Archive for the ‘Discussion’ Category

How not to be alone

Posted on: June 18th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Computers, Discussion

 

 

Technology celebrates connectedness, but encourages retreat, novelist Jonathan Safran Froer writes in The New York Times. “My daily use of technological communication has been shaping me into someone more likely to forget others. The flow of water carves rock, a little bit at a time. And our personhood is carved, too, by the flow of our habits.”

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Leadership Education at Duke Divinity, News & Ideas, June 11, 2013

Ministry among millennials: To change the world

Posted on: May 28th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Discussion

 

By Jason Evans

 

[Episcopal Diocese of Washington] This blog is the last in a series on ministry with young adults from the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

Last week, I had coffee with a young man who is part of the Episcopal Campus Ministry at American University. A student in the School for Intercultural Services, we discussed all that he is learning in his studies for his degree in social enterprise. Throughout our conversation, what impressed me was his desire not simply to be successful in life but to take the best of business and technology and use it for the common good.

In his book, “Makers,” editor-in-chief of “Wired” magazine Chris Anderson writes that more and more people are looking not only for profit-making opportunities in life but “meaning-making” opportunities. Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, a psychology professor at Clark University, holds the same argument in his book, “Emerging Adulthood.” Arnett conducted hundreds of interviews with emerging adults and found a consistent desire for more than just an income out of a career. Young adults wanted to discover purpose through work that was an expression of their personal identity. A generation is coming of age that wants to change the world.

I have conversations with Christian leaders who want help attracting young adults to their churches almost daily. Frequently, I ask why these leaders want to attract young people. Every once in awhile, I’m told it is because new tithing units are needed. But here rests the challenge: Young adults aren’t interested in financing institutions, nor can they. This generation has already accrued more debt and lower career-starting wages at their age than several generations to precede them. But, like I said, they want to change the world.

In my last article in this series, I mentioned The Millennial Impact Report, which stated that millennials “want to know what your organization is doing, how they can participate, and how their participation helps the cause.” What millennials may not be able to contribute financially, they make up for with energetic volunteerism. The report also found that “by a margin of more than two-to-one, millennials who volunteer… are more likely to make donations.”

As you consider how you might engage the young people living, working, studying and playing in the neighborhood around your church, consider a few things:

Just ask. Forty percent of Millennials surveyed did not volunteer simply because they were not asked. Provide short and long-term opportunities for young people to serve.

Be transparent, communicate well. Of those surveyed for the report mentioned above, the biggest deterrent to giving–whether of time, talent, or treasure–was a lack of organizational transparency and communication. Young people want to know how their involvement makes a difference.

Let young people lead. Seventy seven percent of those surveyed wanted to volunteer in a leadership capacity. Young people want to have a voice–what they give their time to, they want to help shape. Invite those who have shown commitment to serve on vestry and committees–or just take them out for coffee and ask what they think about things in the life your church.

Jesus was a young man when he began his ministry. One day, he walked into a worship space and read from the prophet Isaiah before a room of listeners. He read a passage that spoke of God’s dream for the world: relief for the poor, healing of the sick, and freedom for prisoners. That’s what the Savior came to do–change the world, fulfill God’s dream. This is an enticing dream to a generation looking for a good cause. Just as Jesus invited young men and women to come and join him in changing the world, you have the opportunity to do the same.

In brief, we have an opportunity to make disciples. Jesus did this by first doing ministry while his disciples observed. Than he invited them to do ministry while he observed. In the end, he sent them on to reproduce this process with others. Remember: just ask. Invite young people to come serve with you, watching you go about your ministry. Then give them the opportunity to take the lead, while you watch and coach them on. And just as Jesus has commissioned us, send them out to go and do likewise.

– Jason Evans is the Diocesan Young Adult Missioner with the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. Share your thoughts and reactions on Facebook.

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Episcopal News Service, May 28, 2013

Ministry among millennials: Clarifying communications

Posted on: May 22nd, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Computers, Discussion

 

By Jason Evans

[Episcopal Diocese of Washington] This blog is part of a series on ministry with young adults that the Episcopal Diocese of Washington is featuring in May.

