The title of your new book is Rags of Light. Where does that come from, and what does it mean?
Leonard Cohen’s stunning 1984 album, Various Positions, closes with a prayer of a song called, “If It Be Your Will.” While no one song could be said to capture the spirituality of Leonard Cohen, this is certainly one of the most poignant. Asking God whether he should continue to speak and continue his offering of song, the artist sings in the last verse:

And draw us near
And bind us tight
All Your children here
In their rags of light

In our rags of light
All dressed to kill
And end this night
If it be Your will

This is a prayer for the intimacy of covenant, the restoration of faithfulness, the dawning anew of light in the midst of the night of our culture and our lives. The notion of “rags of light” conjures up both the sense that our clothes are tattered, barely covering our nakedness, and the recognition that we do not have enough light to fully illuminate the path before us. Delivered with a quiet pathos, these lines evoke something of the longing at the heart of human spirituality. Cohen has given voice to that kind of longing in a way that has resonated deeply with millions of listeners around the world. The book is written in the prayerful spirit of this song, looking deeply into the “rags of light” that compose the body of Cohen’s work, while hopefully taking a similar stance of humility about what it is that I am offering.

When and how did your passion for Leonard Cohen’s music begin, and how has the man and his music influenced you over the years, including your faith journey?
I have been engaging with Cohen’s work since a high school essay more than 50 years ago on his song “Suzanne.” And while I followed his career over the years, it wasn’t until I first saw him perform live that the spiritual power of his music and his personality struck a chord deep within me. A Leonard Cohen concert was a spiritual, indeed a liturgical, experience. His music and lyrics not only capture the ethos and longings of a multi-generational community of listeners, but consistently seem to resonate profoundly with the Hebrew and Christian scriptures.

And so, when I pastored the Wine Before Breakfast community at the University of Toronto, we found ourselves often going to Cohen for music that would deepen our liturgical experience. The “Cohen Eucharist” that we curated at St. James Cathedral on Dec. 8 was an example of what happens when all of the music and prayers are written by Leonard Cohen and brought into creative engagement with the scriptures for the day and the Eucharistic prayer.

Why did you write Rags of Light, and what is its main theme?
Well, it’s all there in the subtitle: Leonard Cohen and the Landscape of Biblical Imagination. You see, there was nothing “generic” about Cohen’s spirituality. Rather, his was decidedly and unapologetically a biblical spirituality rooted most deeply in the Torah, but also in the Christian scriptures. Indeed, he referred to these scriptures as the “landscape” within which he worked. This is, if you will, the foundation of Leonard Cohen’s imagination, the beating heart of his poetry and song.

The landscape of biblical faith provides, for Cohen, the living narratives, mythology, symbols and motifs through which he describes and engages present reality with both prophetic depth and priestly compassion. And that’s the heart of my project in this book. I am seeking to engage Cohen, in conversation with the scriptures, in such a way that my readers might be able to take up Cohen’s own invitation to walk into that biblical landscape, and perhaps to find home there.

You include the Christian scriptures in Cohen’s sense of the biblical landscape. What was Cohen’s relationship with Jesus?
Complicated – which is a lot better than being non-existent. And actually, any living relationship with Jesus needs to be complicated. From the first hit song “Suzanne” to “It Seemed a Better Way” on Cohen’s last album, You Want it Darker, Jesus has been a constant companion. Once, when asked about his relationship to Jesus, Cohen had this to say:

“I’m very fond of Jesus Christ. He may be the most beautiful guy who walked the face of this earth. Any guy who says, ‘Blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek’ has got to be a figure of unparalleled generosity and insight and madness.”

He went on to describe Jesus as a man “who declared himself to stand among the thieves, the prostitutes and the homeless. His position cannot be comprehended.” In Jesus, Cohen said, we meet a “generosity that would overthrow the world if it was embraced because nothing would weather that compassion.”

