The vast majority of newcomers to our churches have never had any contact with us. They are unaccustomed to our style of worship or how our church is organized. While they may realize that the church operates thanks to the benevolence of its members, they are not familiar with how to give, what to give and how much to give. The concept of Christian stewardship is entirely removed from their life experience.

To help with the orientation, I’d like to reflect on three very broad questions: Why should I give? What should I give? How should I give? The answers to these questions can be addressed by responding to some very specific queries from newcomers.

What is stewardship? 

Quite simply, stewardship is an acknowledgement that everything we have – our life, our talents, our accomplishments, our families and our material possessions – is a gift from God, and that we should cherish and tend to them in a responsible and accountable manner, sharing them with others and returning them with increase to God. We are caretakers of our gifts of time, talent and treasure.

Why should I practice stewardship?

Practicing stewardship is intimately tied up with who we are as a Christians. Stewardship is an expression of faith. It is not simply the church’s way of raising money; rather, it is a spiritual discipline that encompasses our very being as Christians. It is a radical departure from our secular understanding of charity, where we give to an external need.

What does it mean to be a Christian?

Simply put, a Christian is a follower of Christ. But more than that, it is choosing to model your life on His example. As stewards, that inclines us to be selfless, generous, gracious, humble and disciplined. Being a follower of Christ entails a lot more than simply showing up for church on Sundays; it is a lifestyle to be embraced through our thoughts, words and actions.

What does being a Christian have to do with money?

It might come as a surprise, but Jesus spoke about money more than anything else except the Kingdom of God. And while he doesn’t necessarily condemn wealth, he does caution us about its abuse, our preoccupation with it and how it changes our behaviour. For the most part, Jesus talks about giving money away – to the poor, orphans, widows, the church, and those looked down upon by society – and to avoid becoming a slave to our riches lest they become false gods in our life.

Why does the church need my money?

Giving should never be taught at church except within the context of doing ministry. The church does not need your money simply for the sake of amassing wealth. Rather, we give through the church so we can passionately support worship, outreach, pastoral care, evangelism, education and fellowship. Since our churches rely almost exclusively on the gifts of our parishioners to ensure vibrant and healthy ministry, we need the support of all our congregants.

Newcomers need to be invited to give generously to sustain our important work. They also need to learn what joy there is in giving, in addition to receiving. Church leaders do themselves no favours when they avoid conversations about money, generosity and giving. Unless we make a determined effort to educate seekers on the importance of stewardship in our church, places of work, our home and of God’s creation, we cannot expect or presume that they will know why to give, let alone how much to give. I’ll tackle that subject next month.

The post We shouldn’t make assumptions appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

We sensed that parishioners weren’t quite ready for the outgoing and invitational nature of some of the programs that are currently available, such as Alpha or Christianity Explored.  We came across the Pilgrim course and thought it was worth a try. The course is a resource of the Church of England to help make disciples of Jesus Christ. It was introduced to our incumbent, the Rev. John Lockyer, at the diocese’s clergy conference last May.

We tossed around many ideas about when and where we should meet and finally decided on Friday nights. We are a semi-rural parish with a congregation encompassing busy families with young children, commuters, retirees and seniors. We knew that offering a simple dinner before each meeting would be a good way to help people at the end of a busy week. We were quite up front that our first meeting was simply a test, and I was keen not to go ahead with the program if less than 10 people arrived.

So began Pizza & Pilgrim night at St. John’s. I admit I was surprised when 17 adults and five kids arrived on the first night. It turned out to be a wonderful cross-generational gathering, the oldest being 89 and the youngest aged four. Dinner was followed by our first meeting and childcare for the kids – an important component so that the whole family could attend.

The Pilgrim course has definitely met our needs. Our second group has just finished its six-week run, and there is talk about a third group forming later in the spring.

Many participants have commented that the time spent reading and discussing scripture together has been refreshing.  Also, the ancient practice of Lectio Divina reading has made old-hat scriptures come alive again for some. Others have been challenged to reflect on their core beliefs. We have begun to think about what it means to listen to the voice of God as individuals and collectively as a parish.

