tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63098942766794809542024-02-21T23:02:11.319-08:00St. Philip's Anglican ChurchThe Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.comBlogger420125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-60540911061893748692018-02-28T06:20:00.004-08:002018-02-28T07:10:47.136-08:00Post Sandy Hook Sermon that Vowed to Mobilize Faith Communities to Fight the Gun Lobby and Push for Gun Laws<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span data-offset-key="oiu-0-0"><span data-text="true">This sermon by Rev. Gary Hall is prescient as we grapple with the painful aftermath of a gunman who recently killed 17 people with an assault rifle at a high school in Parkland, Florida. In this sermon delivered in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012, Rev. Hall vowed to mobilize the nation's faith communities to fight the influence of the pro-gun lobby and advocate for stronger gun control laws. Sadly, the only safeguards that were implemented to help protect kids from gun violence were removed by U.S. president Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers. Since 2012 we have seen dozens of shootings. The February 2018 Parkland tragedy was the worst mass school shooting since Sandy Hook. Once again there is a call for gun legislation. Will this time be different? Will we see more than thoughts and prayers?</span></span></i></div>
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<br />
We gather this morning in the aftermath of a national tragedy: the killing of
28 people—20 of them children—at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown,
Connecticut. Like you, I am still in the process of sorting out all my emotional
responses to this horrifying incident. In times like this, we all come together
seeking not so much answers as a community in which to make sense of the
questions.<br />
<br />
The only reliable way I know through something like this is to start with my
own response, trusting that in many ways it resembles yours, and then holding
that response up to the Gospel light, asking God what we should all do next.<br />
<br />
It appears that most of those who died on Friday were first graders. There is
nothing like a primary school classroom: it’s not only the bright colors and the
fun things that make it special. It’s the sense that you’re in a place where
children are making an important transition, moving from innocence to
experience, engaging the world afresh and anew. So my first response to Friday’s
shooting is a kind of wounded horror at the thought that these emergent children
were killed so brutally and that the children around them were terrorized as
well. I grieve, of course, for the adults too. But it is the loss of the
children—the lives not lived, the hopes extinguished—that touches me first.<br />
<br />
My thoughts move next to the parents. As I remember my own days as the parent
of a young child, I recall my own visceral sense that my primary purpose in life
was to protect and nurture the life of my son. When you have a child you are
emotionally exposed. Not only can I not fully take in the way the children were
traumatized; I cannot even begin to grasp the pain experienced by their
parents.<br />
<br />
And then from the parents my thoughts go to the shooter. While I resist the
temptation to speculate about his mental or emotional state, it’s hard to
imagine someone carrying out such an act who wasn’t in an awful lot of psychic
pain themselves. We reflexively turn to calling such people “evil,” as if in so
doing we mark them as somehow different from us. Was the shooter “evil”? In the
sense that he caused a lot of innocent suffering, yes I suppose he was. But can
we call him “evil” as a way of excluding him or his actions from the realm of
humanity? No, I don’t believe we can. We need to understand his action—and the
actions of all violent people—as a part of what it means to be human. Like it or
not, we are bound up with each other in a complex matrix of motivations and
actions. To understand is not to excuse. Let’s not apologize for the shooter,
but let’s not try to pretend that he’s someone other than us, either. If he was
mentally ill, he was also a member of a family, and we know that existing laws
make it very difficult for families to control or institutionalize their violent
members.<br />
<br />
And thinking about “us” makes me ask the last, the harder question. Why do we
as a society tolerate these massacres in increasing numbers? These mass
shootings are happening with increasing frequency, and they more and more seem
to be targeted directly against children. What does it say about us as a society
that we continue to tolerate so much violence against children? What does it say
about us, as a community of human beings, that we are willing to put our
children (not to mention their teachers) in so much jeopardy? In every school I
know they have lockdown drills, and the threat of invasive gun violence is taken
very seriously. What kind of a society would let itself get to this point, to
where teachers and students routinely have to practice what they will do when a
shooter comes on campus? If you stand back from it for a minute, you realize
that our continued shared tolerance of this violence directed against our
children is insane.<br />
<br />
All of which leads me, finally, to ask the Gospel question: what are we, as
people of faith, to do? As a way into answering that question, I turn to this
morning’s Gospel passage, the account of John the Baptist addressing the crowds
who are coming to him out of some kind of personal and spiritual and social
desperation. What does he say to them? “Bear fruits worthy of repentance.” What
he means is: stop doing the crazy thing you’re doing and do a new thing, a new
thing that will bear fruit, that will bring about the change you seek.<br />
<br />
The crowd asks him, “What then should we do?” And John gives this direct and
plain-spoken answer:<br />
<blockquote>
“Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and
whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and
they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more
than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what
should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or
false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” [Luke 3:
10-14]</blockquote>
<br />
Now you don’t have to be a New Testament scholar or an ethicist or a moral
philosopher to understand what John is saying here. He’s saying: it’s not that
complicated. You already knew the answer when you asked the question. Share what
you have, live honorably, value the well-being of the other person as highly as
your own. We make our ethical dilemmas seem more complicated than they really
are. In today’s Gospel, we’re asked, simply, to repent, to turn around, and then
to bear fruits worthy of repentance. We’re asked to live mutually and honorably
and compassionately for the well-being of all.<br />
<br />
Which leads me to say, on behalf of this faith community at least: enough is
enough. As followers of Jesus, we have the moral obligation to stand for and
with the victims of gun violence and to work to end it. We have tolerated school
shootings, mall shootings, theater shootings, sniper shootings, workplace
shootings, temple and church shootings, urban neighborhood shootings, for far
too long. The massacre of these 28 people in Connecticut is, for me at least,
the last straw. And I believe it is for you. Enough is enough. The Christian
community—indeed the entire American faith community—can no longer tolerate this
persistent and escalating gun violence directed against our people. Enough is
enough.<br />
<br />
For a variety of reasons our political culture has been unwilling and unable
to address the question of gun control, but now it is time that you and I, as
followers of Jesus, help them to do that. In his emotional statement on Friday,
President Obama called for “meaningful action” in response to the Sandy Hook
Elementary School massacre, and I pledge my and this community’s help in
crafting and taking that action.<br />
<br />
Our political leaders need to know that there
is a group of people in America who will serve as a counterweight to the gun
lobby, who will stand together with our leaders and support them as they act to
take assault weapons off the streets. As followers of Jesus, we are led by one
who died at the hand of human violence on the cross. We know something about
innocent suffering. And we know our job is to heal it and stop it wherever we
can.<br />
<br />
In my statement on Friday, I said in part, “Washington National Cathedral
pledges to pray for the victims, their families, the assailant, and the
survivors. And we pledge to work with our national leaders to enact more
effective gun control measures.” To my way of thinking, the best way for us to
mourn the Sandy Hook shooting is to mobilize the faith community for gun
control.<br />
<br />
In her statement on Friday, Bishop Budde announced that she is calling on our
national leaders to enact more effective gun control measures. We know from
experience that such calls go unheeded. But what if this time, you and I took up
this issue and wouldn’t put it down until something was done? … Today we grieve,
but soon we act.<br />
<br />
“What if this time, you and I took up this issue and wouldn’t put it down
until something was done?” What would Jesus do? What would John the Baptist do?
What should you and I do? You knew the answer even before you asked the
question. “Bear fruits worthy of repentance.” “Today we grieve, but soon we
act.” As people of faith we can no longer tolerate the epidemic of gun violence
in America. If we are truly America’s “National” Cathedral, as we say we are,
then we must become the focal point of faithful advocacy of gun control, calling
our leaders to courageous action and supporting them as they take it.<br />
<br />
Everyone in this city seems to live in terror of the gun lobby. But I believe
the gun lobby is no match for the cross lobby. I don’t want to take away
someone’s hunting rifle, but I can no longer justify a society that allows
concealed handguns in schools and on the streets or that allows people other
than military and police to buy assault weapons or that lets people get around
existing gun laws by selling weapons to people without background checks at gun
shows. As Christians, we are obligated to heal the wounded, protect the
vulnerable, and stand for peace. The cross is the sign and the seal of that
obligation. And we know both from faith and experience that the cross is
mightier than the gun. The gun lobby is no match for the cross lobby.<br />
<br />
On this Third Sunday of Advent, we await the birth of the one who will die on
that cross at the hands of sinful and violent people. Let us rededicate
ourselves as agents of Jesus’ love and justice and healing in the world. Let us
pray for the children and adults who died on Friday. Let us pray for the parents
and the surviving children and the pain they continue to endure. Let us pray for
the shooter and the miasma of sickness and pain he suffered. Let us pray for the
mentally ill and their families, and let us help those families more effectively
cope with their sickest members. And let us pray for ourselves, that we may have
faithful courage to act, so that the murderous violence done on Friday may never
be repeated, and that all God’s children may live lives of wholeness and
blessing and peace. Amen.<br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://www.nationalcathedral.org/worship/sermonTexts/grh20121216.shtml">Washington National Cathedral</a>The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-3277498254053249332018-02-09T06:28:00.000-08:002018-02-09T06:28:06.715-08:00Black History Month: Meet the Community<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXa3ziHsXxcJzNH5RpIyzjOgiHhb4D7kMIDVI6VdfjMtQ4IX5XYjiVjFKfED977IrBIucVobKOoUZoQk4F3qT3zFoEYjpHzDkhEZOr-Yp1EnQdR-hkm0ltvCj1ye8UAPu-k9s1WaeziY/s1600/spc.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="580" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXa3ziHsXxcJzNH5RpIyzjOgiHhb4D7kMIDVI6VdfjMtQ4IX5XYjiVjFKfED977IrBIucVobKOoUZoQk4F3qT3zFoEYjpHzDkhEZOr-Yp1EnQdR-hkm0ltvCj1ye8UAPu-k9s1WaeziY/s200/spc.png" width="198" /></a></div>
<i><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This is a republication of “Meet The
Community” from 2014 in</i></span> celebration of Black History Month.
Like many Anglican and Episcopal churches, Black people are an important
part of St. Philip's parish family. This series is offered in
respectful appreciation of their esteemed place in our Parish as well as
an acknowledgment of the important role of Black people in churches
across North America.</i><br />
<br />
Black History Month (BHM)
takes place in February each year and it is an opportunity for all
people to celebrate those who have championed civil rights, to remember
some very disturbing facts about the past and to acknowledge the social
justice work that still needs to be done.<br />
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In this article several parishioners from St. Philip's church explain what this month means to them. <br />
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Joy
has been a member of St. Philip's for 17 years. She explained that for
her BHM celebrates people that have worked for equal rights in schools
and in the wider society.