So Cohen confesses his attraction to this Jesus, and, not surprisingly, there are references to Jesus throughout his body of work. Recall that on “Suzanne,” he sang of Jesus:

And you want to travel with Him
And you want to travel blind
And you think you’ll maybe trust Him
For He’s touched your perfect body with His mind

There is a point of deep connection that engenders the possibility of faith because “maybe” you can trust him. That “maybe” sometimes moves to “you know he will find you” to “you know you can trust him” at different points of Cohen’s life.

In our conversation at the cathedral after I presented the Snell Lecture, Dean Stephen Hance asked me about “It Seemed the Better Way,” a song on the final album before Cohen’s death. Here it seems as if Cohen has come to a final resolution about Jesus.

Seemed the better way
When first I heard him speak
But now it’s much too late
To turn the other cheek

Sounded like the truth
Seemed the better way
Sounded like the truth
But it’s not the truth today

Is this his last word on Jesus? “Sounded like the truth/but it’s not the truth today.” No, there is more. The song concludes with these words:

I better hold my tongue
I better take my place
Lift this glass of blood
Try to say the grace

Holding his tongue, the poet understands his place and adopts a stance of humility rather than an arrogant militance against Jesus. Yes, there is deep doubt, ambivalence and struggle here, but the poet does not close the door on Jesus. Rather, he brings together the shocking image of lifting a glass of blood with the Jewish tradition of saying a grace, a thanksgiving, to the Lord of the Universe after a meal. This is a clear and provocative reference to the Eucharist.

That Jesus maintains a central place in the landscape of Leonard Cohen’s imagination is clear until the end, not least in the devastatingly beautiful title song of the final album, “You Want it Darker.”

With death ever more closely on his horizon, Cohen offers the opening lines of the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer of blessing and doxology over the dead: “Magnified and sanctified/Be Thy Holy Name.” The Name, revealed in the burning bush and that dare not be voiced (Exodus 3:14), is magnified and sanctified before the death of his children. Cohen begins that prayer, but then in the next line he evocatively transposes this Jewish prayer into a Christian telling of the story. “Vilified and crucified/In the human frame.” When the Holy Name enters history, when the Word of Words takes flesh – that is, when the Covenant God fully enters into the fray of violence and betrayal – the result is murder. What does the magnified and glorified Holy One look like in the midst of this relationship? Vilified and crucified. Why? Because we kill the flame.

Let’s be clear: I am not saying that Leonard Cohen was a Christian. He was a Jew and remained a Jew throughout his life and in his death. But in the landscape of his imagination, indeed, in the deepest places of his spiritual identity and struggle, we will always find Jesus.

Who is this book for?
This book is written for a very broad audience. Certainly it will most directly appeal to people who have been touched in one way or another by the songs and poetry of Leonard Cohen. For those folks, I’d like to invite them into the biblical landscape of Cohen’s imagination. I hope that this book will lead you deeper into Cohen as it leads you deeper into the shape of biblical faith.

Perhaps you have a sense that there is a failure of imagination in the Church and in broader society. I think that Cohen has much to teach us. Or maybe you are just interested in the relationship between faith and culture. This book could also be for you.

This book extends the invitation into the biblical landscape and spiritual struggle that is at the heart of Leonard Cohen’s rich artistic contribution.

Rags of Light: Leonard Cohen and the Landscape of Biblical Imagination can be ordered through bookstores.

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My mother was born in Shanghai to a Chinese mother and English father. She was raised in what was known there as the Church of England faith, although we also have Confucian and Buddhist ancestors. My father was born in Italy and raised as a Roman Catholic. After joining the Italian navy, he was assigned as an admiral’s aide and eventually served as chief of staff of the Italian embassy in Shanghai. They emigrated to Toronto from Shanghai after the Communist takeover, and I was conceived enroute. Growing up as a young child in North York, I would walk to our nearest church in the neighbourhood, which happened to be Presbyterian.  That is where I learned my basic Bible teachings, creed and Christian values. We had a close family friend who was a cantor at an inner-city Anglican church (the name of the church escapes me) and our family would attend Christmas Eve services there frequently. Since my brothers and I were enrolled in the public school system, it was not until I became a teenager that I finally went to study my Catholic catechism, receive my first communion, and was confirmed.