The Gospel, or Good News of God, is all about communication. In “The Baptismal Covenant” in The Book of Common Prayer we read the following:

Celebrant: Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?

People: I will, with God’s help.

In our worship, we declare the good news of what God has done in the world through Jesus Christ. We communicate this Gospel in more than words. Through sights, sounds, and smells we communicate God’s redeeming work in the world. Indeed, The Book of Common Prayer is itself a testament to the Episcopal Church’s historic intent on making interaction with the Good News as widely accessible as possible.

It is with this in mind that we address the subject of communication in regards to ministry among millennials. There’s no denying that the Internet has radically changed how we communicate. In fact, there isn’t much that the Internet has not had an impact on. Reading, dating, buying and countless everyday activities are much different than were a decade ago due to the web-based tools we have access to. It is safe to assume that how we engage the Internet has impacted the local parish as well. For millennials, navigating the Internet has become second nature. In the 1500’s the Anglican tradition used the technological advances at hand–the printing press, for example–to “proclaim” or communicate the Good News. In that tradition, how might we communicate with a generation coming of age with the communication technologies available to us?

The Millennial Impact Report released in 2012 documents a study on how millennials engage with nonprofit organizations. Religious institutions are different than other philanthropic organizations. Nonetheless, the findings offer insights for those churches interested in engaging young adults. For example, the study states that 65% of Millennials prefer to learn about nonprofits through websites, 55% prefer to discover these organizations through social media, 47% prefer to find nonprofits through e-newsletters. Less than 20% of millennials connected with nonprofits through print or face-to-face communication.

This does not mean that every church needs a flashy website. In fact, websites with too much are often the least effective. What this data does tell us is that the big red doors that lead into your worship space are no longer your “front door”–your website is. If so, how might we communicate clearly the good news breaking forth in our congregations and surrounding neighborhoods?

The Rev. Kyle Oliver is the Digital Missioner for the Center for the Ministry of Teaching at Virginia Theological Seminary. A young adult himself, Oliver said, “A church’s website ought to give a visual sense of what the parish is like.” And this can be done with simplicity and clarity. The report referred to above states, “In one glance at your website [millennials] want to know what your organization is doing, how they can participate, and how their participation helps the cause.” To communicate this does not require lots of information. But it does require that it be visually compelling–not complicated.

The Episcopal tradition prides itself on being hospitable and welcoming. Long gone are the days when a placard in our lawns was enough to communicate this truth. This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost–that miraculous moment in Christian history when the Spirit of God poured over his people and communicated the Good News of God in the language of all present. When we communicate, whether it be in a warm hug during the passing of the peace or through our websites, may we each consider how we communicate the Gospel in the “language” of those God seeks to embrace through us.

– Jason Evans is the Diocesan Young Adult Missioner with the Episcopal Diocese of Washington . Share your thoughts and reactions on Facebook.

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Episcopal News Service,  May 22, 2013

Faced with fracking? Anglican network offers advice

Posted on: May 21st, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Discussion

 

 

[Anglican Communion Environmental Network] Anglicans and Episcopalians are being encouraged to inform themselves and join in the debate about the controversial and growing practice of drilling for natural gas known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

In an open letter to the Anglican Communion, Canon Dr Jeff Golliher has called on its members to learn about fracking and to be proactive in their own contexts.

“Fracking involves deep vertical and then horizontal drilling in order to extract natural gas,” he said, “Drilling can extend for distances measured not in feet/meters, but miles/kilometers.  It requires millions of gallons/liters of water per well, mixed with chemicals that are known to be toxic…consequences of this drilling method [include] the risk of contaminating drinking water and the impact on climate change (fracking wells can release methane, a greenhouse gas much worse than carbon dioxide).”

He advises Communion members to explore the facts, contact local concern groups and discuss the issue with their bishop.