<br />
<br />
Paul has been coming to St. Philip's for a quarter
century. He was born in Uganda and for him BHM is a celebration of where
you come, it "honours those who have fought for your liberation and
your freedom."
<br />
<br />
Sam is another long time parishioner at St. Philip's he succinctly explained that BHM, "means a lot."
<br />
<br />
Andy has been coming to St. Philip's for decades, he
reviewed his experience as the only mixed race person in school and
later in his job. He stated that there should be no such thing as BHM
and it should be something we remember and celebrate all the time.
<br />
<br />
He recounted that when Black people came to Canada,
many were not welcome in predominantly White churches. He explained that
one of the first churches to openly welcome Black people was the <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2014/02/the-oldest-black-church-in-montreal.html">Union United Church</a>.
<br />
<br />
Una came to Canada from Barbados in the 1970's she
recounted her personal story about being Black both in Barbados and in
Montreal. <br />
<br />
Some of Una's ancestors were slaves. She
explained that while slavery has been abolished there are still remnants
of racism that persist to this day. "We have to remember the past," she
said. Growing up, "white people never looked at us," it was as though
we were invisible. However, she noted that in some department stores she
felt very visible. White sales clerks would follow her around as if to
ensure that she did not steal anything.
<br />
<br />
For Una BHM is an opportunity for Black people to
express themselves. She stated that she is glad to see that we have come
a long way, but, she concluded, we still have further to go.
<br />
<br />
<b>Related</b><br />
<a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-oldest-black-church-in-montreal.html">The Oldest Black Church in Montreal </a><br />
<a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-first-black-bishop-in-anglican.html">The First Black Bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada</a> <br />
<a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.com/2014/02/chronological-history-of-african.html">Chronological History of African American Contributions to the Episcopal Church (1624 - 1970)</a> <br />
<a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2014/02/a-charter-for-racial-justice-in.html">A Charter for Racial Justice in the Anglican Church of Canada</a>The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-84487986415261285922018-01-11T17:14:00.001-08:002018-01-11T17:14:39.715-08:00St. Philips Church Calendar 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaiHPPu0pQ33vqnLfJzfB5tBpevYuRu_X-VFdK6oKDdI9GikqbktPCQfdFasCrE3Rg5XFA8SkCZHIOB9BHnxqFX8slWeANu-ijEKJ7DvTnZxCwTvz51m3BzEsBbpP7WfP-0h1Sq9Kz0c/s1600/st+philips+calendar+2018.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1339" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaiHPPu0pQ33vqnLfJzfB5tBpevYuRu_X-VFdK6oKDdI9GikqbktPCQfdFasCrE3Rg5XFA8SkCZHIOB9BHnxqFX8slWeANu-ijEKJ7DvTnZxCwTvz51m3BzEsBbpP7WfP-0h1Sq9Kz0c/s640/st+philips+calendar+2018.png" width="600" /></a></div>
The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-36623716880900785692017-12-24T11:00:00.001-08:002017-12-24T11:00:43.710-08:00 Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-9632217026843652712017-11-20T16:03:00.001-08:002017-11-20T16:03:03.442-08:00Advent Resources 2017 - Anglican Church of Canada<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Its that time of year again. To help you to celebrate the season of Advent through to Christmas the Anglican Church of Canada has assembled a list of resources. Here are three of those resources with accompanying links. <b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>PWRDF 2017 Advent Reflections</b> This Advent The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) invites you to take a few moments each day to reflect on the season and enter into prayerful consideration of its meaning. Join us in these Advent Reflections, which encourage thought on issues of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, and food security. Click <a href="http://pwrdf.org/resources/seasonal/">here</a> to sign up. <b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>#AdventWord 2017 — A global Advent calendar</b> During Advent, we anticipate the coming of Christ, an event that awakens our deepest desires and longings. Respond to a daily meditation with images and prayers that speak to your heart and be part of a global Advent Calendar that brings us together in communion. Participants are invited to respond with an image of their own on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The result is a crowd-sourced global advent calendar that creates a sense of worldwide communion and wonder. We hope that you will consider participating and inviting your diocese to join. It is fun to see so many young people praying together. Click <a href="http://adventword.org/">here</a> to sign up. <b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Sisterhood of St. John the Divine</b> Readying Ourselves to Receive. Daily Advent Reflections for 2017 Written by the Oblates and Sisters of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine. Click <a href="https://ssjdadventreflections.blogspot.ca/">here</a> to go to the daily reflections.The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-25073597670325219252017-11-15T16:02:00.001-08:002017-11-15T16:02:19.876-08:00Primate endorses Bill C-262 in letter to Prime Minister Trudeau<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Archbishop and Primate Fred Hiltz has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in support of a bill that would require all Canadian laws to be in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).<br />
In the letter, Archbishop Hiltz expressed his support for Bill C-262 on behalf of the Anglican Church of Canada.<br />
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“As parties to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement,” the Primate wrote, “I believe we have a common obligation to ensure that genuine reconciliation in Canada becomes a reality. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has stated that the UNDRIP is the key to this reconciliation.”<br />
<br />
Outlining the efforts of the church to respond to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the Primate referred to his statement “Let our ‘yes’ be yes” in response to Call to Action No. 48, in which he asked that UNDRIP be read in parishes annually on the Sunday before National Aboriginal Day, and incorporated into baptism and confirmation ceremonies. The statement also established a council of Indigenous elders and youth—now known as the Vision Keepers Council—to monitor how the Anglican Church would honor its commitment to adopt and comply with UNDRIP.<br />
<br />
Archbishop Hiltz said that the passage of Bill C-262 would encourage the Government of Canada to live into a response to Calls to Action 43 and 44, which call on all levels of government to fully adopt and implement UNDRIP as their framework for reconciliation, and for the federal government to take concrete steps to achieve the goals of the UN Declaration.<br />
<br />
“Trying to move the laws of Canada in harmony with the UN Declaration … I recognize that’s a huge undertaking, and it could take a very long time,” the Primate said. “But we have to begin somewhere and we have to begin sometime, and I think this could be the beginning of that.”<br />
<br />
National Indigenous Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald applauded the support of the Anglican Church of Canada for Bill C-262.<br />
<br />
“We as a church have committed ourselves in a number of ways to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, both in terms of guiding our own behaviour and action, but also as a standard for our nation,” Bishop MacDonald said. “So I think it’s very appropriate that we endorse this bill.”<br />
<br />
“If our laws were brought into harmony with the UN Declaration,” he added, “we would be well on our way to a full-hearted experience of reconciliation.”<br />
<br />
Reconciliation animator Melanie Delva said that the Primate’s letter reflected the official endorsement of the UN Declaration by General Synod in 2010, in a resolution that also called on the church to urge governments to do the same.<br />
<br />
“If we as a society want reconciliation as we say we do, then the UNDRIP needs to be more than simply aspirational,” Delva said.<br />
<br />
She pointed to the Marks of Mission and their counsel for Anglicans to “transform unjust structures of society”, noting that Bill C-262 “most certainly calls our government to do that.”<br />
<br />
“Reconciliation, at the very least, requires the survival, dignity, and well-being of all people trying to reconcile,” Delva said. “This bill would see that factors such as inter-generational trauma, Indigenous health, and poverty—among other issues—get the serious attention they deserve. It would also allow for traditional forms of governance, which are critical to self-determination.”<br />
<br />
The same issues, she noted, also apply within the church.<br />
<br />
“How can we say we as the Body of Christ are whole when part of our body is suffering to this degree?” she asked. “The church needs to be a leader in Indigenous justice in order to seek the healing of the whole body of Christ.”<br />
<br />
Anglicans can express their support for Bill C-262 by contacting their MPs—by phone, in person, or in writing—and requesting that they publicly support and vote for the bill, as well as encouraging others to do the same.<br />
<br />
Click <a href="http://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/Prime-Minister-of-Canada-letter-re-Bill-C-262_mkedit.pdf?">here</a> to read the Primate's letter.<br />
<br />
Source: By Matt Gardner, News from the General SynodThe Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-77556932476961947332017-06-21T20:27:00.000-07:002017-06-21T20:27:06.240-07:00St Philip's to host summer day campNew this year -- St Philip's to host summer day camp for children 5-12<br />
<br />
St Philip's will be hosting a day camp for children ages 5 through 12 this
summer.
<br />
<br />
The camp will operate for the week of August 21 to 25. Many other day
camps close as of August 18, as the staff prepares to go back to university
and college. This often leaves parents in a bind, as there are very few
child-care options for that week.
<br />
<br />
The camp will be animated by the Rev. Deacon Jessica Bickford, who has more
then a dozen years experience working with children and youth, in the
Anglican Church and with community organizations such as the Boys' and
Girls' Clubs. Jessica was most recently director of the Family Life
Project at Trinity Memorial Church in NDG, and will be joined by some of
the volunteers from Trinity, as well as new volunteers from St Philip's.
<br />
<br />
The program is not religiously based and is open to all children. The
camp will use "Play it Fair", an innovative program used at day camps and
after-school programs across Canada, which increases children's
understanding of human rights, respect for diversity and peaceful conflict
resolution. The games and activities provide a starting point for children
to work together to find ways to promote inclusion, respect, fairness,
acceptance and cooperation, all while having fun.
<br />
<br />
Other activities will include art projects, swimming, indoor and outdoor
games, and an end-of-camp show.
<br />
<br />
The camp will run daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Extended care is
available from 7:30 am and until 6:00 pm for an additional fee.
<br />
<br />
For more information, and to register, go to
https://locksop.wixsite.com/stphilipsdaycamp, or contact the church office
at (514) 481-4871 or office@stphilipschurchmontreal.caThe Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-56512435305735774952017-05-05T06:01:00.001-07:002017-05-05T19:03:07.187-07:00Three dioceses have married eight same-sex couples since General Synod 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Eight same-sex couples have been married in three Anglican Church of Canada dioceses, ahead of General Synod 2019, when a resolution to allow same-sex marriages will be presented for final approval. Since General Synod 2016 approved – on first reading – a proposed change in the marriage canon (church law) to allow same-sex marriages, four weddings of same-sex couples have taken place in the diocese of Niagara, three in the diocese of Toronto and one in the diocese of Ottawa, according to the offices of the respective diocesan bishops. Several other same-sex couples in the dioceses of Toronto and Ottawa are also preparing to walk down the aisle.