Later, as an older teenager growing up during the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, etc., I chose to reject authority, including organized religion, in favour of what I believed was a sound personal ethical and moral compass. It was another decade before I realized this was not working for me and chose to re-visit my Catholic faith. By then, Vatican II had transformed the catechesis and liturgy in ways that were much more in alignment with my own interests. At about the same time, I met my wife Kimberly, who had been raised in the United Church and who seemed to be on a similar faith journey. Together, we began attending St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto, and eventually she chose to be confirmed in the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil in 1987. The following year, we were married at the cathedral.

After helping to serve a Christmas meal at an inner-city drop-in centre for ex-psychiatric patients, I began volunteering there on a regular basis and met a client who suggested my wife and I continue our theological studies at St. Michael’s College, TST (Toronto School of Theology). We signed up in 1989 and began taking one evening course per term. One of our professors inspired us to begin attending the Basilian-staffed St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel at the Newman Centre on campus, where he would preach occasionally. There we found ourselves part of a diverse and loving community. The liturgies were beautiful and often pushed traditional boundaries in ways that we found empowering and life-giving. In 1998, I finally graduated with my master of theological studies degree. By then, my wife Kimberly had transferred to OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education), where she completed a master’s degree of education in psychology, counselling, after which she established a psychotherapy practice specializing in grief, depression, and anxiety.

Unfortunately, at some point, a new pastor was brought into the Newman Centre whose approach caused a great exodus of longstanding parishioners. Some of us ended up at an alternative Christian faith group called “Ruah.” Eventually, Kimberly and I migrated back to our Catholic roots and joined Our Lady of Lourdes parish, staffed by the Jesuits. We were volunteering at Casey House AIDS hospice at the time, and the Jesuits had a ministry to Catholic residents of the hospice and offered a monthly healing mass at the church, which we often attended.

Since 2006, we have been registered parishioners at St. Gabriel’s parish in Toronto, staffed by the Passionists. It is beyond our own parish boundaries but attracts me as the only church structure that has been designed to embody the eco-theological principles of Passionist priest and cultural historian, the Rev. Thomas Berry, C.P., author of seminal works such as The Dream of the Earth and The Great Work. As the architect of the church, I also have a more intimate connection and deeply rooted love for the place. It was during my graduate studies in theology and ecology at St. Michael’s College that I was introduced to Berry’s teachings by Fr. Stephen Dunn, C.P., who was both founder and director of the Elliott Allen Institute for Theology and Ecology at St. Mike’s. Both Steve and Tom served as mentors for me over the years.

St. Gabriel’s represents my unofficial graduate thesis, a way to give tangible, meaningful expression to what Steve and Tom taught me about how to be in right relationship to the earth. The design and orientation of the building towards the south garden reminds us that when we gather to worship, we do so within the greater context of creation. At the time it was consecrated in 2006, it was Canada’s first church to achieve LEED Gold Certification and the first LEED Gold building in Toronto, garnering the city’s coveted Green Design Award in 2007. From the beginning, every design decision was considered through the lens of eco-theology and as such, the completed building represents a form of catechesis, in and of itself, inviting us to contemplation and transformation. Our firm, Larkin Architect Limited, also recently completed a new church for the parish of St. Benedict’s in Milton, Ont., designed to be the first net-zero carbon emissions church in Canada. It combines geothermal heating/cooling with a super-insulated building envelope and a 95 Kw array of solar photo voltaic panels mounted on carports in the parking lot.

I currently serve on my parish’s Building Management Committee, in charge of the planning and ongoing management of the church building and its property. One of our roles was to re-envision St. Gabriel’s one-acre garden, which initially had been planted to reflect the area’s pre-settlement ecosystem. Over the years, it had become home to many invasive species that were choking out the original plant material. Subsequently, it soon became known as the “Garden of Weeden.” Subsequently, it has been re-constructed using Hugelkultur, an all-natural method, to grow food for local pollinator species and the Good Shepherd homeless shelter. We have a separate garden ministry of dedicated volunteers who tend to this wonderful, thriving resource.