The Pilgrim course has levels for beginners and experienced disciples. Each program has six evening sessions, with short video discussion starters that can be streamed online for free. A leader’s manual for each program can also be downloaded. Participant workbooks are distributed by Novalis through its retail store in Toronto.

Submitted by Heidi Allen

The post Pilgrim course nurtures disciples appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Paul probably arrived in Corinth from Athens about 50 CE. Upon arrival, he met Aquila and Priscilla, who had recently been evicted from Rome. As they were tent-makers, Paul resided and worked with them in their mutual trade.

Paul was readily accepted in the local synagogue, where he preached for a number of weeks. He was eventually forced to withdraw from the synagogue but continued to preach to the local God-fearers and other Gentiles. Altogether, he was in Corinth for 18 months, the longest sojourn in any one place during his second journey.

The church in Corinth gave Paul a difficult time, as his letters indicate. The Corinthians questioned his authority, teachings and moral edicts.

Today, let us turn to 1 Corinthians 15, which is our Easter reading. There appears to be some discussion in Corinth about the resurrection of the body; many there were having difficulty with this belief. Paul assures them that there is ample proof of the resurrection of Jesus, as witnessed by Peter, the 12, the 500, by James and finally by Paul himself. A number of these witnesses were alive at that time and would willingly testify to this truth.

In this portion of his letter, Paul is laying the theological foundation for the belief in the resurrection from the dead, first for Jesus and then for all who believe in Him. This is the message Paul proclaimed to the Corinthians (15:1); this was the kerygma (the proclamation) of the early church. This was fundamental to their faith, as it is for us today.

Paul writes, “For I have handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn have received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scripture, and he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scripture” (15:3-4). (“Handed on” and “received’ are technical terms referring to the passing on of an established tradition.)

Their scripture was the Hebrew Bible, and Paul was thinking of passages from the Prophets such as Isaiah 53, Hosea 6 and Jonah 2. The early Christians read the Hebrew scriptures through Christian eyes!

It is important to read this passage in its context. Thus I would suggest that you read all of this 15th chapter. Indeed, as a Lenten preparation for Easter, you could read all of this first epistle to the church in Corinth. It is a fascinating read and will give you a glimpse into life of the first century church with its struggles and growing pains and all that they encountered.

Each year at Easter, we reaffirm the Good News that Christ has died for our sins and has risen for our salvation, giving us new life in Him. Easter is our story. As Christians, we have been baptized into His death and raised up in new life to follow this Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. We are an Easter people! Praise God for this, his greatest gift to us, the gift of the Risen Christ. Christ has risen indeed, Halleluiah! Have a blessed Easter.

The post Paul preaches in Corinth appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Right now at St. Clement’s, we are going through a whole series of events to celebrate the musical ministry of Mr. Fitches, but our purposes in this article are simply to celebrate the shy, intensely loyal and gifted man who kept the best in the Anglican tradition of choral music alive in one very lucky church.  Not just a musician, Mr. Fitches was a crucial key to the spiritual and pastoral life of the church.

St. Clement’s is currently going through a solid revival, with growing numbers of new and younger members, and no small part of the appeal – along, of course, with an energetic and young new rector – has been the evolving constancy of Mr. Fitches’ musical ministry. When someone stays so long at one place, some may assume he had nowhere else to go. In this case, there were many places that wanted him throughout his years. Indeed, the degree of respect he is held in by other organists from Prince Edward Island to Vancouver B.C. is remarkable.

Less well known, and perhaps even more remarkable, is the esteem he is regarded throughout much of southwest France, where he has a familiarity with many of the extraordinary collection of ancient organs strewn about parishes and cathedrals there. He not only has a special gift for French organ music, he also knows organs from the inside out – the old and new instruments, the small and the lofty. He knows the moods of all the pipes, the eccentricities of tracker action and the stodgy dignity of pneumatic action. One of the gifts he gave St. Clement’s was his own practical and highly economical ability to keep its organ in good repair. It was also a gift some very famous French organists cherished highly. Significantly, his French experiences inspired him to create a fine French instrument from an organ in North Toronto of no special note.