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
In the diocese of Montreal, Bishop Mary Irwin-Gibson said she is currently going through a discernment process with four same-sex couples considering marriage.
<br />
<br />
Bishop Logan McMenamie, of the diocese of British Columbia, announced at a diocesan synod in autumn 2016 that he will “move forward with the marriage of same-sex couples in the diocese” on a case-by-case basis. When the Anglican Journal contacted his office in March 2017, no same-sex couples had yet approached the diocese about the possibility of marriage.
<br />
<br />
Since changing the marriage canon is considered a matter of doctrine, the motion requires a two-thirds majority vote at two successive General Synods. The second and final vote will take place at General Synod 2019.
<br />
<br />
Following the first reading of the motion to change the marriage canon—which was initially, but incorrectly, declared as being defeated in a vote—several bishops publicly announced they would nonetheless marry same-sex couples.
<br />
<br />
Niagara Bishop Michael Bird, Ottawa Bishop John Chapman, Toronto Archbishop Colin Johnson, then Huron Bishop Bob Bennett and then coadjutor (now diocesan) Bishop Linda Nicholls all stated that they would marry same-sex couples as a pastoral measure, citing an opinion by General Synod Chancellor David Jones, that the marriage canon as it stands does not actually bar same-sex marriage.
<br />
<br />
Following discovery of a voting error, which showed that the motion had actually passed its first reading, Bird, Chapman and Johnson said they would still go ahead with same-sex marriage. However, Bennett and Nicholls issued another statement,clarifying that their diocese was “committed to ongoing consultations” as required by the same-sex motion. At press time, no changes to diocesan policy regarding the marriage of same-sex couples had been made.
<br />
<br />
Irwin-Gibson, who did not release a statement following the miscounted vote, sent out a pastoral letter upon her return from synod saying she would consider marrying same-sex couples on a “case-by-case” basis.
<br />
<br />
Several other bishops, including McMenamie, said they would discuss with their clergy and synods whether or not to offer marriages to same-sex couples immediately.
<br />
<br />
While McMenamie opted to move forward, other bishops who underwent similar consultations, such as Bishop Melissa Skelton, of the diocese of New Westminster, agreed to “abide by” the General Synod process.
<br />
<br />
In a November pastoral letter, Skelton—whose diocese was the first to offer same-sex blessings, in 2002—said New Westminster would “hold off” on letting clergy officiate the marriage of same-sex couples until the motion is approved.
<br />
<br />
However, she said she would convene a group to “create standards and develop or refine materials to assist all couples in preparing for their making monogamous, lifelong commitments of fidelity.”
<br />
<br />
Several other dioceses, including Huron, Ontario, Rupert’s Land and Edmonton, have said they will continue to offer same-sex blessings, but will wait until the motion passes its second reading before offering marriage to same-sex couples.
<br />
<br />
Bishop Ron Cutler, of the diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, said in a pastoral letter that the possibility of marrying same-sex couples before 2019 will be discussed at the diocesan synod in May 2017.
<br />
<br />
The announcement that some dioceses would marry same-sex couples despite the vote at synod was met with consternation from more conservative quarters of the church.
<br />
<br />
When William Anderson, then bishop of the diocese of Caledonia, was interviewed by the Journal following the announcement, he said offering marriage to same-sex couples before 2019 would cause a “period of chaos.”
<br />
<br />
However, the Anglican Church of Canada’s primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, maintained at the time that he has “no authority” to tell his fellow bishops what they can and cannot do in their own jurisdictions.
<br />
<br />
When contacted by the Journal about the marriages that have taken place and are being planned, several bishops pointed to statements they made following General Synod last year.
<br />
<br />
Bird said his thoughts on the matter have not changed since he told a reporter for the Niagara Anglican that he was committed to “continue[ing] to walk along the path of full inclusion and to immediately proceed with marriage equality” with LGBTQ2 [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Two-Spirited] Anglicans in his diocese.
<br />
<br />
But the process for marrying same-sex couples differs slightly among the dioceses that have agreed to do so.
<br />
<br />
While Bird simply requires priests marrying same-sex couples to inform him in advance, Irwin-Gibson told the Journal she has so far only permitted such weddings to happen in churches where the congregations and clergy are on board, and only for couples who are active in their congregations.
<br />
<br />
“This is meant to be a pastoral measure for members of the church where it is important to be done,” she said, adding that she has turned down some same-sex couples seeking to get married.
<br />
<br />
The diocese of Toronto requires parishes to receive authorization before marrying same-sex couples.
<br />
<br />
In November 2016, Johnson released a set of guidelines for how parishes can become eligible for authorization, and how same-sex couples in parishes that have not received authorization can pursue solemnization of their marriages.
<br />
<br />
Twelve parishes are now authorized to perform weddings of same-sex couples in the diocese of Toronto.
<br />
<br />
As the Canadian Anglican church has not yet authorized liturgies for marriages between members of the same sex, weddings that have taken place have adopted liturgy for celebrating and blessing as well as for witnessing same-sex marriages created by the U.S.-based Episcopal Church, which has allowed same-sex marriage since 2015.
<br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://www.anglicanjournal.com/articles/three-dioceses-have-married-eight-same-sex-couples-since-general-synod-2016">Anglican Journal, André Forget on May, 03 2017</a>
The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-33491235410938219172017-04-22T13:05:00.002-07:002017-04-22T13:05:41.065-07:00Earth Day message from Anglican and Lutheran leaders<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFAtE0M8oa0m6XvV7t9cI0I6fZRPkx2Q5I2QhZmnD2Q63jrche1Yc8YPaWIBdDPGT5HnSOuIxuY0so0-xOOdiF9_xzqMB0KIxfkEpDjXD4_QuS060FCtx_moC94b52WGaCEecQBs9L14/s1600/earth.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFAtE0M8oa0m6XvV7t9cI0I6fZRPkx2Q5I2QhZmnD2Q63jrche1Yc8YPaWIBdDPGT5HnSOuIxuY0so0-xOOdiF9_xzqMB0KIxfkEpDjXD4_QuS060FCtx_moC94b52WGaCEecQBs9L14/s320/earth.png" width="320" /></a><i>Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.—John 12:24</i><br />
<br />
In recognition of Earth Day on April 22, 2017, we invite you to join us in praying for the humility and discipline to use Earth’s resources wisely and responsibly.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Through our Lenten Journey to Easter we have been reminded once again that Jesus offered his whole life and death for the love of the world; and the story was completed with his resurrection. As we celebrate this great mystery we recall how he helped us understand death and resurrection using the image of a seed planted and coming out of the earth as a new growth—budding, bursting, blooming, bearing beautiful fruit.<br />
<br />
As followers of Christ, we are also challenged to offer our lives for the love of the world. What do we have to offer and to plant? What in us needs to die so that we can bear much fruit? What happens when we touch the earth with faith?<br />
<br />
Our churches are committed to responsible stewardship of the earth. As we celebrate Earth Day, we re-commit to our care for creation and commend the efforts of our congregations across the country to live out this call. We recommend that you or your congregation get involved with the Faith Commuter Challenge, a creative way to reduce your carbon footprint and raise awareness of the impact of our actions. Visit greeningsacredspaces.net/what-we-do/commuter-challenge/ to learn more about how you can participate.<br />
<br />
On Earth Day let us pray together:<br />
<br />
Creator, we give you thanks for the intricate balance of relationships that sustains life. Bless us with the humility and discipline to use Earth’s resources wisely and responsibly.<br />
<br />
Crucified and Risen Christ, we give you thanks for forgiveness, life and salvation that is the source of our hope for true community and abundant life. Help us, guide us and transform us so that we may walk in your ways of justice, equity and peace.<br />
<br />
Holy Spirit, we give you thanks for fresh winds of renewal, that open our hearts to new possibilities and deeper insights. Grant us courage to act in diverse, creative and generous ways.<br />
<br />
Creator, Christ and Spirit One: call us together for the love of the world, and send us to proclaim your gift of hope. Amen.<br />
<br />
Yours in the spirit of Full Communion,<br />
<br />
The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz<br />
Primate, Anglican Church of Canada<br />
<br />
The Rev. Susan C. Johnson<br />
National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada<br />
<br />
The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald<br />
National Anglican Indigenous Bishop, Anglican Church of CanadaThe Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-77157245809390583442017-04-17T08:23:00.005-07:002017-04-17T08:23:49.654-07:00St. Philip's Spring Fair 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-ZoAhpBGy2eXf0J9cgEdp8s2NgBf9tRr_yKIqFce9fdnBjm2aZEz7q5dwlqNva8oXyR1nEmk7GdUHE4Ad8dchoXJQjKHKl44KjpnySe6OMHOdPZ2iW_GC26t9AxyUz5uSUlcCAbp8Jw/s1600/st+philips+church+spring+fair+2017.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-ZoAhpBGy2eXf0J9cgEdp8s2NgBf9tRr_yKIqFce9fdnBjm2aZEz7q5dwlqNva8oXyR1nEmk7GdUHE4Ad8dchoXJQjKHKl44KjpnySe6OMHOdPZ2iW_GC26t9AxyUz5uSUlcCAbp8Jw/s320/st+philips+church+spring+fair+2017.png" width="320" /></a></div>
In 2016 St. Philip's married our <i>Book Bake and Craft Fair</i> with our <i>Yard Sale</i> to make an even bigger event called <i><b>St. Philip's Spring Fair</b>. </i><br />
<br />
In 2017 the event will take place on Saturday, May 13th (9 am to 3 pm). All are invited to come meet local artisans displaying their handmade jewelry, painting, woodworking, pottery and other collectibles. Pick up some delicious homemade baking just in time for Mother's Day or perhaps a used book for your summer reading. In addition to hand-crafted works of art, delicious desserts and books you can find great bargains including a wide array of toys, clothing, household items & more! Fr. Jim will fire up his BBQ to make his holy hot dogs. For information about table rentals ($25) click <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2017/03/looking-for-artisans-artisans-recherches.html">here</a>. The Spring Fair is a fund-raiser for St. Philip's church and the NDG Food Depot.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Below you can see some pictures from the Book Bake and Craft Fair and the Yard Sale.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPariEe6RF4O6Ib51jt_N-_7RND-y0ehagJdPbwfoN41VAJZPmKcq2qh0jBRojqEd9r1w786UaTmTQKegfpirmqIK3wCMVBcY5EywxpSZ6iDrvWjQ4sNRKroV-Fsobu3rSvKpOjn0u0z0/s1600/SPC+SPRING+FAIR.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPariEe6RF4O6Ib51jt_N-_7RND-y0ehagJdPbwfoN41VAJZPmKcq2qh0jBRojqEd9r1w786UaTmTQKegfpirmqIK3wCMVBcY5EywxpSZ6iDrvWjQ4sNRKroV-Fsobu3rSvKpOjn0u0z0/s640/SPC+SPRING+FAIR.png" width="600" /></a></div>
<br />
For more information, please contact the church office (514-481-4871) or Mark Reimer (markreimer@bell.net). For the full slate St. Philip's Church events in 2017 click <a href="http://stphilipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/p/events.html">here</a>.The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-8608547385132581332017-03-26T05:46:00.000-07:002017-03-26T05:46:34.501-07:00Looking for Artisans / Artisans Recherchés <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7oNZasCulp6fxB2CQyM-rokKoA13F16C8NMAm_i630I5By6oWk3lEuAjn_7p62cme-mgl2lsu-GjggYgI2BTYC6zMgR3836bXhurp8JWSIJSA0tDwp7rhilUfConlcyhVUJd1xOnuQM/s1600/artisans.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7oNZasCulp6fxB2CQyM-rokKoA13F16C8NMAm_i630I5By6oWk3lEuAjn_7p62cme-mgl2lsu-GjggYgI2BTYC6zMgR3836bXhurp8JWSIJSA0tDwp7rhilUfConlcyhVUJd1xOnuQM/s320/artisans.PNG" /></a></div>
<div>
St. Philip's Church welcomes artisans to take part in its upcoming Spring Fair to be held on Saturday, May 13th, 2017. Artisans who create handmade jewelry, painting, greeting cards, wood-working, and pottery are welcome to display their wares. We are located on the border between Montreal West and NDG. This well-attended event is a unique opportunity to promote and sell your crafts. </div>
<br />
Contact Mark R. at markreimer@bell.net for more details on how you can secure a table.<br />
<br />
Deadline for receipt of applications is April 22, 2017.<br />
<br />
Please forward this to anyone that may be interested.