I also conduct several tours and lectures at or about the church throughout the year, providing insights on how the design responds to eco-theology. St. Gabriel’s has also been featured in Toronto Doors Open more than once. I am also currently serving as a facilitator for a parish-wide synodal discernment process that has established a three-fold vision for how the parish engages the world around us, which includes care for creation.

Another profound influence in my life was the decision for us to partner with our friends Kevin Shortt and Jack Bond to purchase a property in Northumberland County and build a straw bale, off-the grid house together. Living there and caring for the land together as an intentional community helps to keep me grounded, centred and oriented for the work I do.

I am currently serving as a founding member of the Diocese of Toronto’s Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care and its liturgy and education subcommittees which, over the past two years, have provided many resources for parishes in the diocese such as Lenten, Advent and Season of Creation reflections, suggestions for how to gather out of doors for worship during COVID-19, and other initiatives that reflect our mandate. In 2020, I was appointed by the diocese to the Board of Management for Epiphany and St. Mark, Parkdale, with the added assignment of exploring ways to redevelop its property to provide much needed affordable housing for the surrounding community while partnering with other local parishes and social service organizations to expand its ministries and outreach capabilities.

I am also an advisor to a nationwide Anglican initiative founded by Mark Gibson called Net Zero Churches that seeks to assist parishes across Canada to achieve Net-Zero carbon emissions as a faith-based response to the climate crisis. I am also willing to assist local parishes in the Diocese of Toronto who are seeking ways to achieve this goal and find other ways to reduce their ecological footprint. I believe that the climate crisis is the most threatening existential issue facing humanity today and is therefore deserving of all the attention and efforts we can muster. Ultimately, we cannot not have a healthy, thriving human and more than human community on a planet that is unhealthy.

My hope is that we will all become re-enchanted with the beauty of creation. Beauty stops us in our tracks, we fall in love with what we find beautiful, and we want to care for what we love.  Five years from now, I pray that we have met our Paris Protocol commitments and prevented a rise in global temperatures beyond the threshold of 1.5 degrees.

I am not a biblical scholar, preferring instead to focus on the scripture that is creation, which for me represents the primary expression of the divine presence.

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I wear quite a few hats at All Saints. In worship, I am an intercessor and a chalice bearer and assist in music ministry at our “relaxed” informal service, as well as being a bell ringer. My passion is Christian education, and I enjoy working with a team of lay and clergy folk to plan and prepare events and study courses throughout the year. I am also privileged to lead a small group bible study on Zoom each week.

I volunteer at the All Saints food bank, which operates on Tuesdays and Fridays, and has grown enormously over the past few years to meet the growing needs of our community. I am a founding member of our community garden, and besides hands-on work, I coordinate the volunteers’ schedule.

Our community garden provides fresh produce for our food bank, The Deacon’s Cupboard, and was first dreamed of about five years ago. It only became possible when a fenced, grassy area on the east side of our lot became available in 2021. It had previously been used as a play area for a Montessori school, located in the church basement, which closed. A $5,000 Reach grant from the diocese and a $500 deanery grant finally allowed this vision to become a reality, enabling the purchase of materials.

An enthusiastic group of parishioners drew up plans for six raised beds and some ground-level planting. My daughter, (now the Rev.) Claire Bramma, was a seminarian intern at All Saints for three months that summer, with the garden being her main responsibility, so I jumped at the opportunity to work together. Our volunteer team (approximately 20 in total) included both “expert” gardeners and “labourers.” Since COVID-19 restrictions were still in place, we had to follow strict protocols when working with others, even outside, and at times it was uncomfortably warm working in masks.

Once the beds and boxes were ready, planting began. In addition to sowing seeds directly into the soil, volunteers donated seedlings started at home. In one corner of the lot, we created the Three Sisters Garden, as a tribute to the Indigenous companion planting method. Corn was planted, next came beans which used the cornstalks as support, and finally squash with their lush protective leaves. The story of the Three Sisters was shared with the congregation one Sunday, along with the planting of tobacco by two Indigenous members.