Dr. Golliher–who is advisor to the Anglican Communion Environmental Network (ACEN) and the Program Director for the Environment and Sustainable Communities at the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations in New York–has published his letter at  http://acen.anglicancommunion.org/news/index.cfm/2013/5/17/With-Love-for-God-and-Concern-about-Fracking
and http://carbonfast2013.wordpress.com/

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Episcopal News Service, May 17, 2013

The Holy Spirit journeys with me

Posted on: May 21st, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Discussion

 

By Sister Amy Hamilton, SSJD

 

 

The altar at the Convent of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine has three panels, each depicting a feminine image of God: the pelican, a symbol of sacrifice; the phoenix, a symbol of resurrection; and the eagle, a symbol of ascension. Photo: Contributed

 

 

I like to be able to control things, or at least fool myself into thinking I can control them. I think that this is why I am not that comfortable with the Holy Spirit. It is the part of the Trinity that I try not to think about. I think that this comes from my fear of what could happen if I let the Holy Spirit have a go at my life or the situation that I am in, because you hear stories of what happens when you let go and let the Holy Spirit in. 

In the Anglican circles that I have travelled, the Holy Spirit is really not talked about that much. The Holy Spirit seems to have been relegated to a last resort: when we don’t know what else to say or do, we invoke her to come and blow in a wind of change. The Holy Spirit seems to be last on our invite list and I am sure she has been left out in the cold many times. So what to do? How can I become comfortable with her? How can the church?

For myself, I decided to revisit my understanding of the Holy Spirit. The images that came to mind were of Glinda the Good Witch floating in a pink bubble, a dove, and that scary wind and flame.  Not very helpful images, are they?

When trying to consider more helpful images, I was drawn to the altar here in the Convent of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine. The altar has three panels, each depicting a feminine image of God: the pelican, a symbol of sacrifice; the phoenix, a symbol of resurrection; and the eagle, a symbol of ascension.

Yes, I know these are yet more bird images, but after praying with them, I have come to see the Holy Spirit that I want to journey with me. I want her to encourage me to look beyond my own walls, like the pelican, to sacrifice my own selfishness and to push past self-set limitations…to sit with me as I weep over the ashes of my life, like the phoenix, and to help me raise yet again a little closer to the person whom I am called to be… helping me, like the eagle, make that leap of faith. Trusting in the wings that I have been given, that will help me soar, but also calling me to experience the joy of the flight. Calling, encouraging and challenging me to embrace what has been given to me.

This is the Holy Spirit that journeys with me! She is one that cannot be contented or tamed and she in turn asks us—no, demands from us—not to be contented or tamed but to live with the desire and excitement of our calling.

 

*The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine is a contemporary expression of the religious life for women in the Anglican Church of Canada. 

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Anglican Journal News, May 17, 2013

The forgotten feast

Posted on: May 21st, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Discussion

 

By Diana Swift

 

Sunday, May 19 is the Day of Pentecost. Why is this celebration so much quieter than Christmas and Easter?   Artwork: Zvonimir Atletic

 

 

Why doesn’t the Anglican church avidly celebrate Pentecost, and its important encounter with the Holy Spirit, with the same fervour as the mega-feasts of Christmas and Easter? The Rev. Dr. David Reed, professor emeritus of pastoral theology at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, offers this possible explanation.

“There has been debate over the centuries as to how much attention ought to be given to the Holy Spirit. Some call the Holy Spirit the ‘shy member of the Trinity’ because in John’s gospel, Jesus says that when the Spirit comes, he will not speak of himself but only the words Jesus gives him.”

Reed adds that institutional theology places very little emphasis on the human experiences of the Spirit. “Such episodes have been associated with fringe groups and revivals and their excesses,” he says. Even evangelical Luther caustically noted that the radical reformers of his day had “swallowed the Dove, feathers and all.”

In mainstream doctrine, the immanent work of God through the Holy Spirit has been either marginalized as too extreme or domesticated into inoffensiveness. “Some argue that, historically, the church became suspicious of potentially uncontrollable aspects of what were claimed to be the work of the Holy Spirit,” says Reed.