As a choir conductor at St. Clement’s, Mr. Fitches took on the responsibility of caring not just for the quality of sound, but also for the quality of the experience of singing in a fine parish choir. He became involved in the lives of his singers, old and young.  Under his tutelage, choristers understood their duty in enhancing worship. Few churches so regularly and willingly provide full participation in funerals where his exceptional skills as a liturgist came to the fore. He became family for many choristers and godfather to numerous future choristers whose parents sang in the choir for decades. And the sounds he got were very good. No, it was not King’s College, Cambridge, but it was as consistently good as any parish church choir in Toronto, for 40-plus years.

He was also, by wide agreement, the best hymn accompanist anyone knew. It is an undervalued talent, we suppose, but when you are singing and Mr. Fitches is playing, he can catch you on the upturn of his swell pedal and get amazing things out of the vocal chords of even the stuffiest Anglican retired stockbroker. His improvisations are something to anticipate eagerly. At a wedding, accompanying a sweet carol that celebrates the “gift to find someone to know and love” (Carol of Beauty), there’s hardly a dry eye in the pews. At a solemn and sad funeral, the way Mr. Fitches pushes the bereaved in “Abide with me, fast falls the eventide…” actually helps those left behind to understand the metaphysical truths behind  “the means of grace and the hope of glory.”

At St. Clement’s, we will be giving thanks for the service, loyalty and immense talent of Thomas Fitches. All of his friends are invited to a service of celebration on his last Sunday at St. Clement’s, April 26, at 10 a.m., followed by a party in the church hall.

Submitted by John Fraser and Elizabeth MacCallum

The post Organist defined music at St. Clement’s appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

In order to assist with the discussion of this issue at the Town Hall meetings, set out a below is a brief background with respect to the law as it relates to mandatory retirement in Ontario.

The Ontario Human Rights Code (“Code”) prohibits mandatory retirement in relation to all employees of the diocese and of the parishes, whether their employment is professional, technical or clerical.

Section 5(1) of the Code provides: Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to employment without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability.

Section 10(1) of the Code provides: In Part 1 and in this part, “age” means an age that is 18 years or more.

Section 24(1) of the Code provides: The right under Section 5 to equal treatment with respect to employment is not infringed where,

(a) A religious, philanthropic, educational, fraternal or social institution or organization that is primarily engaged in serving the interests of persons identified by their race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, creed, sex, age, marital status or disability employs only, or gives preference in employment to, persons similarly identified if the qualification is a reasonable and bona fide qualification because of the nature of the employment (emphasis added).

(b) The discrimination in employment is for reasons of age, sex, record of offences or marital status if the age, sex, record of offences or marital status of the applicant is a reasonable and bona fide qualification because of the nature of the employment (emphasis added).

There is therefore a legal issue as to whether clergy are “employees” of the diocese such that there can be no mandatory retirement policy in relation to them. The issue is not simple. Historically, a distinction has been made in the law between office holders and employees, and the terms governing the way office holders are selected and/or terminated have not been subject to the Code. An “office” has been described by the courts as a position of a public nature, filled by successive incumbents, whose duties were defined not by agreement but by law or by the rules of the institution. In that context, clergy have historically been treated as office holders, not employees.

Recently, there has been a move in the United Kingdom and at some human rights tribunals to re-examine the question of whether clergy are office holders or employees. Canadian courts have not addressed the issue in recent years so there is now some doubt as to what they would conclude if asked to address the issue.

In summary, there is not currently a legal requirement that mandatory retirement be abolished in respect of the clergy but the law may be moving in that direction.

The post Proposed changes to mandatory retirement appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

In Acts 15, we hear about the apostles and elders meeting together in the Council of Jerusalem to discern the Spirit’s leading for the future shape of the church. Our synodical gatherings follow in this tradition as we gather together as the people of God seeking God’s will for our diocese. Since the 19th century, Anglican synods have included representatives of both the laity and clergy meeting with the diocesan bishop. They are opportunities to seek the sensus fidei, that is, the mind of Christ as expressed in the community of the faithful. With that in mind, it is critical that synods be organized in such a way that there is plenty of opportunity for the members to listen for the Spirit’s leading through prayer, worship, the reading of scripture, study, and discussion so that decisions that are taken for the life of the diocese truly reflect the will of God. Due to the present size of Synod (in excess of 1,100 people) this has become a challenge. As the working group reviewed the present situation and thought about possible changes, their great desire was to ensure that Synod was both representative of the community of the church in the diocese while making sure that it was of such a size that members could truly participate in the decision-making process.

