supposed to be participating in the service! So we were running late and tempers were high. But we got to church and they sat and cooperated, and cuddled, and I was like, “Wow, I sure do feel like I have it all together right now.”

Then inevitably my pride and I (rightfully) get taken down all the notches when the boys act like young boys instead of adults (go figure), and I have to separate them from whatever physical altercation they are having in a very public place. Regrettably, we haven’t grown out of those yet. I am keeping my fingers crossed for someday soon since they are getting too big for me to manage these days.

What I am saying, I guess, is that there are days it is easy to be thankful for many things. Health, happiness, family, friends, it is all pretty wonderful. Then there are days when things are less wonderful. Working the job I do, in the industry I am in, at the 18 month mark in a global pandemic isn’t all fun and games. Add in two boys who still require a lot of supervision, engagement and general hands-on time from the parental units, who also still work full time, and it gets pretty chaotic, stressful, and exhausting.

While I am always thankful, and I try never to take the blessings for granted, sometimes I have to dig a little deeper to get there. I think we all need to dig deep sometimes to unearth the gratitude and appreciation we have buried under the day to day struggles and frustration. We need to pause and really look sometimes to find compassion for ourselves and each other, to show love even when we don’t feel like it, and to send up a prayer of thanks that we can even be here to fight the fight. This Thanksgiving, let’s take time out and really look around. How can we show our gratitude? Where can we find compassion? What is most important to us?

The post Be Willing To Dig Deep To Be Thankful appeared first on Anglican Life.

This year at Thanksgiving, we need to pause and be thankful to our Creator God who has been with us throughout these long pandemic days. We need to reflect on all that is good and gracious in our lives and how we can show our thankfulness through our actions. 

If you are thankful for the coronavirus vaccine, you can show your thankfulness by Paying it Forward to enable those in developing countries to receive a jab in the arm too.

Did you know, The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund has launched a new Vaccine Equity Fund to contribute to the worldwide vaccination effort from COVID-19? Money donated to this fund will be used to support our partners as they prepare for vaccine rollout in the coming months.

With the cooperation of the Anglican Church of Canada and our Primate, Archbishop Linda Nicholls, PWRDF has created a fund for Anglicans eager to “pay it forward.” Now when you receive your vaccine, you have the opportunity to “pay it forward” and make a donation to PWRDF’s Vaccine Equity Fund.

“We must ask how we can share the benefits of health care and vaccinations many of us enjoy, with others who need it,” writes Primate Linda. “Canada will have excess vaccine—will we donate it to other nations? Will our government do its part to provide increased funds to COVAX [a pact among nations to share vaccines with all countries] to ensure that availability? Will we ask for a temporary suspension of trade restrictions (which currently control the price of the vaccine) so that production can reach heavily populated areas?”

Vaccine equity is a fundamental expression of the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40), through which we demonstrate our love of God and of neighbour, says our Primate Linda.

To support PWRDF’s Vaccine Equity Fund, go to:
https://pwrdf.org/give-today/, click on “Vaccine Equity Fund.” You may also donate over the phone by calling Donor Relations Officer Mike Ziemerink, at 416-822-9083, or leave a voicemail toll-free at 1-866-308-7973, and we will return your call. Or, send a cheque with “Vaccine Equity Fund” in the memo field to: PWRDF, 80 Hayden St. Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 3G2. Donations may also support the “Love My Neighbour” movement. Thank you!

The post Give Thanks and Pay It Forward appeared first on Anglican Life.

People who talk about ‘vocational priests’ usually mean something like ‘vocational deacons’: clergy who work in a parish without being paid, or only receiving a small travel allowance. But vocational deacons are those who are called specifically to be deacons, as opposed to transitional deacons, who are ordained with the intention of eventually being ordained priests. By that logic, a ‘vocational’ priest would be someone who doesn’t expect to ever be made a bishop. Last time I checked, that was most of us!

Calling some priests ‘vocational’ might also suggest that the others are somehow not vocational. It implies that since they expect to be paid for ministry, their vocation is not as pure as someone else’s, or that they’re only in it for the money. I’m sure that when people use this expression, they’re not trying to be offensive, but I (and others) have already pointed out that it is. Once you know better it’s time to do better, and stop using expressions that you know cause offence.

It’s not as if there’s no better expression to use for clergy who don’t get paid a stipend. They’re called non-stipendiary clergy. We have been blessed with excellent priests who have offered their time and their gifts to the church without any thought of payment. Some people are called by God to be priests, but feel no call to serve for pay. The church has done a much better job in recent years in recognizing their vocations. What a shame if in affirming these clergy, we were to create a church where no one could imagine clergy expecting to be paid at all!

Sometimes people talk about unpaid, or semi-paid clergy as ‘tentmakers’, citing the example of St. Paul who, at times, supported himself and his ministry by working a secular job. He literally made tents. But Paul himself is quick to point out that this is not the norm. In 1 Corinthians 9 he reminds his audience that he does have a right to be paid, and even (if he had one) to be accompanied by a wife who was supported by the church. This, he says, is what all the apostles are entitled to.