That first year was something of an experiment, dealing with unpredictable weather and soil conditions and battling with squirrels, rabbits and other pests. We were also rather late in planting but were nevertheless able to supply our food bank clients with a variety of herbs, sweet and hot peppers, zucchini, squash, lettuce and tomatoes… lots of tomatoes! Everything was received with enthusiasm.

Last year we added two new raised boxes and two tower planters. Armed with the knowledge gained from the previous year, we were able to increase our yield and variety of produce, especially beans and lettuce. We demonstrate good stewardship of the earth by using compost instead of chemical fertilizers, and using water from the rain barrels for the plants. The theme of last year’s Vacation Bible School was God’s Work in Creation, and a visit to the garden provided an opportunity for the children to see this in action.

In addition to the obvious benefits of producing food, the garden has been a blessing in other ways by providing opportunities to connect with others. During a time of strict COVID-19 restrictions in the first year, when so many of us were starved of human interaction, it became an opportunity for volunteers to be in fellowship with each other outdoors. The garden is in plain sight of a residential street, making our presence felt in the wider community. Passersby would frequently stop and ask about the project. On food bank days, the garden was a great source of excitement and conversation among the clients as they waited for their orders to be filled. Last year when a friend and I were watering the garden, a woman came by and asked if the church might be able to give her and her son a bible. We were able to do that and invite her to our “Welcome Back” service the following Sunday!

One of the biggest challenges in maintaining the garden is ensuring that we have enough volunteers, especially in an aging congregation. This year we are looking at ways to increase our pool of volunteers, and we are hoping to encourage families to take a turn after worship on a Sunday.

I first came to All Saints 21 years ago, following a spiritual rebirth. Growing up in England, where the Church of England was the norm, I was “Christian-ish” until a series of events brought my faith to life. One of these was being present at the baptism of our daughter, Claire, when she was a student at RMC. Her faith and testimony were transformational steps on my journey. When my husband, Peter, died in 2007, I could not imagine dealing with such grief without God’s love. Peter loved gardening, so being part of the community garden is also a tribute to his memory.

I don’t have a five-year plan. I would simply love to continue to serve whenever opportunities arise.

One favourite passage from scripture… that’s a tough one since there are so many, but I have grown to love the Psalms. Psalm 147, verses 1-5, give great comfort:

Praise the Lord.
How Good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.
Great is the Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

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I have had the privilege of being the deacon for St. Luke, Creemore for 15 years. We are part of the Southern Georgian Bay Regional Ministry Team that includes All Saints, Collingwood and Prince of Peace, Wasaga Beach.

St. Luke’s is a small parish whose focus has always been on the wider community. Currently, I coordinate our weekly foodbank, receiving and delivering food, as well as coordinating volunteers. Our Soup for the Soul is a new initiative that targets those interested in cooking nutritious, budget-wise meals. We are also re-instating our monthly Soup Lunch, which invites the community to come and sit with friends, new and old. I support our priests in preparing the Prayers of the People, officiating and preaching when asked. I am active in the Chaplaincy on Call program at Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and at the Leisureworld nursing home in Creemore. I am part of the Diaconal Advisory Committee, and the Bishops Diaconal Review Committee.

The St. Luke’s Community Foodbank initiative started in 2022. After many conversations within the community at large, we are implementing strategies for food-sharing and nutrition. I am encouraged by the innovative plans that have been put forward for growing and delivering fresh produce. Collaborating with The Sharing Place in Orillia, the Simcoe County Food Council and the Canadian Food Council brings expertise and encouragement. As I watch those we serve volunteer, I am thankful for the presence of the Spirit in our ministry. As I consider my ordination vow to “interpret to the Church the needs, concerns and hopes of the world,” I know that we are making a difference in our community.

As I reflect on our ministry in 2022, I feel the best part of our ministry are the smiles from families that know they have support. Supporting refugee families has increased our awareness of “welcoming the stranger.”

I find it frustrating to see and deal with the lack of resources for those living with poverty and mental health issues in a country as rich as Canada. I see people living in homes that should be condemned but have no other place but the streets. I see seniors who need assisted-living struggling to manage at home because there are no spaces for them and little to no home care available. With so much need in our community, I pray that I may be a blessing to someone each day.