In consultation with Diocesan Council, the working group developed certain guiding principles. The group believed that it was important that each parish be represented with a lay and clerical voice in the councils of the diocese. It further understood that Synod needs to be structured in such a way as to perform effectively, economically and efficiently. It also came to understand that Synod has four different purposes (complying with legal and statutory requirements, electing bishops, making policy, and communicating and implementing the ministry of the diocese) and that Synod could perform these tasks more effectively by being tailored to meet these specific purposes.

After many months of work, recommendations were made by the group to Diocesan Council, which after much discussion accepted the recommendations and referred them to the wider diocese for discussion at Town Hall meetings, to be held in the various episcopal areas.

The suggested reforms are as follows:

• The number of lay members of Synod from each parish will be determined by the average Sunday attendance: one member for attendance of 1-249, a further member for attendance of 250-499, a further member for attendance of 500 and above.
• At regular meetings of Synod, each parish will be entitled to send one cleric.
• Sixteen youth members will be chosen, four from each of the episcopal areas.
• The community of deacons in the diocese will be represented by four members (one per area); chaplains by four members (one per area); and religious communities by one member.
• As in all other Canadian dioceses, retired clergy would not have a vote.

As a result of these reforms, it is estimated that the total number of voting and non-voting members at a regular session of Synod will decrease from 1,131 to 495. (Please note that of the 1,131 voting and non-voting members eligible to attend Synod, between 450 and 700 actually exercise their prerogative to attend now.)

Regular sessions of Synod will be held every other year, as is our current practice, and will begin mid-day on a Friday with the Eucharist and bishop’s charge and continuing with the business of Synod until later Saturday afternoon. With this change, the Synod will be able to conduct all of its business with the cost of only one overnight stay and will decrease the need for lay members to take time off work.

For electoral synods, where voting is done by houses (the house of laity and the house of clergy), lay representation will be according to the formula for regular sessions of Synod. However, all active clergy canonically resident in the diocese and holding the bishop’s licence for a regular parochial or missionary charge, will be able to attend and vote.

It is further recommended that Synod Forum Days be held, if needed, to allow for wider and more in-depth discussion of significant issues coming before Synod. These Forum Days, while not legislative, would be part of the synodical process, being held in each episcopal area, and chaired by the bishop or his or her designate. Results of these forums, including any memorials, petitions and intentions, would be fed into the next regular session of Synod. These Forum Days would be open to both regular lay and clerical members of Synod and other interested members of the diocese.

As a result of these proposed reforms, Synod members would be able to engage more directly in the work of Synod. The reduced size and shortened length of a regular session of Synod will allow for major cost savings for the parishes and the diocese and for a broader choice of venues across the diocese. The new schedule will also allow for greater lay attendance from a wider variety of people. The tailoring of Synod to meet its various purposes allows for flexibility so that major issues and decisions can be considered in depth and a wide variety of people can be involved in the decision-making process.

The post Proposed changes to Synod composition appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

I am presently the prioress and novice director of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine. As novice director, I have the privilege and joy of nurturing the new members of the Sisterhood, and as prioress I assist Sr. Elizabeth Ann, the current Reverend Mother, in whatever ways are helpful to her.

The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine is a contemporary expression of the religious life for women in the Anglican Church of Canada, living under the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Nurtured by Mother Hannah’s founding vision of prayer, community and ministry, we are called to lives of love, prayer and service, thus witnessing to the power of Christ’s reconciling and forgiving love. We seek to be open and responsive to the needs of the church and the world. We are probably best known for our Guest House ministry of hospitality, leading retreats and quiet days, preaching, and providing spiritual guidance; for our pastoral care ministry at St. John’s Rehab; and for our ministry of prayer and music both in Toronto and Victoria, B.C. Hidden ministries include our library, our beautiful gardens, our infirmary for Sisters with healthcare needs, our outreach ministry, especially in Victoria, and our ministry alongside our associates, oblates and Alongsiders. Currently we have 21 members, three of whom are serving as a praying presence in our house in Victoria.

