Introduction to Reflections from Montreal Interns

Over the next few weeks I would like to welcome some wonderful guest writers to The Community. Some of the interns of the Montreal Mission Internship will be sharing their reflections as they wrap up their time in this innovative program in the Diocese of Montreal. Rev. Rhonda Waters is part of the leadership team that works with this program and will introduce you to an experiment in mission. Watch for more reflections over the next few weeks to get a better idea of this program.—Laura Walton.

Sharing Brutal Bible Stories with Children

Should we share some of the Bible's brutal stories with children?  This is a question I wrestle with each night when I read Bible stories to my daughter before bed. Although the stories I read are written for children, they are still full of violence and brutality.  I admit that I will skip over some of the more horrific scenes or replace words like "kill" with hurt. However, as suggested in this article from Kate Newman, there are times when it may be appropriate to share these traumatic stories. After all Christ's suffering and death are central to the Christian story. Each child is different, so our approaches may vary depending on the age and the individual temperament of the child.  Far too often we insulate our children from the reality of life, and the certainty of death. If we provide our children with a safe, secure and peaceful life, their exposure to moderate amounts of Biblical trauma may be difficult to process, however, at the right time and place, such stories may actually enrich their lives in ways that we commonly do not appreciate.
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Love, Faith and Family

In this post from the Community, Laura Marie Piotrowicz focuses on an act that demonstrated love and faith and family. As she says, "It is not something that will make the headlines, but it certainly made the heartlines."

Tired of the Bickering Over Same Sexed Marriage

Over the weekend I spent some time reading about the recent decision of the Supreme Court of the United States regarding the legalization of same-sex marriage. I combed through the many responses that can be found on the web regarding this. There were those, both Christian and non, that praised this decision as an expression of God’s divine will. There were also those, both Christian and non, whose vitriol against same-sex couples was horrific and disturbing. In the midst of all of this, I have come to a conclusion.

#22 Days Highlights of the Final Weekl

As bells rang out across the country during the final week of the #22Days campaign, Anglicans looked to the future with an understanding that the journey towards healing and reconciliation has just begun.

Throughout the week, the ringing of church bells continued to raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women, drawing attention from politicians, the media and all Canadians while serving as a call to action.

On June 17, Regina-Wascana MP Ralph Goodale tweeted a photo highlighting bell ringing at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Regina. “Sadly,” he wrote, “govt today voted down a Motion for Inquiry.”

#22 Days: For Whom the Bells Toll

On June 21, National Aboriginal Day of Prayer, St. Philip's Church rang its bells 22 times along with thousands of cathedrals and churches across Canada that are acknowledging the cry for justice and remembering the 1181 indigenous women and girls that have been murdered or are missing.

Over the last 3 weeks, as part of the #22days initiative, bells have been ringing in churches from coast to coast, tolling for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Based on the posted responses on Anglican.ca, there have been nearly 100 churches taking part in various ways, with an estimated 350,000 combined bell tolls taking place. It received a mention on the floor of Canada’s Parliament as a push toward a formal inquiry. It has received good media coverage. It has been a set of moments for the Church to step into the prophet’s role, standing in solidarity with the grieving, and by giving voice to all lives being important.

Primate of Canada's Statement on the #22days Campaign

Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) which has addressed the sad legacy of the Indian Residential Schools will hold its final event, the closing ceremonies of its six-year tenure, in Ottawa for four days commencing on Sunday, May 31st.

The daily themes are as follows:

Day 1 is “We are all in this together”;
Day 2, “We still have lots to learn”;
Day 3, “Reconciliation means respect and change”;
and Day 4, “This ending is only the beginning”.

In the spirit of the 4th-day theme, we are calling our Church into “22 Days” of prayer and renewal in our commitments to healing and reconciliation among all people – the Indigenous Peoples of this land and all others who have come and settled and also call it home. These 22 Days will take us to the National Aboriginal Day of Prayer, on Sunday, June 21st.