___________________________________________<br />
<br />
L'Église St. Philip
invite les artisans à participer dans la Foire du Printemps, notre
nouvelle vente annuelle de livres, pâtisseries et objets faits à la main qui
aura lieu samedi, le 13 mai, 2017. <span id="ecxrole_document" style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">Les artisans et artisanes
qui fabriquent les bijoux, peintures, cartes de voeux, boiseries, poteries,
etc</span> sont invités à offrir leurs créations. Nous sommes situés entre les
frontières de Montréal Ouest et NDG. Cet événement attire plusieurs acheteurs et
présente une opportunité unique pour promouvoir et vendre vos créations.<br />
<br />
<div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Pour plus de détails ou pour vous procurer une table, communiquez avec Mark
R., <a href="mailto:markreimer@bell.net" title="mailto:markreimer@bell.net">markreimer@bell.net</a>.<br />
<br />
La date limite
pour nous remettre les formulaires est le 22 avril, 2017.</div>
<br />
Faites
parvenir cette invitation à tout ceux qui peuvent être intéressés. </div>
The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-68294616992572701602017-02-11T21:32:00.002-08:002017-02-11T21:36:49.442-08:00Black History Month: Meet the Community<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwQOeC4PWNMdcgQhdfHHELw3ZGkallEyU17yhzECtrJWcvtWNC9I53WzmkJ1ANYtlZ1l7b3rSeOH9S5lifV5zptg5CMLlJyJATKxFQzMXIdQKh-UGRIgICBKyDzEh9pDA13cB0uvPiCg/s1600/andy+walter.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwQOeC4PWNMdcgQhdfHHELw3ZGkallEyU17yhzECtrJWcvtWNC9I53WzmkJ1ANYtlZ1l7b3rSeOH9S5lifV5zptg5CMLlJyJATKxFQzMXIdQKh-UGRIgICBKyDzEh9pDA13cB0uvPiCg/s200/andy+walter.png" width="184" /></a></div>
<i><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This is a republication of “Meet The
Community” from 2014 in</i></span> celebration of Black History Month.
Like many Anglican and Episcopal churches, Black people are an important
part of St. Philip's parish family. This series is offered in
respectful appreciation of their esteemed place in our Parish as well as
an acknowledgment of the important role of Black people in churches
across North America.</i><br />
<br />
Black History Month (BHM)
takes place in February each year and it is an opportunity for all
people to celebrate those who have championed civil rights, to remember
some very disturbing facts about the past and to acknowledge the social
justice work that still needs to be done.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
In this article several parishioners from St. Philip's church explain what this month means to them. <br />
<br />
Joy
has been a member of St. Philip's for 17 years. She explained that for
her BHM celebrates people that have worked for equal rights in schools
and in the wider society.
<br />
<br />
Paul has been coming to St. Philip's for a quarter
century. He was born in Uganda and for him BHM is a celebration of where
you come, it "honours those who have fought for your liberation and
your freedom."
<br />
<br />
Sam is another long time parishioner at St. Philip's he succinctly explained that BHM, "means a lot."
<br />
<br />
Andy has been coming to St. Philip's for decades, he
reviewed his experience as the only mixed race person in school and
later in his job. He stated that there should be no such thing as BHM
and it should be something we remember and celebrate all the time.
<br />
<br />
He recounted that when Black people came to Canada,
many were not welcome in predominantly White churches. He explained that
one of the first churches to openly welcome Black people was the <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2014/02/the-oldest-black-church-in-montreal.html">Union United Church</a>.
<br />
<br />
Una came to Canada from Barbados in the 1970's she
recounted her personal story about being Black both in Barbados and in
Montreal. <br />
<br />
Some of Una's ancestors were slaves. She
explained that while slavery has been abolished there are still remnants
of racism that persist to this day. "We have to remember the past," she
said. Growing up, "white people never looked at us," it was as though
we were invisible. However, she noted that in some department stores she
felt very visible. White sales clerks would follow her around as if to
ensure that she did not steal anything.
<br />
<br />
For Una BHM is an opportunity for Black people to
express themselves. She stated that she is glad to see that we have come
a long way, but, she concluded, we still have further to go.
<br />
<br />
<b>Related</b><br />
<a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-oldest-black-church-in-montreal.html">The Oldest Black Church in Montreal </a><br />
<a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-first-black-bishop-in-anglican.html">The First Black Bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada</a> <br />
<a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.com/2014/02/chronological-history-of-african.html">Chronological History of African American Contributions to the Episcopal Church (1624 - 1970)</a> <br />
<a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2014/02/a-charter-for-racial-justice-in.html">A Charter for Racial Justice in the Anglican Church of Canada</a>The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-29046824971838973242016-12-24T09:37:00.002-08:002016-12-24T09:39:05.180-08:00Christmas Letter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We pray daily, “Thy kingdom come”. Part of our identity as Christians, together with faith and love, is hope. We can see beyond our present, imperfect, fallen state, to imagine the beauty and joy of God's kingdom, of which the prophets have spoken poetically. We yearn for it, we hunger for it, and even more so when our life is filled with disappointments and setbacks.<br />
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But sometimes, we ascribe to our hope too long a horizon. We think of the kingdom as something far in the future, not soon attainable, something that we will never see in our lifetime. Or we think that all we have to do is sit back and wait patiently for God to bring it in, in God’s own time.<br />
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But John the Baptist calls out to us: “the kingdom of heaven is near.” The yearly celebration of Christmas, our carols, our proclamation of the nativity story, all remind us that God has already come among us, shining light in the darkness of this world. The kingdom is breaking in. Rather than sitting back and waiting patiently for it to arrive in all its fullness, our calling is to be active participants in the kingdom, to be a part of making our hope a present reality. Unless our hope leads us to action, our hope is empty.<br />
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In our parish life, after a year of roadblocks, we have finally sold the rectory. We now have a healthy endowment. We cannot touch the principal, only the income from it. But combined with the savings of the costs of maintaining, heating and operating the rectory, we now have flexibility in our budget. No longer do we need to struggle simply to pay our basic operating costs, like heat and hydro. But this is not a time to be passive, to breathe easy, and to sit back and wait for God.<br />
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How can we continue to re-order our spending priorities, in order to work to help bring about the kingdom of God in our midst? How can we invest our resources to create something new, to bring life and light, the promise of Christmas, to those around us? How can we make our hope something tangible and real, for ourselves and for others?<br />
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This Christmas, may the presence of the Christ, the Word made flesh, fill us, so that we may share his light and life, and find all our hopes fulfilled.<br />
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Yours in Christ,<br />
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The Rev. James B. PrattThe Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-86464673557431986732016-12-18T07:56:00.002-08:002016-12-18T07:56:52.823-08:00St. Philip's Church Welcomes You This Christmas <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These are uncertain and difficult times, and yet in Christmas, we are assured that a light still shines in this present darkness. A light that cannot be overcome. Jesus entered the world in weakness so that we might know God more fully and love one another more completely. The one who the universe could not contain was found lying in a simple feedbox in a stable on the outskirts of the city. Light shone in the darkness. Though the world keeps changing, God is unchanging, Gods love is unending and Gods love is for you. Wherever you come from, whoever you love, no matter what you think you have done to separate yourself from God. God still shines light into the dark places of our lives, bringing joy, forgiveness, and healing. Celebrate Gods love with us this Christmas.