Nonetheless, Pentecost is an important public celebration in countries such as Germany and the Philippines, while the U.K. has replaced its former Whit Monday holiday with a permanent secular holiday in May.

The Rev. Dr. Todd Townshend, dean of theology at Huron University College in London, Ont., would like to see Pentecost take its place as one of the Big Three holidays, but he concedes that the coming of the Holy Spirit may get shoved aside in favour of the coming of summer and Victoria Day.

“Another reason for the low status of Pentecost might be that Acts 2:1-13 stands as a critique of the lack of unity in today’s multi-denominational Christian church,” he adds.

And although the blowing of the life-changing Holy Spirit wherever it will may not appeal to some,  “We could use Pentecost to create a festival to boost a flagging ecumenical movement,” says Townshend. “A day where divided Christians come together and devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayers.”

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Anglican Journal News, May 17, 2013

Ministry among millenials: The spirituality of young people

Posted on: May 20th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Discussion

 

 

 

By Andrea Noel & Otis Gaddis III   
 
 

[Episcopal Diocese of Washington] This blog is part of a series on ministry with young adults that the Episcopal Diocese of Washington will be featuring on Saturdays in May.

Note: While religious affiliation amongst young adults is down, it is intriguing to find that studies show significant numbers of unaffiliated young adults pray daily and meditate weekly. This article addresses this opportunity.

Many young adults are investigating themes in spirituality more willingly than formal religion. Across religious traditions absentee young adults are no longer an exception, instead they have become the norm. This drift could exist because young adults express disappointment regarding relationships with families and institutions. More than ever, young adults are alive to the inconsistencies that exist in what they are told to do and what they are shown to do by example. Furthermore, with millennials, dissociative behaviors are customary. This new way of being could have several influences: parenting styles, non-traditional familial structures, technology, social pressures, and/or mental health issues.

Additionally, post-modern, global situations have millennials searching for deeper meaning, beliefs, values, and relationships that can offer greater support for self-integration in this convoluted world. Young adults do not only want to cope with the realities of post modernity, but seek opportunities to thrive in it.

Contemplative spirituality enhances the spiritual lives of young adults. Practices in the contemplative tradition offer young adults a path toward prayer, depth, and awareness of the presence of God. When young adults regularly engage practices within the contemplative tradition they can:

  1. Discover and understand their distinct relationship with the divine.
  2. Draw out and build up their overlooked innate strengths and spiritual resources.
  3. Notice what encumbers and sustains their awareness and reaction to the divine.
  4. Cultivate their spiritual lives through practices, worship, and/or education.
  5. Interpret or simply be present to their lived experiences of the divine.
  6. Be a witness to the transformation of their perceptions, responsiveness, and overall ways of being in the world.

The theological concept of Koinonia, spiritual companionship, is a guiding principle that weaves throughout the contemplative tradition. Groups are an ideal vehicle for spiritual growth in the lives of young adults. Groups, large and small, are a significant part of spiritual formation, facilitation, and direction. When we are in communion, we are better able to engender hope, express universality, encourage altruism, and develop an ecology for the Spirit.

Since 2009, I (Andrea Noel) have engaged young adults with practices from the contemplative tradition. As a spiritual companion, I pray, listen, encourage, and respond to the presence of God in young adults’ lives. Some practices include: meditation, lectio divina, labyrinths, examen, journaling, chanting, collaging, body prayer, group and individual spiritual guidance, and others.

As the Chaplain at University of Maryland College Park, I (Rev. Gaddis) find myself at the intersection of religion, spirituality, and young adults. One of the ministries of the chaplaincy is a contemplative spiritual practices group. This group bears out many of the assertions above as the majority of students who come are spiritual, but not religious. Through my pastoral presence and facilitation, the community is one of non-religious people encountering the Episcopal Church and its theology. The group is an experience of spiritual direction where being Episcopal or Christian is not necessary. Yet, students are adopting in their own way an Episcopal identity.