The Reverend Mother is elected for a five-year term. Her primary role is to encourage each Sister to continual growth in Christian living through her loving concern, pastoral care, nurture and guidance. She challenges each Sister to respond generously and faithfully to God’s will. She shares her vision and inspiration with the Community and helps to facilitate our decision-making processes. She is the main contact with the leadership of the wider church. She helps to foster vocations to the Sisterhood and sets an example of faithfulness to the Rule of Life in the fullness of its spirit.

Over the next few years, I want to focus on the gifts and passions of the Sisters and the Community at this time in our history and decide together where and how they can best be used. What are our core values and where is the church calling us to use them? I also wish to encourage more women to test their vocation in our Community.

I was born and raised in Vancouver. I am a cradle Anglican and attended an independent school that had a strong Anglican ethos, but I was always seeking something deeper, a closer relationship with God. As a child, I used to enjoy reading a children’s book of Bible stories on Sunday evenings. One side of my mother’s family are Quaker and many of my father’s forebears were Anglican clergy, so I feel as if I were born with a strong spiritual gene. One summer while at university I worked in a Sunday School by Post van for the Diocese of Saskatoon, visiting children on isolated farms and teaching Vacation Bible School. In my final year of university, I applied to be a Volunteer in Mission with the Anglican Church of Canada. My great desire was to teach in India, so I was thrilled to be accepted to teach history and English at an elementary school in Amritsar. However, it was very difficult to get a visa at that time. After several months of waiting, I was offered a job teaching at Poole Gakuin Junior College in Osaka, Japan, where I taught English conversation and literature for two years and led the English worship service once a week. This was a pivotal time in my faith journey. When students asked me questions about my faith, I had to respond in very simple English. I couldn’t use the theological language I was accustomed to; this meant I had to understand these concepts in a much deeper way. When I returned to Vancouver, I was accepted at Crofton House School teaching English, Bible literature and religious studies at the high school level. The students’ questions constantly challenged me to discover what I really believed, so I learned far more than they did.

While on retreat in Japan in 1969, I had felt called to the Sisterhood, but my parents were against it and I wasn’t strong enough to go against their wishes. Many years later, I married Ben Thomas but in 1992, he was diagnosed with a very aggressive brain tumor and died five months later. I was devastated; our eight years together had been much too short. But life goes on. I became the director of daily administration at Crofton House School. During the summer of 1996, I attended the Women at a Crossroads program at SSJD and again felt the call to the religious life. I was 55 and entered the Community the following April.

I began my life at SSJD in the kitchen making cookies and muffins and then spent the rest of that summer in housekeeping cleaning bathrooms, doing laundry, and ironing. In the fall, I assisted Sr. Helena in the chapel for six months and then worked in the Associate Office with Sr. Beryl. During that time, I led my first retreat (on Julian of Norwich). In May 1999, I was sent to our new branch house near Montreal. This was a rich experience of leading retreats and quiet days, preaching and teaching different forms of meditation. On returning to Toronto, I was asked to be the director of associates (Central Province). In 2003, I became the novitiate director and in 2008 I was asked to be the prioress. Other responsibilities have included publications and spiritual direction. Each year has brought new challenges.

High points in my community life have included discovering Julian of Norwich (Revelation of Divine Love), my two years in Montreal, my Life Profession, being novice director and being asked to serve as chaplain to CoGS (the Council of General Synod). I am deeply saddened every time a member of the Community dies or leaves, especially if they have been in the novitiate during my time as novitiate director.

I believe we do wonderful work in our Guest House ministry, providing a variety of quiet days and retreats for people to attend as well as an oasis of quiet for individuals and parish groups who are looking for silence and time to deepen their relationship with God. We offer pastoral care to all those who come to St. John’s Rehab irrespective of their faith tradition or background. We serve in many ways in the diocese and across Canada and we have just published a book of our history, A Journey Just Begun. It describes the work we have done over the past 130 years and the importance of the religious life in the Anglican Church.