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As explained in a new video from the Episcopal church,
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St. Philip's invites you to worship with us this Christmas season. Please see our Christmas schedule below and know that you are most welcome.<br />
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<b>St. Philip's Christmas Schedule</b><br />
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Christmas Eve: 5:00 pm Children's Service, 11:00 pm Festival Holy Eucharist (Midnight Mass)<br />
Christmas Day: 10:00 am Holy Eucharist with Carols
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January 1: The Naming of Jesus, 8:00 Holy Eucharist (said),10:00 Holy Eucharist (sung)
The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-50388229573779182182016-10-29T11:08:00.002-07:002016-10-29T11:08:43.107-07:00St. Philip's Christmas Bazaar 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-62306723160250240352016-09-10T06:36:00.000-07:002016-09-10T06:36:24.735-07:00Thanks and Best Wishes to Steven B. as he Embarks on a New Chapter of His Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last Sunday parishioners at St. Philip's said goodbye to Steven B. who is moving out west. While we wish him well we cannot help but feel some sadness. However, our spirits are buoyed by the knowledge that our loss is another church's gain.<br />
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Steven is the kind of person that represents the best of who we are as a Christian family. His quiet leadership and faithful dedication will be sorely missed.<br />
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As a warden he helped to steward our parish through some difficult times. As one of the people who patiently yet persistently pursued me to be warden I owe him a personal debt of gratitude.<br />
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Despite repeatedly refusing the position and explaining that I have young children and a business to run, he did not give up. In his ever so gentle way he helped me to hear the call to service and as I approach the end of my term I am thankful that he did.<br />
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He was commonly the first person to reach out to people in need. In his unassuming way Steven is a mentor and a role model. He lives his Christian values as very few of us do.<br />
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As he embarks on the next chapter of his life we want him to know that he will always have a place at St. Philip's both literally and figuratively.<br />
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We will not soon forget him and those of us who have been touched by his gifts will carry that memory forward.<br />
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We thank him for seven years of dedicated service to St. Philip's and we wish him all the best.<br />
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<b>Related</b><br />
<a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2013/01/the-peoples-warden-offers-his-thoughts.html">Steven's Thoughts and Reflections on Lent </a>The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-80445919574304738372016-08-11T10:40:00.004-07:002016-08-11T10:40:48.026-07:00Congregational development: ‘An opportunity for a reformation’<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>The following is part of an ongoing monthly series on congregational development, which features reflections from Anglicans on how they are responding to the challenges facing churches today.</i></span><br />
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What is the end goal of congregational development? Some view it as preserving the institution or the business of the church, which often involves bringing in more people to achieve a certain numerical target. Others focus on mission, asking questions about the church’s identity and what it is becoming.
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After more than three decades as a priest in both the Anglican Church of Canada and The Episcopal Church of the United States, the Rev. Canon Ralph Blackman—currently rector of St. George’s Anglican Church in Guelph, Ont.—has found the purpose and mission of the church to be at the very core of congregational development.
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Many of the structures and methods of the church, he notes, were developed by earlier generations in a different time and context. Today, with people running their lives in a “far less structured” way, and with differing generational trust in institutions, Blackman says that the church faces the challenge of building a container or vessel that may paradoxically help “hold un-structuredness.”
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“When I look out at the lay of the land, I actually see an opportunity for a reformation,” Blackman says. “But that’s where it gets scary, because that’s where it centres more on the mission of the church, and maybe not the business and the institution of the church.”
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In its attempt to create new structures, he suggests, the church may find non-traditional shapes, models, forms of gathering and ways of being that it must “embrace, empower, and connect,” so as to create a sense of support and ministry centred on the gospel.
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Blackman’s own parish offers a tangible example. Constructed in 1873, St. George’s is a relatively old stone church with all the attendant challenges. The church is currently slated for $1 million worth of repairs and upgrades, primarily a new heating system. Yet the congregation itself is relatively vibrant, with approximately 250 people attending services on an average Sunday.
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“The challenges are monumental if we just think about business as usual,” Blackman says. “So one of the things I’ve noticed is stepping back from trying to organize everything in a methodical, structured way has empowered some things.”
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He points to outreach ministry as a case in point. While St. George’s no longer has an umbrella group for outreach and social justice ministry, “what we have is much more ministry in those areas happening, because people have centred around things that are important to them.”
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Through its outreach efforts, the church has created a greater sense of connectedness within the community by partnering with other groups for community dinners and projects such as refugee ministry, raising more than $30,000 towards sponsoring a family from Syria.
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Support for the arts is another significant area of activity. St. George’s has opened up its doors to serve as a concert venue for local musical festivals such as Hillside Inside and the Jazz Festival Guelph, and hosting classical performers such as university choirs and the Guelph Chamber Choir.
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Further rethinking the use of its interior spaces, the church recently redeveloped the rectory apartments and part of the parish house as part of a new partnership with an early childhood education centre.
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“It’s exciting to see 30 to 40 young children here and their parents coming every day and all the connections that means,” Blackman says. “So it’s also a vital response to the needs of a downtown community that needed to see that type of place here.”
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Such community partnerships help build what Blackman refers to as “non-traditional congregations,” which may also include groupings of affinity that cross ecumenical or interfaith lines.
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“What we’re finding is all of these people from the community are having a sense of spirit and connectedness to St. George,” Blackman says.
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“All of this follows our mission and our ministry,” he adds. “We have to always focus into asking ourselves what is it that God is asking us to do … Remember that we’ve never been asked for success—at least not in world terms—but we’ve been asked for faithfulness. Are we faithfully striving to do the best that we feel we’re called to as communities and as expressions [of faithfulness] in the places that we are?
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“That’s really my motivation at the end of the day.”
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Source: Matt Gardner, The Anglican The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-47599701666523775822016-08-05T07:04:00.001-07:002016-08-05T07:04:21.916-07:00Warden's Summer Letter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-71697404616613004192016-08-05T06:58:00.000-07:002016-08-05T06:58:34.104-07:00Father Jim's Summer Letter 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-18569606886615476122016-08-02T12:29:00.003-07:002016-08-02T12:29:35.279-07:00Congregational development: On the rediscovery of Anglican identity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The following is part of an ongoing monthly series on congregational development, which features reflections from Anglicans on how they are responding to the challenges facing churches today.
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Decades of building congregations in the Anglican Church of Canada and The Episcopal Church (in the United States) have left Bishop Melissa Skelton with some expansive views on the subject of congregational development, including the creation of related training programs on both sides of the border.
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As the bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster, Skelton now champions what she found to be a nearly universal quality of developing congregations—“the rediscovery of this thing we called an Anglican ethos, Anglican spirituality, Anglican identity.”
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“The loss of confidence that we as a church have had in the goodness of our own identity sorely grieves me,” Bishop Skelton says. “At the heart of what I think good congregational development is, is [that] it is about getting the knowledge, skills, and the ability to put into action the expression of who we most deeply are—and that we need to trust that, and we need to help people do it.”
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The bishop’s interest in parish and congregational development are longstanding. After receiving her M. Div. in seminary, Skelton received a certificate in organizational development from the National Training Laboratories (NTL) Institute.
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Through hands-on ministry including as rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Seattle, Washington from 2005 to 2013, and as the canon for congregational development and leadership in the Diocese of Olympia from 2008 to 2014, Skelton was able to apply lessons learned at the NTL Institute to work in her diocese.
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At the time she arrived in Seattle, St. Paul’s was $70,000 in debt on a yearly operating basis, with an average Sunday attendance of 89 people for the day’s two liturgies.
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Three years later, the church’s finances were back in the black. By the end of Skelton’s nine-year tenure as rector, average Sunday attendance had grown to approximately 275 people over four liturgies (which has since increased to five).
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While acknowledging that congregational development is about more than numerical growth, Bishop Skelton notes that at St. Paul’s—which is situated in an urban neighbourhood near the foot of the Space Needle—there was a clear desire among parishioners that the church needed to grow.
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She credits its growth in subsequent years to a readiness on the part of the congregation and its leaders to learn to engage newcomers to the church, along with help from God.
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“They were focused on [growth], and together we trusted each other to wade into water they hadn’t been in forever, because it was a very shy congregation … just figuring out how to talk to people who visited was a stretch,” Skelton recalls.
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Based on her training and experience in Seattle, Skelton helped create a training program in the United States called the College for Parish Development and its Canadian counterpart, the School for Parish Development.
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In gauging successful congregational development, Bishop Skelton focuses on five major factors:
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Focusing on the core purpose of the congregation and working towards it in a deeper, more connected way;
Deepening ecclesial identity, in this case Anglican identity, so that parishes and congregations reflect more deeply on who they are;
Creating congregations that respond to the challenges and opportunities in front of them;
Working on congruence of multiple factors in a congregation, such as identity, vision, building, neighbourhood, finances, ministry, and people;
Working on the culture of the congregation to be more transparent, collaborative, forgiving, and to engage people and offer them greater choice.
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Today, as a diocesan bishop, Skelton has a broader systemic perspective from which to encourage parish development across the Diocese of New Westminster. A key element in her approach is finding the best possible clergy leaders, who have demonstrated they can develop congregations and are willing to learn more.
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“That’s at the top of the list, because leadership means everything,” Bishop Skelton says.
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Another priority is substantial training in congregational development for lay and clergy leaders over time, which aims to create a common language for development within the Diocese of New Westminster.
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Other initiatives taken by the diocese include: a consulting network to provide a framework for third-party consultants and facilitators to assist congregations in development; establishing modest grants for parishes wanting to focus on a particular area of development work; and practitioners’ groups to work on common practice in key areas, such as membership growth, preaching excellence, and Godly Play.
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Clergy leaders must be equipped to engage in congregational development, the bishop says, due to the relative lack of instruction in the subject in seminary.
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“I think I’m just a real advocate that this is a missing piece of the praxis of being a clergy leader … It’s also something to do in teams of people from parishes or faith communities, because that’s how they’ll figure out how to actually implement it.”<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.anglican.ca/news/congregational-development-rediscovery-anglican-identity/">Anglican Diocese of Montreal</a>, Matt GardinerThe Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-25353577792620403612016-07-27T10:52:00.000-07:002016-07-27T18:20:44.387-07:00Support the 125 Challenge <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The "125 Challenge" is the brainchild of Anne W. This fundraising initiative is in support of St. Philip's tower repairs. In 2016 extending into 2017, St. Philip's is celebrating its 125th Anniversary. We have designated a number of special events to commemorate the occasion and the "125 Challenge" is our biggest fundraising campaign. <br />
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Other 125th anniversary events celebrated earlier this year include the <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2016/04/st-philips-spring-fair-and-125th.html" rel="nofollow">Spring Tea</a> and a wonderful benefit concert by <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2016/05/classical-music-benefit-concert-at-st.html" rel="nofollow">Manker and Friends</a>. We also had the honour of a <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2016/05/bishop-marys-sermon-at-st-philips.html" rel="nofollow">visit from Bishop Mary</a> on the occasion of our patronal feast. Upcoming events include a community BBQ in August and serving at St. Micheal's Mission in September. In October we will be holding an Open House and we will also be coming together for a Gala Dinner. For the full slate of 125 events click <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2016/04/you-are-invited-to-st-philips-church.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br />
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The goal of the "125 Challenge" is to help fund our tower renovations with 125 gifts of $125. In total we hope to raise around $16,000. Our community has already raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that we have used to successfully repair the outside of our tower. This new fundraiser is intended to help make repairs to the inside of the church tower.