As we close the second semester, I (Gaddis) regularly see 7-10 students attending, and an additional 10 students who are part of the community irregularly. Each week we see newcomers who have been expressly invited by other attendees. The students are beginning to have spiritual experiences that are opening them to a coherent, real-time relationship with God. Conversations about one’s relationship with God are happening with several students who simply would not have been willing to two months ago. The students have even asked me to continue the group during the summer. This desire is an unprecedented request.

This is the effect of creating environments where people can have and process spiritual experiences. For those who are spiritual but not religious, this is exactly what they are looking for: something real. Because these practices are drawn from our Christian contemplative tradition, what is happening here is a repeatable authentic expression of the Episcopal Church.

Our hope is that exposing young adults to these practices invites them to a deeper encounter of God. We want to empower them with the ability to see their intrinsic value, strength, and connection to God. Contemplative spirituality allows young adults to express their own lived experiences of the divine without judgment or qualification and with genuine freedom. These practices help to cultivate a regular prayer life, encourage self-discovery, and create a knowing self in relation to God.

Andrea Noel completed a Master of Divinity at Howard University, residency at Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats, and is currently enrolled in the Master of Arts in Spiritual and Pastoral Care at Loyola University Maryland. Her life’s work is to help young adults go inward, realizing the deepest purpose within them that the world desperately needs, and reconnecting to the one true source. 

Otis Gaddis III came to the University of Maryland as a recent graduate of Yale Divinity School (2012). He studied young adult ministry, progressive evangelism, and community organizing during his time there. At Maryland, he serves as the Episcopal/Anglican Chaplain.

Share your thoughts and reactions on Facebook.

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Episcopal News Service, May 14, 2013

The promise of peace in a less than perfect world

Posted on: May 16th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Discussion

 

By the Rev. Dr. Gary Nicolosi

 
 “Peace I leave with you,” Jesus says, “my peace I give to you.” Photo: Micha Klootwijk

 
 
 

 

 

A few years ago CBC reported on a special community meeting between police officials and parents in Abbottsford, British Columbia. The subject was predators, psychopaths and drug pushers—how to recognize them, what to do about them and how to protect our children from them. Not a pleasant topic, to be sure, but a symptom of the kind of world we inhabit.

All  parents worry about their children. We try to protect them from all sorts of dangers and bad choices, and at times it seems like a losing battle. We love our children and are afraid for them, and rightly so. There are so many dangers lurking in our world.

I make no apologies for being a protective parent regarding my own daughter. After all, she has Down syndrome. She has an independent spirit and wants to be self-reliant, but she will always require help. My wife and I pray for her every day, and we are doing our best to plan for her future, especially when we are no longer around to care for her.

And yet, there is no guarantee that we can perfectly protect our daughter from the dangers that threaten.

So what can we give our children that is of lasting value? I suggest that the one thing we can give them is inner peace. Isn’t that what we mean when we say, “All I want for my children is that they should be happy”? What we want for our children is what Jesus wanted for his disciples—inner peace, inner strength, inner confidence that will allow them to stand tall in the hour of testing; that will strengthen and sustain them throughout their days.

“Peace I leave with you,” Jesus says, “my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

On the night before he died, Jesus gave all who believe in him a promise of peace. It comes not a moment too soon. Certainly, we want world peace, but we also desire inner peace—the peace that helps us cope with fear, anxiety and worry. Perhaps that’s why we come to church. We search for something to help us sleep better at night, and for something to get us through the day. We want something that will help us face life’s challenges with courage and conviction and integrity.

Recently, when we were on vacation in Florida, my wife was at the pool of our hotel speaking with a couple from Boston. She asked how they were coping in light of the recent marathon bombings. “We are going to be fine,” said the woman. “Everything will be okay. We’re strong and we can get through this.”

“But,” my wife asked, “what about all those who were injured—who lost limbs, who have shrapnel imbedded in their bodies and are facing a long, difficult recovery?”

The woman kept repeating, “We’re going to be all right. We’ll be fine. We’ll get through it.” She simply could not respond otherwise. The pain and heartbreak were just too great for her to face.