Five years from now, I hope I will be retiring as Reverend Mother and will be able to focus on leading retreats and quiet days and doing spiritual direction.

My favourite passages from scripture are, first, “I am convinced that neither death, nor life . . . nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). This reminds me that nothing whatsoever can separate me or anyone else from God’s love. And Colossians 3:12-17 tells me how we are called to live together in community: “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Col 3:12 -17).

The post I believe we do wonderful work appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Over the course of less than three weeks in early January, four men experiencing homelessness died in the City of Toronto as they tried to survive harsh weather conditions and a lack of effective, available services. The names of these men have been added to the Toronto Homeless Memorial outside the Church of the Holy Trinity, Trinity Square. Unfortunately, they join 2,581 other names of men and women who have died since 1985 while living without a home.

The Government of Ontario, through the development of two poverty reduction strategies, has been clear that it sees improving the ability of Ontarians to live in dignity in their communities as a priority for public policy. Be assured that the Diocese of Toronto shares this priority as we seek to live out our commitment to ensure human dignity for all of our neighbours across the province.

As Anglicans, we are doing our best to support many of our most vulnerable neighbours when they need it most, through drop-ins, food pantries and shelter programs. We know, however, that addressing the root causes of these situations goes beyond the charity we are able to provide through our parishes. Instead, it requires concerted action from government.

This budget can enhance human dignity in our province through four key investments:

Increase social assistance rates and benefits for low-income Ontarians. For many of those experiencing poverty in Ontario, social assistance programs such as Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program are vital to their ability to survive, yet we know that for too many these programs provide insufficient support for rising living costs, leaving thousands of people struggling to meet their basic needs. We ask that the government substantially raise social assistance rates for all recipients, including an immediate $100 per month increase for single adults receiving Ontario Works, and that rates be indexed to inflation. In an effort to fulfill the government’s commitment to reduce child poverty rates by 25 per cent, we ask that the Ontario Child Benefit be increased by $100 per child per year for the lowest income category, and that the benefit be indexed to future inflation rates.

Invest in good jobs. In 2014, Anglican parishes throughout the Diocese of Toronto voted at their annual vestry meetings to call on the Government of Ontario to legislate a significant increase to the provincial minimum wage. The current minimum wage, however, still leaves many Ontarians working full-time hours living below the poverty line. We join with our partners in the 25in5 Network for Poverty Reduction in calling for an increase in the minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2015, indexed to subsequent inflation. This increase will make the minimum wage a living wage.

Implement a strong housing and homelessness plan. The government’s commitment to end homelessness in Ontario is certainly the boldest element of the latest phase of the province’s poverty reduction strategy. Achieving this goal requires a strong plan and firm timeline, both to address the needs of those currently experiencing homelessness and to prevent those in precarious or unaffordable housing situations from falling into homelessness. We ask that this budget include a sizable investment in the building of affordable housing stock across the province, including safe and supportive housing for those living with mental illness or addiction. In the near term, as we wait for housing infrastructure to be built, we ask the government to implement a monthly housing benefit for Ontarians living on a low income that will allow many of them to maintain their current housing situation.

Improve health services for low-income Ontarians. Ontarians living on low incomes are often forced to choose between significant ongoing financial demands and important healthcare needs. We are calling on the government to use this budget to fast-track the implementation of the low-income dental care program by 2018. We also ask the government to take significant steps towards the creation of a universal PharmaCare plan.

While the implementation of these requests in the 2015 budget will result in increased spending in these key social infrastructure areas, making these investments in the dignity of Ontarians is an affordable undertaking. In fact, failing to allocate resources to poverty reduction will actually cost Ontario disproportionately more in public spending due to the role poverty plays in increased healthcare costs as well as expensive crisis and emergency support programs. Inaction on poverty reduction, then, is both fiscally irresponsible and ethically unacceptable.