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Anne W. came up with the idea while she was brainstorming during February's vestry meeting as we were talking about the tower fund. When asked about how she came up with the idea Anne explained her thought process this way: "It just was an inspiration, so lets do something for the 125th anniversary" she said, "so I thought $125 for 125." <br />
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Anne is a pillar of our church, she was baptized here and her grandfather helped to build the church. From Sunday school to ballet classes and dances the church has been part of Anne and her family's life for decades. Thank you Anne for spearheading the "125 Challenge" and for all your dedicated years of service to St. Philip's and the wider community.
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As of the end of July we have received 37 gifts of $125 so we need 88 more donations to meet our goal. Thanks to all who have contributed so far and if you have not yet done so please support Anne's wonderful initiative and contribute to this worthy cause.
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To offer your gift please contact the church office at (514) 481-4871. The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-60017644503069776992016-07-16T18:10:00.001-07:002016-07-16T18:10:06.987-07:00Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate on the Synod Vote to Change the Marriage Canon <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRuatyFvI7ldbVCMJHQJpJdnGPZDhIpJL0N1XQR114ijPElEzJjV_9TyX3hJp6Bf0-gt2Q7k8JBxQQZI93l83kCmLhHcVzWbWNerfeMJL-DU3AYIBkqFIxNwX_BkpzXHTXdTtMb7PqQw/s1600/Fred+Hiltz.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRuatyFvI7ldbVCMJHQJpJdnGPZDhIpJL0N1XQR114ijPElEzJjV_9TyX3hJp6Bf0-gt2Q7k8JBxQQZI93l83kCmLhHcVzWbWNerfeMJL-DU3AYIBkqFIxNwX_BkpzXHTXdTtMb7PqQw/s320/Fred+Hiltz.png" width="320" /></a>In light of decisions made at General Synod 2016 concerning the solemnizing of same-sex marriage, I pray our Church can and will take to heart Paul’s plea with the Christians living in Ephesus, “I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. (Ephesians 4:1-3)<br />
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Going into General Synod, the delegates knew there would be pastoral implications whether the Resolution to amend the Marriage Canon passed or not. In order to pass it would, according to the Declaration of Principles (General Synod Handbook), require a two-thirds majority in each of the three orders voting: bishops, clergy, and laity.
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On Monday, July 11 the result of the vote was that in the orders of bishops and laity there was the required two-thirds majority but not in the order of clergy. The vote was very close. The pastoral implication was that LGBTQ2S persons and those who have accompanied them were disappointed and saddened. Many wept. The Synod sat in silence.
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Because the vote was so very close, on Tuesday morning there was a request that the record of this vote be made public and Synod concurred. Analysis of the actual vote revealed that one clergy member’s vote was not properly recorded. The Chancellor then advised the Synod that according to the numbers we in fact did have a two-thirds majority vote in the order of clergy, and I announced the resolution had therefore passed in all three orders. The pastoral implication was that a number of members of Synod were disappointed and saddened. Many wept. The Synod sat in silence.
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We have been deeply divided over the solemnizing of same-sex marriage for a very long time. That has not changed. In the midst of this division, I need to take to heart Paul’s counsel and I encourage our whole Church to do the same. “Lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,” writes St. Paul. He reminds us of our fellowship in Christ Jesus, through our baptism, and in the eucharist. He reminds us that we are “the Body of Christ, members one of another”, and that we in fact need each other, and need to find ways to make room for one another.
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In keeping with the theme of Synod, “You are my witnesses” the question with which we must now wrestle is this, “For what kind of pastoral and prophetic witness can and will we be known?”
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I pray that witness not be marred by fraction and breaking of communion with one another, but rather that “forbearing of one another in love” that “eagerness to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. More than ever we must make efforts not to turn away from one another but rather to one another, not to ignore but to recognize one another, not to walk apart but together. We need as a Church to work hard at maintaining our communion in Christ, for in his reconciling love is our hope and our life.
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The Synod passed on first reading an amendment to the Marriage Canon to allow for same-sex marriage in our Church. Because it is a Canon about doctrine, consideration of the matter is required in “two successive sessions of the General Synod”. So the matter will be before the General Synod in 2019. In the meantime, it is referred “for consideration to diocesan and provincial Synods”.
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I call the Church to seize this opportunity. I commend the General Synod’s reaffirmation by resolution of the 2004 General Synod Statement on the integrity and sanctity of same-sex relationships, and its call for a much wider and deeper engagement with the report, “This Holy Estate”. I will ask the Council of General Synod (CoGS) to give immediate attention to the matter of translation, at least of the executive summary of the report and frequently asked questions. I will ask CoGS to consider what other resources might be helpful. I will be asking the House of Bishops at their fall meeting to consider how we encourage “further consideration” of the matter, and to show strong leadership in their dioceses in hosting events, dialogues, and studies.
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In all these conversations I want to encourage much more engagement with people who identify as LGBTQ2S. We have spent a lot of time talking about them. I believe we need to take much more time to talk with them and to learn of their lived experience of covenanted love in relationships that are monogamous and life-long. I know that will require of all of us a good deal of courage and grace.
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Finally, I ask that without ceasing, we pray for one another, mindful always of the counsel of Paul.
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“I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4: 1-3)The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-34440076933445406312016-07-06T06:50:00.003-07:002016-07-27T09:50:31.763-07:00Christianity Anglicanism and Sexual Orientation: Bridging the Divide Through Love and Respect<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a republication of an editorial by Richard Matthews, written in 2013. It is timely as the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada is deliberating on making changes to the marriage cannon.
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<i>Richard Matthews is the Rector's Warden, social media coordinator and member of the advisory board at St. Philip's Anglican Church, he is also a reader, sideman, and intercessor. However, this editorial does not reflect his
official capacities at the church, nor does it speak for the parish, the diocese or the rector. What follows is a reflection of his personal views and is intended as a springboard for reflection.</i><br />
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One of the reasons I am an Anglican is due to the church's respect for intellectualism and curiosity. Another reason that I am active in my parish is my affection for our church family. It is in this spirit of high regard for my fellow parishioners that I hope to share my views, while welcoming diverging perspectives. <br />
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Many people in the Anglican Communion hold seemingly unbridgeable perspectives on the subject of equal treatment for people of different sexual orientations. I want to respectfully acknowledge that there are those who do not believe that the church should be addressing these issues. However, in light of rapidly changing societal values, it seems to me that the issue of LGBT rights within the church is almost impossible to ignore. <br />
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Canadian Anglicans have been encouraged to address these issues. At the 2007 General Synod, Rev. Isaac Kawuki-Mukasa, coordinator for dialogue: ethics, inter-faith relations, asked the faith, worship and ministry
committee to <i>"engage the church in conversation on the broad issue of human sexuality in all of its complexity, using the lenses of scripture, reason, tradition and science." </i><br />
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The
Most Rev Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the leader of the Church of England, recently <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2013/08/anglican-church-drunk-man-staggering.html" target="_blank">warned</a> that the Anglican church is tottering on the brink of disintegration due to disputes between liberals and traditionalists. Speaking specifically to homosexuality, Archbishop Welby said the Church was coming perilously close to plunging into a “ravine of intolerance”.
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I was personally struck by the recent<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10271438/Archbishop-urges%20Christians-to-repent-over-wicked-attitude-to-homosexuality.html"> comments of Archbishop Welby</a>. Speaking to an audience of traditional born-again Christians, he said that they must “repent” over the way LGBT people have been treated in the past. He went on to say that most young people viewed Christians as no better than racists on the issue. <br />
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Archbishop Welby is not an advocate of gay rights by any means, he comes from the evangelical wing of the Church which takes a more traditional view of the Bible. To further illustrate the point he opposed same sex marriage when it was being debated by the British government earlier this year and as a younger priest he opposed allowing gay couples to adopt children. Nonetheless, he recently said the church now had to address the changes in public attitudes. As he explained to the General Synod in July, the strength of feeling he encountered in support of homosexuality prompted him to reassess his own beliefs and he further urged his audience to face up to a “revolution” in attitudes on
sexuality. <br />
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As I see it, granting LGBT the same rights as heterosexuals is about fundamental human rights. As Archbishop Terence Finlay, retired bishop of the Anglican diocese of Toronto said following his suspension for officiating at a legal same-sex marriage: <br />
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<i>"As an active bishop I've followed and I've upheld the oaths of the office that I took and particularly around the issue of unity in the church. But for me now, this issue has moved from one of unity to one of justice."</i> <br />
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The issue of ordaining LGBT clergy has been very divisive as has same sex marriage. However, as a church we are not hermetically sealed off from the wider society and we must acknowledge that the world around us has changed. As Canadians are increasingly supporting the rights of the LGBT community the issue becomes ever more pressing for the
church. We cannot ignore an increasingly growing global sentiment that all persons should be treated equally and with dignity regardless of who they are or who they love. <br />
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According to survey data from <a href="http://www.environicsinstitute.org/" target="_blank">the Environics Institute</a>, the portion of Canadians supporting gay marriage, which had hovered around one-third from 2001 through 2006, increased to 43 percent in 2010 and then jumped to 57 percent by 2012. Only 19 percent of Canadians reported strong disapproval. <br />
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We have come a long way in the last half century. Less than 50 years ago homosexuality was a crime In Canada. The discussion in the Anglican Church of Canada has been going on since the 1990's in places like New Westminster, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. In 2002 the Diocese of New Westminster, authorized a rite for the blessing of same-sex unions at its Diocesan Synod. This was followed by an October 2003 letter by then-primate Archbishop Michael Peers who said, <i>"Canadian gays and lesbians will continue to be welcomed and received in our churches and to have their contributions to our common life honoured."</i> <br />
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The 2007 Montreal synod adopted a resolution calling on the bishop to grant permission for clergy,
under certain conditions, to bless duly solemnized civil marriages, including same-sex marriages. At the 2008 Montreal Synod delegates voted against two resolutions presented by people opposed to same-sex blessings. <br />
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<span style="color: black;">Montreal Bishop Barry Clarke has been at the forefront of efforts to welcome the LGBT community into the Anglican church. In an opening statement to the annual synod of the Diocese of Montreal in 2008, the bishop said he believes that in the debate about same-sex issues some are being called to speak with a prophetic voice, others with a voice of caution. </span><span style="color: black;"><i>"For reasons, perhaps known only to God, I believe we, in the Diocese of Montreal, are among those who have been called by God to speak with a
prophetic voice," </i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Bishop
Clarke</span></span><span style="color: black;"> said. </span><span style="color: black;"><i>"It