I like that woman’s spunk, but positive thinking is not enough to get us through the tough times of life. It will not fill the vacuum in our souls when life’s tragedies start to drain us.

In a world filled with reasons for worry, we need something tougher than “positive thinking” or “name it and claim it” theology. Yes, Jesus promises us peace, but he also tells us to expect trials and tribulations. The question is, “Where is the peace of God when the world around us is in turmoil?”

When I was living in New York City and practicing law, I was mugged on the subway. I was going home after a late night at the office. As I was about to put my token into the turnstile, two men grabbed me, threw me against the wall, pulled out a knife, pointed it to my belly and took my wallet. That experience changed my life. Never again did I ride the subway alone at night. I always had my law firm pay for a cab. But more importantly, I kept thinking to myself, “What if there wasn’t enough money in my wallet and the robbers decided to kill me?” On that dark Tuesday night in May 1980, where was the peace of God for Gary Nicolosi?

As I shared the story of my mugging with my law colleagues, a common response was, “Somebody was sure watching out for you.” More specifically, the response sometimes implied, sometimes stated, that God was watching out for me, because I wasn’t physically harmed. At first, that was comforting, but later I wondered what those people would have said about God if one of the robbers had killed me. Where is the peace of God when you’re the victim of a crime?

Where is the peace of God when life goes terribly wrong?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

In British Columbia I learned about a unique practice of First Nations peoples in training young braves. Traditionally, on the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting and fishing skills, he is put to one final test.

In this particular instance, a young boy was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified! Whenever a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce.

After what seemed an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long, ready to protect his son from any danger that threatened.

Life can be scary, but God does watch over us. In every circumstance of life, in all the tragedies and pitfalls we may experience, in all the heartaches and heartbreaks we may feel, in all the struggles and strains of daily living, God never abandons us. God is with us—all the time, even in the most horrific situations.

That’s why we have peace even when the world around us is in chaos. It is not a “feel good” peace or a “wishful thinking” peace. It is an objective peace that does not depend on feelings or even circumstances. It is a peace the world cannot give or take away, because it is God’s gift to every believer in Jesus.

All of us are bound to struggle with tragedy and heartbreak at some point in our lives. The aches of the human heart are not confined to any one group or class of people. But here is the good news: because Jesus lives, all the powers of death and destruction cannot ultimately harm us. Yes, they can destroy the body, but they cannot kill the soul. Jesus took on all the evil powers of this world and won—he conquered death itself, and therefore can conquer whatever problems and pains may come our way.

Are you worried or afraid? Are you troubled or distressed? Is your heart breaking from some tragic loss, or is the pain so great that it hurts too much to cry? Then claim the promise of Jesus for your life—for whatever may come your way, he is our perfect peace in this less than perfect world.

 

The Rev. Dr. Gary Nicolosi is the rector at St. James Westminster Anglican Church in London, Ont.

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Anglican Journal News, May 9, 2013

How would you pray for the media?

Posted on: May 15th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
Discussion

 

By Ali Symons, General Synod Senior Editor

 

 

Photographers

May 4, 2013–A Church of England call for prayers for the media has prompted reflections on the Canadian context.

Christians and churches in the United Kingdom have been encouraged to pray for the media on May 12, responding to a call issued by Christian charity the Church and Media Network.

Canadian Anglicans have responded to this call by reflecting on the media landscape in this country. Following are three insights from Anglicans involved with communications and journalism in Canada.

Archdeacon Paul Feheley, interim editor of the Anglican Journal:

“The ‘call to prayer’ will be handled very differently by faith groups around the world because of a variety of relationships with the media. For Canada, my prayer would be centred on building a better relationship between the church and the secular media. A renewed relationship would create opportunities for the media to tell the church’s stories of justice that, at the present time, are too often neglected, but for which society has an abiding interest.”

Robert Snow, recent graduate of Carleton University’s Master of Journalism program, and director of A Leap of Faith documentary:

“I would suggest that people pray that the media can continue to restructure itself, to better value young additions to the industry. I might also pray that the media try harder to overcome the temptation to indulge in opinion-only coverage. Finally, I would pray that the wider community try harder to recognize the work of the media, and be willing to pay for the invaluable service they provide, in the interest of preserving democracy and righting wrongs in society.”

