‘Go back and spread the word’

The Rev. Dr. Alvardo Adderley gave Anglicans some stirring words to live by at the diocese’s fifth and final Lift Up Our Hearts service, held at St. Paul, Bloor Street on Oct. 25.

Dr. Adderley, incumbent of St. George Memorial, Oshawa, preached at the service, which, like the four before it, was an opportunity for Anglicans to come together and renew their faith after the hard years of the pandemic.

In his sermon, Dr. Adderley said spiritual renewal is grounded in the power of the cross, “for it is at the cross where God’s words are awakened within us, it is at the cross where self gives way to transformation and renewal.”

He said spiritual renewal challenges Anglicans to repair or replace some attitudes, habits or actions. “If we are truly renewed, that means we are a new people, so the way we look at the Church ought to be new, the way we look at the diocese ought to be new, the way we look at our life ought to be new. The chaos and challenges we sometimes face – we ought to have a different approach.”

He said spiritual renewal often comes during life’s most difficult moments. “Sometimes in my darkest days, I ask the Lord, where are you? I cry to you by day and I hear no voice, I cry to you by night and there is still silence. But if I’m to be honest, it is in moments like these when I find strength. It is in moments like these when my faith is renewed and my hope in God is cemented. It is in these moments where some hymns we sing turn to praise. I’m reminded of that good old Lenten hymn, ‘Jesus, keep me near the cross.’ There a precious fountain, free to all, a healing stream flows from Calvary’s heart.”

He said if Anglicans are renewed, then the Church and the diocese will be renewed. “And what does this look like? It looks like a people that is on fire for God’s word – a people that is hungry for God’s love, a people that is more concerned about outreach than inreach.”

He urged Anglicans to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. “My family, my friends, for us to truly set this diocese on fire, it’s not about knowing the liturgy, it’s not about knowing what comes next – because we are good at being Anglican – it’s about knowing and having a personal relationship with Jesus the Christ. That and only that will set this diocese on fire. So I encourage you, wherever you came from in this diocese, go back and spread the word. Go back and live God’s holy spirit. Go back and show people that Anglicans can be Christians, that Anglicans do believe in God. As we will sing in a moment, we ask God’s holy spirit to revive us again, revive us so we can be a powerful diocese, revive so we can support the College of Bishops and the clergy, revive us again so we can be the people God has called us to be.”

In a lay witness talk, Ayesha Ramsay-Musgrave, a member of St. Paul, Bloor Street, spoke about her journey to confirmation and how it transformed her life.

Born into a Christian family, she was active in her local church until young adulthood, when the demands of school and work began to take over. “Attending Sunday services and other activities became few and far between,” she said. Then in 2023 she re-connected with a university colleague, now her partner, over a social media post.

They talked about their faith upbringings. He said he was a member of St. Paul, Bloor Street, and asked if she had ever thought about being confirmed. “Truthfully, I had thought about it, but often it was met with fear and some nervousness,” she recalled.

They started watching Sunday services on YouTube together, “and before I knew it, I was back in church on Sundays,” she said. “The nervousness I felt had disappeared, as if it never existed.”

She took part in some confirmation preparations, “and it was in that moment that it became apparent to me, I was right where I needed to be. I needed to be part of a growing church family, learning to love and follow Jesus Christ.

“This, my friends, was God at work, using the holy spirit through the members of this church to help guide me through the decision.” On Pentecost Sunday of this year, she was confirmed at St. Paul’s.

“I vividly recall the emotions of joy, happiness and unity in reaffirming my faith in Jesus Christ,” she said. “Upon reciting my baptismal covenant, receiving prayer and being welcomed into the larger Anglican community, I then knew what it felt like to be part of the family of God.”

She concluded, “If there’s anything you can take away from my story today, let it be this: It’s never too late to renew your faith. It is never too late to let God into your heart. He will be there, waiting for you. He promises to be the same God he was yesterday, today and forever.”

In his closing remarks, Bishop Andrew Asbil thanked all those who took part in the service and the reception afterwards, and those who coordinated the previous four Lift Up Our Hearts services. “What a gift you are for being here today, and to take what our preacher has issued us to do – go home, spread the word, be faithful in your baptismal covenant, and may God keep us forever,” he said.