is our voice that is called to affirm that all people are loved, valued and precious before God and the church. It is our voice that is called to affirm that all unions of faithful love and life-long commitment are worthy of God's blessing and a means of God's grace. In time our voice will either be affirmed by the body, or stand corrected." </i></span><br />
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Most recently the Anglican Church of Canada's Council of the General Synod authored a motion on an <a href="http://news.anglican.ca/news/stories/2648">amendment of Canon XXI</a> to allow marriage of same-sex couples for consideration in 2016. <br />
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The issue of the place of gays and lesbians in the Episcopal church first surfaced in the 70s, and the Diocese of Rochester (NY) started blessing same-sex couples in the late 70s. <span style="color: black;">Study groups and conversations about the issue were going on in the Diocese of Washington DC in 1987, and in Massachusetts in 1990. In 2003 Gene Robinson was appointed as the first openly gay Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire. More recently, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire rescinded the appointment of Bishop James Tengatenga of Malawi as dean of a foundation at the Ivy League school over his opposition to homosexuality. <br /><br />Even the
Roman Catholic Church has softened its stance. For generations, homosexuality has largely been a taboo topic for the Vatican, ignored altogether or treated as “</span><span style="color: black;"><i>an intrinsic moral evil,”</i></span><span style="color: black;"> in the words of the previous pope. However remarks made by Pope Francis in the summer of 2013 represent a new sensitivity from the Church. Pope Francis said that he would not judge priests for their sexual orientation,“</span><span style="color: black;"><i>If someone is gay and
he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”</i></span><span style="color: black;">
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/world/europe/pope-francis-gay-priests.html?pagewanted=all">Francis
told reporters</a>. <br /><br />He added that he did not have anything against gay people and that their sins should be forgiven like those of all Catholics. Francis said that homosexuals should be treated
with “</span><span style="color: black;"><i>dignity, and that no one should be subjected to...pressure because of sexual orientation.”</i></span><br />
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Despite opposition from within our own parishes and from Asian and African Anglicans, we must find a way to reconcile the Church's diverging views. As <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/analysis-anglican-communion%20faces-troubled-waters/2013/09/20/ddd86ee2-222d-11e3-ad1a-1a919f2ed890_story.html">Archbishop Welby</a> said Anglicans are called to be bridge builders, who will “<i>find ourselves struggling with unity.” </i>He sees the future growth of the communion in mission and in reconciliation. <br />
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As I see it we in the Anglican Church must deal with these contentious issues. This is not just a theological issue, this is one of the issues at the heart of an existential crisis that threatens the future of our parishes and the wider Anglican community. <br />
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Since joining the church I have been researching our demographic strengths and weaknesses. I have also been using this data to explore ways of expanding our reach. Based on this research I have been posting articles about why young people leave the church and why they stay. This has augured some interesting questions. First is the question of
how we can welcome young people without alienating or disrespecting the views of older parishioners? Second, how can we acknowledge changing values without succumbing to being trendy? <br />
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This is a delicate balancing act. I acknowledge that any attempt to be relevant cannot come at the expense of the pillars that built the church or the venerable traditions upon which they rest. As I see it the central issue required to answer these questions comes down to accepting people's right to hold differing views. <br />
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As reviewed in a <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2013/08/young-exodus-six-reasons-young-people.html">recent post</a>, increasing church attendance from young people is not about changing the service or including a rock band, it is about listening to their views and speaking to their realities. Many young people feel that church does not accept them them, one quarter of millennials said feel that the church demonizes the issues that
define their generation. One third think that the church is irrelevant and one fifth think that the church is too judgmental when it comes to sex. Another third think the church is too exclusive.
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The <a href="http://www.people-press.org/2013/03/20/growing-support-for-gay-marriage-changed-minds-and-changing-demographics/">Pew Research Center</a> reports that 70 percent of those in the millennial generation support gay marriage. <br />
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As explained by Archbishop Welby: <br />
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"[W]e have to face the fact that the vast majority of people under 35 think not only that what we are saying is incomprehensible but also think that we are plain wrong and wicked and equate it to racism and other forms of gross and atrocious injustice...where we make a bad impression in society at the moment is because we are seen as against things, and you talk to people and they say I don’t want to hear about a faith that is homophobic...the Church has not been good at dealing with homophobia ... in fact we have, at times, as God’s people, in various places, really implicitly or even explicitly supported it. And we have to be really, really repentant about that because it is utterly and totally wrong...I am absolutely committed not to excluding people who have a different view from me, I am also absolutely committed to listening very carefully to them. We are not going to get anywhere by throwing brickbats at each other.” <br />
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My sense is that we need to find an inclusive approach that inspires young and old alike. I think we can find Biblical support for inclusion, despite some “clobber” verses that literalists interpret as opposing homosexuality. We should remember that the Bible also tells us that women should be veiled and we should not eat shellfish etc.This point is made very eloquently by <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2013/08/everyones-biblical-literalist%20until-you.html" target="_blank">Rachel Held Evans</a> <br />
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Whatever our personal views on the subject may be, I think the answer to some of these difficult questions are addressed in the overarching theme expressed throughout the New Testament: <br />
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"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8) <br />
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As Christians we are called to resist hatred and to be generous with our love. "Hatred stirs up conflict but love covers over all wrongs" (Proverbs 10:12). <br />
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Love is the essence of the Christian message. In my view, love is as close as most of us get to understanding the mystery and majesty of faith. It is a cross-cultural universal that appeals to different age groups and helps us to navigate the contentious theological differences that define our attitudes towards sexuality. <br />
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I do not pretend to have all the answers, but I believe that as a parish and as a wider
Anglican community we need to learn to accept each others differences. Archbishop Welby offered a suggestion that may be useful in helping us to deal with our differences on this and other issues. He urged Christians to speak out about what they are for rather than what they are against. <br />
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As one young parishioner explained, “<i>I come to church because of the sense that everyone is welcome to share their opinions and ideas."</i> <br />
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We have many challenges ahead and in my view we will best be able to deal with them if we are able to approach our disagreements as a loving Christian community. </div>
The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-75656205657670654192016-06-14T18:12:00.002-07:002016-06-21T09:34:42.304-07:00Message from the Primate on the Orlando Massacre: ‘Let us be gentle and then let us be bold’<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I have been travelling over the last number of days, I have watched –
horrified – as once again the people of the United States of America are
plunged into national mourning in the wake of yet another mass shooting.
This time in the early morning hours of Sunday, the 12th of June, a lone
gunman opened fire in a nightclub in Orlando, Florida. A hailstorm of
gunfire has left 49 people dead, 53 seriously wounded, their families in
shock and grief, the LGBTQ+ community traumatized, Muslim communities
shaken, and all people of good will horror-struck.<br />
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Our hearts have gone out first to parents who lost their children, siblings
who lost brothers and sisters, partners who lost their beloved and all
bereft of friendships they cherished. Let us hold them gently in our
prayers...
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Our hearts go out to the LGBTQ+ communities across the world, particularly
in the United States and Canada. We acknowledge the discrimination with
which these communities have lived for so long in our societies and in our
churches. We note with great sadness the horrendous persecution of gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people in many countries
around the world. We condemn laws that criminalize them. Let us hold them
gently in our prayers...
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Our hearts have gone out to the first-responders to this tragedy, the
police and emergency healthcare workers and all who have stood in long
lines to give blood in the hope of saving lives. We hold them gently in our
prayers...
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Our hearts go out to all ethnic and racialized minorities who are so often
victims of racism – institutional, societal, blatant and subtle. Let us
hold them gently in our prayers and all who work so hard to rid the world
of this evil.
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Our hearts go out to all who in civil society and within the churches have
long advocated for the dignity, inclusion and fair treatment of gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people including an acknowledgement of
the integrity and sanctity of their relationships in covenanted love. Let
us hold them gently in our prayers…
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Our hearts go out at this time to President Barack Obama. This is the 15th
time in his term as President that he has had to address the nation in the
aftermath of mass shootings in schools, theatres, nightclubs and places of
worship and this is the worst one with respect to the number of casualties.
In his plea for controls in a culture that defends, "the right to bear
arms" he has been unrelenting. Time and again we have heard him ask how
many more people must die, how many more families must mourn through this
"right" that tragically enables domestic, sexual, and ethnic hatred to so
easily and quickly turn deadly. Let us hold the President gently in our
prayers, and all who work with him to put effective gun control measures in
place.
<br />
<br />
Our hearts go out to all who struggle with the haste of so many to
ostracize Muslims for the terrorist activities of a few, many of whom act
alone in the name of Allah. Such horrific crimes against humanity are an
affront to Islam and very upsetting to devout Muslims. Let us hold them and
their imams gently in our prayers...and all people who are committed to
interfaith dialogue and common witness in the interest of the well-being of
all people and peace among the nations...
<br />
<br />
This call to prayer is rooted in our baptismal vow to "respect the dignity
of every human being". This call is grounded in public statements of our
Church condemning the homophobia that drives such violence as we have seen
in Orlando. It summons us to reach out to LGBTQ+ people and communities in
our midst, and for a time to weep together and then, in a manner like never
before, to work together for the protection and honouring of the dignity,
equality, rights, and freedom for all.
<br />
<br />
Let us be gentle and then let us be bold. Nothing less will do if we are to
bear a faithful witness to the Gospel of Christ.
<br />
<br />
The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz<br />
Archbishop and Primate<br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=d120aa8efc4112c7cae41108e&id=d6b56ca470&e=1c26ab9686">Anglican Church of Canada </a>The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6309894276679480954.post-82784319211004487452016-05-21T11:34:00.004-07:002016-05-21T13:12:43.334-07:00Interview with the MSO's Brian and Katherine Manker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>I had the pleasure of interviewing Montreal Symphony Orchestra (MSO) performers Brian and Katherine Manker on April 11th. They are two of the three members that make up "Manker and Friends" who will be performing a <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2016/05/classical-music-benefit-concert-at-st.html">benefit concert</a> at St. Philip's as part of our 125th anniversary festivities. The trio is composed of <a href="https://youtu.be/wrVIs3nLYpc" target="_blank">Brian Manker</a> on cello, his wife Katherine on violin and <a href="https://youtu.be/x03ErnDc8DU" target="_blank">WeiTang Huang</a> on piano. The concert will take place at St. Philip's church (25 Brock North) on May 27th at 8 pm. See the full interview below. </i><br />
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<i>Richard Matthews, Social Media Coordinator, St. Philip's Church.