The Rev. Canon Milton Barry, chair of General Synod’s Communications and Information Resources Committee:

“I will pray first and primarily for those who are on the front lines of the media, that is for investigative reporters who seek to provide the general public with ‘the whole story.’ May God grant them grace,courage,wisdom and compassion.

“I will then pray for the owners of the media outlets that they would be graced to be encouragers and defenders of their front line reporters.

“And finally I will pray that both might be instruments for good in contributing to the knowledge that allows society to grow in civility.”

(Above photo by sharkbait on Flickr.)

 
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Anglican Church of Canada, News from General Synod, May 4, 2013

Water: the Creator’s sacred gift

Posted on: May 14th, 2013 by CEP Administrator No Comments
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Water: the Creator’s sacred gift
Anglican Church of Canada

The Rev. Andrew Wesley blesses Lake Ontario

May 1, 2013–This article originally appeared in the Ministry Report, an Anglican Journal supplement produced by the Resources for Mission department. To learn how your gifts support mission, read the full report online now.

For most of us, a safe water supply is as Canadian as medicare and the cultural mosaic. But for many indigenous people, clean water is a far cry from reality.

Across Canada, however, Anglicans are beginning to address this issue through an initiative loosely formed by Bishop Mark MacDonald, national indigenous bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada. MacDonald became aware of an uptick in church interest in 2011 when he raised the water question as keynote speaker at the diocese of Toronto’s annual social justice conference.

“There seemed to be little or no church concern about the water issue, and then all of a sudden, dozens of churches across Canada were interested in advocacy work in clean water for First Nations communities,” says MacDonald, who refers to his role as that of a facilitator.

“Some people just wanted to write a cheque, while others wanted to meet and talk and pray about it,” he recalls.

Now the “water group” meets every couple of months at Trinity Church in Aurora, north of Toronto, in sessions that typically attract about 20 people.

“Right now it’s mainly a spiritual movement, but in a couple of years it may become more of an institution,” he says. “We’re picking up people quickly, and a group is forming in Toronto to help the remote northern Ontario community of Pikangikum with water and other issues.”

The advocates’ ultimate aim is to get the federal government to live up to its legal obligations and spend the estimated $12 billion needed for the infrastructure improvements that will guarantee clean water to indigenous communities. “They refuse to do it,” MacDonald says. “It’s a political hot potato; they don’t want to pick it  up and get stuck with it. But it’s not going to go away.”

The Mennonite Church Canada has been organizing to put pressure on the government, and the water network is now in conversation with the Assembly of First Nations about the best approach to take with the government.

In the meantime, the group is working on bridge solutions to improve access to clean water or replace broken delivery systems.

The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) and other organizations such as trade unions have become involved in this galvanizing issue. PWRDF, for example, is reviewing a plan to raise $100,000 for the Pikangikum Working Group over the spring and summer months. If the proposal is approved, PWRDF will be able to accept designated donations for it.

Sometimes the health problem in First Nations communities lies in a polluted water source; sometimes the water pipes are contaminated. A pilot project involving a couple of churches in the network has raised more than $10,000 so far for interim measures to improve water quality. These might include hiring trucks to deliver clean water, digging wells, and providing clean containers for carrying water, filtering devices for tap water or portable purification kits. “It’s going better than we ever anticipated, and there has been an amazing amount of  interest in Vancouver and Victoria as part of the network,” MacDonald says.

Gaining momentum, the group may soon officially assume the name Pimatisiwin Nipi (Oji-Cree for “living water”), and it will likely hold a national meeting at some point. “But for now, it’s a community of spiritual concern that stays together in conversation,” says MacDonald.

(Photo: The Rev. Andrew Wesley makes an offering to Lake Ontario in an adaptation of the Eastern Orthodox Church’s Great Blessing of the Water.)

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Anglican Church of Canada, News from General Synod, May 1, 2013