While the government’s modest income tax increase on those Ontarians earning more than $150,000 in the 2014 budget was a welcome step in building revenues, further small increases to income taxes for high income earners are a necessary and fair tool to meet our obligation to take care of the most vulnerable members of our society. Increasing corporate taxation rates to 2009 levels would similarly provide crucial, reliable revenues that could be invested in key poverty reduction strategies.

Anglicans will continue to work to improve our communities and alleviate the struggles of our parishioners and neighbours living in poverty. However, we know that comprehensive, effective change can only come about through government investment in the dignity of all Ontarians. This government has been bold in stating its desire to address poverty in our communities. We hope to see such boldness carried forward into the decisions made for this budget.

The post Invest in human dignity appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

What cathedral, basilica or church hosts an empty tomb? Many cathedrals and basilicas host occupied tombs, but only one, the Church of the Resurrection as it is known in the West and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher as it is known in the East, hosts an empty tomb.

In Jerusalem on Holy Saturday, it is the hottest ticket in town. Pilgrims, having made the journey on the pavement that bears the marks of centuries of footsteps, camp out on Good Friday night to ensure a place inside the great cathedral the next day. This is the place reflected in our Stations of the Cross, although in Jerusalem they are not simply symbols on the wall of a church but the living, breathing place on which the stations are patterned.

When the massive doors are unlocked, the pilgrims enter. First, they head up a narrow set of stairs to a place of candles and incense, where they kneel at the foot of a life-sized crucifix. They place their hands through a spot on the floor to touch the rock that many believe to be the exact place of the crucifixion. The next-to-final stop on their stations journey takes them to a slab – marble, I think – that is slightly elevated from the floor. Here, the faithful recall the preparation of the body of Jesus for burial. I have seldom experienced a site of such devotion. People kneel and pray, then wipe a piece of cloth with oil onto the slab to take back home for use in healing.

Then, just a few meters further is a richly decorated chapel, into whose entrance one is forced to bend in order to kneel at Jesus’s burial site.

For hours on Holy Saturday, the faithful file into the massive church, cram into every nook and cranny, and wait expectantly for the Holy Fire. The chanting and singing builds and echoes off the wall: “Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Lord Jesus.” The Greek Orthodox Patriarch, as he has done for some 1,700 years, processes in and is physically searched by police to ensure he is carrying nothing into the Empty Tomb. He enters, and then the miracle happens. No one seems to know how, but from inside the tomb a small flame mysteriously, miraculously appears. The Holy Fire is then taken from the Empty Tomb and shared with pilgrims, who are holding tapers and are now whipped into a total frenzy. The light of Christ spreads through the crowd. An awaiting car takes the original fire to the airport, where it is flown to Greece.

Quite an event and one which may fill us with skepticism.

Fr. Richard Simon of Skokie, Illinois, writes, “That sort of thing seems a bit much to swallow. After all, we are living in scientific times and know that such displays of the supernatural are nonsense. (It is interesting that the comment ‘Nonsense!’ – leiros – does appear once in the New Testament. It is the reaction of the disciples to the women’s tale of the resurrection on Easter Sunday morning.)”

Fr. Simon continues: “All moderately well-educated moderns know that the Holy Fire must be a fraud. The interesting thing is that if it is a fraud, it goes back at least 1,625 years.”

So what is your response? I don’t mean to the story of the Holy Fire, although I would be interested in what you think about it – but to Easter? To the resurrection? To the Empty Tomb? Are you excited by Easter? Is there fresh strength for you in the Easter Gospel? For what do you wait expectantly? How does the light shine in you? What is your response to Easter as a follower and disciple of Jesus Christ? What do you make of the resurrection?