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<b><i>Richard: Thank you very much for meeting with me today and for performing at our church at the end of May. </i><br />
<br />Richard: You both play with the MSO and you both teach music. Clearly music is an overarching theme for the both of you. How did music come to play such a central role in your lives?</b><br />
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Katherine: Music was in our family growing up. My mom's a musician. I grew up in a house of music, music was always there. We always went to concerts, I fell in love with music and I wanted to do it. I started playing piano at four years old and then violin in fifth grade. At one point in high school I decided I wanted to just play violin. It's taken me everywhere around the world. The concert with Brian Manker and friends not only are we married, (Brian and Katherine are husband and wife) Wei [who plays piano in the trio Manker and friends] was a student of my mother.
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Brian: My parents both had day jobs...but they were both singers, and sang in churches and opera courses and different kinds of things so I was hearing a lot of music around the house and there was a piano. There is a funny story about me being two years old, which I don't remember at all, singing some aria that my mother had been practicing while being pushed through the grocery store in a cart. People looking at this two year old [asking] like what is the matter with him? That processing of what you're hearing or whatever that is that leads to some kind of affinity for it perhaps I think begins really early. So I started playing the cello when I was nine and it was kind of a fluke. I really wanted to play a much louder instrument like the trumpet or clarinet or something like that, but in the public school I was going to you had to wait another year to start that. I had the choice of picking a string instrument. I had my heart kinda set on the violin, for no particular reason other than I kinda knew what it was. But I had a conversation with my father, we were driving in the car and I asked him what he thought about what instrument I should pick and he said, "well the cello is a nice instrument, when its played well". So I picked the cello not really knowing anything about what I was getting into when I was nine and started public school and had some private lessons and eventually fell in love with it. I didn't fall in love with it right at the beginning and I didn't pick it because I loved it but it did happen that I did fall in love with it.
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<b>Richard: Would you argue that like language acquisition some are just borne to the world with a brain that is more capable of processing, understanding and playing music?</b>
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Brian: I would agree with that...Early exposure to multiple languages leads to more mastery of the language. Its harder to learn it the older you are. I am not saying its done for anybody I just think its difficult to assimilate in the same deep fashion that one does as a youngster. Which goes to the whole point about exposure being the number one thing.
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<b>Richard: Would you say that you found yourselves through music?</b>
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Katherine: I feel like we are music, its who we are.
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Brian: Its hard to say which came first, its the chicken egg kind of a thing. Even the instrument that you play influences the kind of person that you are. For example if your playing the trumpet, its a bold instrument, people will notice you, you have to have a lot of confidence because you can't hide your mistakes. You really have to have a kind of swagger to play the trumpet. Many trumpet players do embody that. I have a lot of friends who play trumpet so I speak from experience. Some other instruments are more complimentary instruments. The cello for example, your often playing an accompaniment line or a base line. You have to understand where the other people want to go and you have to help them to get there. And yet at the same time you also will get to share in playing those melodies and having the spotlight. So it creates a different kind of relationship with other musicians depending on what you play... It molds you eventually.
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Katherine: Music is not just a career it is a vocation. We live the life of artists. We both have strengths in other things. I can see myself in management. I have a knack for that.
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Brian: She is the organized one.
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Katherine: I do the taxes every year. Brian has fantastic teaching skills and lecturing skills, he can do that extremely well. But still when you think about it, would I want to do that all the time, no. When you are onstage or performing or doing chamber music that is when you feel like you are really alive.. We like sharing too, music really is about sharing, so you always feel like you are giving, it feels good to give, generous thing to do, it makes us feel good. That feeling when you are giving a concert and sharing that music is way better than a paycheck, really. I mean you need the paycheck but that thing that you are giving feeds you.
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<b> Richard: In what ways would you say that self discovery is part of the process of making music?</b>
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Brian: I think for me any kind of art functions a bit like a mirror. You hold it up in front of you or you contemplate it or you are exposed to, what it reflects back your own reaction you find ways to connect to it Over the course of time you are exposed to the same work of art and have a different reaction and that means that you have changed and can measure yourself in a way through that. Then there is the other kind
of self-discovery, which is the craft of playing, trying to do better, lots of pursuits have that in a way it is not that different than athletics, trying to do it better than the last time. To figure out how to communicate something better more efficiently, more coherently. Your battling against yourself against your weakness, trying to play to your strengths hopefully but you want to try to be complete, so there is a lot of self discovery in that.
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<b>Richard: Is there such a thing as perfect performance?</b>
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Brian: Oh I don't think that happens. A perfect performance no...maybe that was the best I could do. OK, that's not perfect, I am happy that I did my best.
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Katherine: I think its different for different people. How to answer that question. Some people may have an easier time than Brian.
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Brian: There is a difference between going to play and trying to reproduce exactly what you practiced. And going to play and having created conditions for yourself to succeed and to explore, there is a difference of mind-set. I tend to go into the second category more than the first. Some people are much more in that first, I've practiced and I pushed the button and the music is going to come out. It took me a long time to figure that out, I am better at it now than I used to be. That was never really my goal. So perfect? What would that be?
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Katherine In Orchestra, which is what I mostly do, its a huge group, so what I think I did which is not making mistakes having a good concert. doesn't necessarily make that concert a good concert. It could be a great concert but as a group maybe I missed something along the way. So you can have two things happening at the same time. We did some concerts recently on the U.S. tour where as a group you felt everybody was putting on their "A" game. You can feel that, those are good concerts, but they are not perfect. Chamber music we will be happy if people are happy.
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Brain: You are not just trying to recreate the notes you're trying to make an experience...we are trying for perfect, don't get me wrong, were trying for it whatever that is.
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<b>Richard: What happens if you make a mistake? Does it bother you?</b>
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Katherine: Depends what kind of mistakes you make.
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Brian: You have to leave all those things behind you.
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Katherine : Things bother you but you also in time realize that what bothers you people don't even notice.
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Brian: You have to be able to deal with your own humanity, we just not robots, you have to be able to deal with that in a forgiving manner.
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Katherine: Sometimes it surprises you more than you are upset.
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<b>Richard: When you play a piece of music do you try to get into the composer's head or do you simply play it as you perceive it?</b>
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Brian: Its a combination the mirror thing again. You don't know the composer, sometimes it does happen but even in those cases it does not give you that much of an indication, it surprising into what the text means, the hieroglyphics on a page. Its like there is tradition in law, you have a law that was written 200 years ago and its been interpreted over the years. Its gone through all kinds of changes, and some laws nobody even pays attention to them and some of them have adapted to our time. Music to some extent music is like that. You have to play in the time that you are living in you can't play in. Of course you try to get to that, you try to get what that was, but there are an awful lot of things that have happened along the way.
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Katherine: Different generations have gone through different training. I think our generations is more respectful of the composers traditions so we try to fall into that. Some of our colleagues are putting their own personal thing to it. Sometimes it can sound so different... I think we tend to honour that law tradition we can't ignore our teachers and the teachers before them. Things that were handed down to us.
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<b>Richard: Would you say that composer like Stravinsky or Satie were revolutionary for their time? </b>
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Brian: Some pieces of Stravinsky... are truly revolutionary, but others are a little bit like found objects that are made into art. Satie is doing a little bit of the same kind thing musicologically speaking, reducing down to bear elements and saying notice this. Hes taking a lot of stuff away and leaving stuff behind. Who is truly revolutionary, that's tough.
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Katherine: We recently played the Rite of Spring like a lot, on tour, we were both saying can you imagine that this was that piece that shocked the world. There are still passages that bring that. There are other things that were outrageously difficult at the time which now are not so hard, so much music has been written since then. Sometimes you go back to Stravinsky and say that is really simple. The emotional content of that piece remains.
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Brian: He [Stravinsky] embraces brutality.
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Katherine: Tonight we are playing Shostakovich's 8th symphony, some things scare you. You feel that as you play it.
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<b>Richard: Do you play things better by feeling it?</b>
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Brian: Its hard not to live it when you are right in the middle of it.
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<b>Richard: I would imagine at your level it is hard to play without feeling?</b>
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Katherine: Some people they would get excited about the notes but they are not always passionate.
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Brian: There are so many different ways.
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<b>Richard: So virtuosity can exist in the absence of passion?</b>
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Brian & Katherine: Absolutely!
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<b>Richard: I noticed on the program that you will be playing Beethoven and Dvorak. Why did you pick these two composers?</b>
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Katherine: I always wanted to play Dvorak with this particular trio.
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Brian: They are great works...For an audience that wants to support something like this I think it is nice to give people something that they can go away having fallen in love with.
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Brian: Dvorak really had his real heart on the sleeve, his music is generous. In Beethoven there is something positive and triumphant somehow.
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<b>Richard: Dvorak seems to be have composed music in a way that just seemed effortless, is that true?</b>
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Brian: There is a naturalness about Dvorak for sure. He is like a ripe apple, you don't have to dress it up with a sauce its just nice right off the tree. There is just something so fresh here.
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<b>Richard: Why does Beethoven resonate with so many people?</b>
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Katherine: Genius, talk about crafted, [he was an] amazing pianist...masterful composer...you talk about classical music, here you go.
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Brian: He is really the first composer to write works where there is a narrative line to the music, and it follows a very typical narrative line that is similar to stories in mythology. where you have the hero and he goes through a process, a dark place and he comes out through the trials either changed or triumphant, that is the prototypical Beethoven work. People get that. There is something about his ability bring that across to have those moments of affirmation work and not fall flat. They work. It is not just because of the life story, it is because it is actually there in that music. He wrote music in a way that resonates with people. The fifth symphony being a perfect example, darkness to light and blazing light at the end. Played a lot of those pieces, and I tried to understand a lot about his biography and trying to understand who he might have been. I don't think he was such a bad guy. He's not the thunderbolt hurling god of music that he has sort of turned into, he just a guy.
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<b>Richard: What can people expect at your concert?</b>
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Katherine: We expect that they want to come because they want to help the community. That's why were here, we want to help too.
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Brian: Its a lovely venue, its a small space, very intimate space, the perfect space to hear a trio in. Because your close to the music its easier to engage with it. The bigger the space the harder it can be for a small ensemble. I think people will go away thinking that there was an intimacy and immediacy, and a vivid quality that they will appreciate.
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<b>Richard: Once again thank you very much Brian and Katherine, we look forward to your concert on May 27th. For more information about the concert including the program and the musicians biographies click <a href="http://stphillipsanglicanchurch.blogspot.ca/2016/05/classical-music-benefit-concert-at-st.html">here</a>. </b>The Green Market Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12716602107381237080noreply@blogger.com0