He says that no one serves in the army at their own expense, and that those who grow grapes or tend flocks expect to enjoy some of the fruits of their labours. Jesus said that ‘those who preach the Gospel should get a living from the Gospel’. Paul’s tentmaking ministry was a remarkable gift that he was able to offer because of his particular circumstances and ability, just as non-stipendiary ministry is a gift that some clergy have been able to offer the church. To assume that eventually all clergy will be doing that is to fail to appreciate such a gift, and to risk alienating those who cannot afford to work without getting paid.

Perhaps those who talk about ‘vocational’ priests really mean to use the word ‘bi-vocational’, but that term is problematic in its own right. Bi-vocational clergy are those whose work is a response to two vocations at the same time. Alongside a calling to the diaconate or priesthood, they may also have a calling to be academics or teachers, social workers or other members of the caring professions. Often they could not imagine abandoning their secular calling any more than they could their ordained ministry, and often see both vocations as interconnected parts of a single ministry. But in most cases, it is more than just an arrangement for them to work a secular job so that the church won’t have to pay them.

The future of the church is radically changing, and the nature of ordained ministry has to change along with it. There will likely be many different models for ministry in the future. Some will be paid, others will be unpaid. There are many opportunities for creative ministries ahead of us. But we ought to discuss these opportunities using language that is expressive, respectful of others, and biblically sound. ‘Vocational Priests’ is none of those things. It’s time to stop using that expression. We should never have used it in the first place.

The post It’s Time To Stop Talking About “Vocational Priests” appeared first on Anglican Life.

The bottom line is that many Canadians do not have a legal will because too many people think in terms of “if” rather than “when.” Remember that old saying that you are not going to get out of this world alive?

Someone who dies without a legal will is considered to have died intestate—without a last will and testament. Your provincial government has statutory rules that lay out who gets what and other rules for those who die without a will. Ms Foster suggests, “Some people assume that their assets will go to the government if they die without a will. That is not true. The government is the beneficiary of last resort and is sometimes called the ultimate heir. Assets will go to the government if you die without a will and have no living relatives, a process called escheat.”

PLIAN points out in their information package that when a person dies without a will, their estate will be distributed according to the Intestate Succession Act. They emphasize as well that intestate succession may not be what a person had wanted, so it is important for people to consider making a will if their wishes do not align with the Intestate Succession Act.

“The Intestate Succession Act lists how a person’s estate will be distributed when they die without a will based on their family members. For example, if a married intestate person had one child, their spouse and child will have an equal 50/50 interest in the intestate person’s estate. However, if the intestate person had 2 or more children, their spouse will only have a one third interest in the estate. The other two thirds will be equally shared among the children, regardless of how many children there are.

If a person had no married spouse, nor any children, but their parents are still alive, then the intestate person’s parents will have an equal 50/50 interest in the intestate person’s estate. If there is only one surviving parent, then the surviving parent will have interest in the entire estate. The Intestate Succession Act also considers other situations where a person has no married spouse, children, or living parents. In these situations the intestate person’s brothers and sisters will receive an equal interest in the estate. If they had siblings who predeceased them, and have no living married spouse, children, parents, or siblings, then their nephew(s) and niece(s) will have an equal interest in the estate.”

Finally, having no will means there is no bequest for your favourite ministry within the church. Furthermore, it points just how important it is for all of us to have a valid will which will avoid much untold misery to your family after you pass.

The post Dying Without A Will appeared first on Anglican Life.

In fact, my granddaughter has become my new spiritual director! She is teaching and reminding me of the power and life-infused present moment. She notices every little thing, and every little thing to her is “wonder-full,” as it should be for me and for all of us. I am full of wonder as I get caught up in her being full of wonder. What a beautiful and life-giving exchange! Being caught up in this wonder draws me into a sense of “awe” in what I am witnessing: a sense of awe at this beautiful life that is new, always emerging, always becoming. The more I allow myself to be full of wonder, and the more I get caught up in the awesomeness of what I am noticing, the more I find myself “trusting” in the evolving of this little life, trusting in the “nature” of the divine life that we are all part of and share in. This wonder, awe, and trust opens me up to the reality of the love that I have for this little life in front of me, and that I am at one with her in this love. The 15th century English mystic Julian of Norwich calls this love process “oneing”— a conscious becoming at-one-with another, every other, and all of creation. “Oneing” is the purpose of our lives! 

What our little ones have to teach us in these uncertain times of global political polarization, global warming, global pandemic, global crisis, is to remain grounded in our now. This moment is full of God, full of life, full of love, and has everything we need to move into our next moment with trust and hope. The same is true of the church. The pandemic and its necessary societal restrictions has shaken the foundations of the church as we have known it. Our church is evolving and changing like everything else in the universe. We are not exempt. Yet the Christian community (and every community) is still full of wonder as the divine continues to emerge in the life of people and creation. This wonder should lead us to a renewed sense of awe in the Divine Presence amongst us and as us, inviting us to a whole hearted trust that we are lovingly at one with Christ in our emerging and uncertain tomorrow.

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