I came across a piece by Archbishop Rowan Williams in a book titled Tokens of Trust; An introduction to Christian belief (pages 91-92):

“The resurrection is in part about the sheer toughness and persistence of God’s love. When we have done our worst, God remains God – and remains committed to being our God. God was God even while God in human flesh was dying in anguish on the cross; God is God now in the new life of Jesus raised from death. But what is interesting about the stories of resurrection as we read them in the Bible is that they are not a series of general statements as to how the love of God is more powerful than evil or sin. They say that just as people met God’s absolute love in the face and presence, the physical presence, of Jesus of Nazareth, so they still do. They hear the call of God and encounter the mercy of God in the same face and form of Jesus – who, in the resurrection stories, does what he always did, calling the disciples to him, breaking bread with them, teaching them what the scriptures say. The resurrection displays God’s triumphant love as still and forever having the shape of Jesus. And this is why it won’t do to reduce the resurrection to something that was going on inside the heads of the disciples. If we go down that road, we lose sight of the conviction that seems so basic in the Bible, that the disciples meet a risen Jesus who is still doing what he always did, making God present in his actual presence, his voice and touch. I don’t see how we can say all that without taking seriously what the New Testament says about the tomb being empty on Easter Day.”

I have visited the Empty Tomb on a number of occasions and been profoundly moved each time by the holiness of the place. It is there that that the “two men in dazzling clothes” question, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” and can be answered with faith that Jesus is not confined in a tomb, not shackeld by death. He is here among us now. He has taken our guilt and buried it in the tomb and offered us new life. He has risen to remove our guilt, to heal our wounds and to whisper, no shout, “Pilgrim, I adore you!” He is present in the waters of baptism, in the bread and wine given and received, and in the still, small voice. Pilgrim, I adore you! You are amazing! You are profoundly and forever loved! He is risen! We are his body!

It’s all because it’s empty.

The post Jesus is here among us now appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

“No,” Timothy said, “he looks dead.”

Direct, accurate, no minced words, no gentle skirting around reality. Death is death.

On Good Friday, Jesus was dead.

Some early Christian followers couldn’t abide that notion – they became known as Gnostics and Docetists – so they taught that he just appeared to have died; he didn’t or perhaps couldn’t die. So to make the truth clear, the church placed in its creed the clause: Jesus “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended to the dead.”

We know a lot about death, both physically and metaphorically. Loved ones die. Dreams fade. We live in a world that invests heavily in denying death even while perpetrating it. Advertisers ply us with promises of eternal youth, while around the corner poverty, environmental abuse, violence and war obliterate both young and old.

We need to have a serious discussion about death. Each one of us will face it. What are we to do in the face of death? The recent decision of the Supreme Court removing the total ban on physician-assisted death in some yet-to-be-defined instances has raised the issue more pressingly.

What does a good death mean? What choices do we rightly have legally, ethically and morally? Is suffering an absolute evil to be avoided at all costs or is there ever anything redemptive in suffering? Who decides that? How do we balance individual autonomy and life within community? How do we care compassionately for the dying? What constitutes “dignity” and how does that define a good life and a good death? What are the limits of technology, both to extend life and to end it? What does it say to us that we want and need to have such control?

We need these conversations in the church, among our friends, with our families, with our leaders and with our caregivers. That can be quite practical to start with. Have you got an (updated) will? Have you assigned a power of attorney for personal care and for property? Have you discussed this with your loved ones or anyone other than your lawyer? (I answer “yes” to all of these.) Have you considered what sort of legacy will you leave – not just your money but, as importantly, your contribution to the world around you?

Death, of course, is not the end of the story.

“On the third day, he rose again.” The disciples who met their risen Lord might have been mostly skeptical at first but were so changed by their encounter that nothing could stop them from proclaiming the life-changing news. This Gospel upended everything and has transformed individuals and whole cultures ever since.

We are not so experienced with resurrection as with death. Yet it is true and real. The God who calls us into existence and loves in this life, does not abandon us at death but welcomes us into the new creation that fulfills God’s eternal intentions for creation. Jesus Christ is the first fruits of that new creation. “For since by a man came death, by a man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (I Corinthians 15:21-22).

The resurrection of Jesus and our hope of resurrection in him leads us to have a quite different discussion about death and shapes our perspective on it. For Christians, death is still a real fact we all must deal with. Unfortunately the only way to be resurrected is to have died. But, as the Easter hymn, (which I hope will be sung at my funeral), declares:

Jesus lives! Thy terrors now
Can no more, O death, appal us.
Jesus lives! By this we know
Thou, O grave, canst not enthral us. Alleluia!

The post Death is not the end of the story appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.