I was raised in Sudbury, Ontario. My father worked for Inco, a member of Steelworkers Local 6500, and my mother was a homemaker. I began piano lessons at the age of 10 and pursued oboe and piano at the University of Toronto. I taught for the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto for 10 years before moving to our farm in Mulmur Township with our young family. I was an examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music for 36 years, travelling extensively in Canada and the U.S. We moved to our farm in 1987, where I continued to teach piano privately. It was at this time that I was asked to be the organist at St. Luke’s. Doug and I have three grown daughters, four grandchildren and an eight-year-old son. We currently live in Wasaga Beach and enjoy gardening, riding our bicycles and hiking.

I am a cradle Anglican and I believe the first female server in Sudbury in the late 1960s. While at university in Toronto, I did not attend church regularly but did visit St. Thomas, Huron Street and the cathedral on occasion. I began to rekindle my faith journey when I became the musician at St. Luke’s. Some things had changed but I still knew the words of the BCP! At this time, St. Luke’s had young families and we all knew and supported each other. In 2015, Rev. Catherine MIller was our priest-in-charge and was very involved in the community. With her direction and support, I began accompanying her to the nursing home, offered support for single mothers, and made meals for those who needed them. It wasn’t long before I was asking the St. Luke’s community to supply meals and became known in the community as the person to go to for help. Catherine gave me some information on the diaconate, and back to university I went. The campus looked the same, but I did not! Older, feeling somewhat out of place in my first few classes at Wycliffe College, it took a community to get me to and from the Barrie bus station! There were times of frustration, tears, uncertainty and gratitude throughout those years. After three years of discernment, I was privileged to be ordained on St. Luke’s Day, 2007.

In five years, I hope to be encouraging and supporting others through outreach in Southern Georgian Bay.

My favourite passage from scripture is 1 Samuel 3: 1-10. In all his listening, Samuel obeyed the Lord’s instructions. While God may not most likely call us as He called Samuel with an audible voice, God has a unique purpose for our lives and each of us is indispensable in this plan. We have been created with our own unique gifts and talents to use and serve. Samuel’s life was dedicated to serving and fulfilling God’s purpose for him. Each of us is faced with this choice every day. “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”

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The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine is a contemporary expression of the religious life for women within the Anglican Church of Canada. We were founded in Toronto in 1884. We are a prayer-and-gospel centred monastic community, bound together by the call to a vowed life in intentional community. Nurtured by our founding vision of prayer, community and service, we are open and responsive to the needs of the Church and the contemporary world, continually seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our life and ministry.

Called to be a sign of Christ, the Sisterhood witnesses to the power of God’s reconciling and forgiving love through the gospel imperatives of prayer, hospitality, spiritual direction, ministering to those in need, working for justice and peace, reverence for the whole creation, and promoting unity, healing and wholeness. Through our prayer and spirituality, outreach to others, pastoral and spiritual care, community life and stewardship, we are celebrating 138 years of prayer, love and service.

Having entered the Community in 1965, I have had a variety of jobs in nearly every area of our life. At present I am the director of western and overseas Associates and also fundraising. I am also on the Reverend Mother’s council.

The present work that I am doing provides deep joy and pleasure. The Associates are men and women who have joined us as part of our extended family following Jesus in a life of love, prayer and service. Keeping in touch with these committed men and women, lay and ordained, as they seek to deepen their spiritual life through following a rule of life, is for me a blessing and a joy. I write individual and general letters, prepare quiet days for Associates, and share weekly reflections with them and on our website. COVID-19 provided a challenge of learning to use Zoom to reach out, and it gave me, and continues to give me, the opportunity to reach out to many more Associates than ever before. I have been able to meet so many people and have seen how this opportunity enables folks from across western Canada (Manitoba to British Columbia), the western United States and overseas to share together and meet each other. It has been a means of deepening bonds across the distances.

The best thing about being a Sister is being able to answer the call to give my whole self to God in prayer and service within this intentional community of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine, which I love and which is my joy. The most challenging thing about being a Sister is living within this intentional community of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine, which I love and which is my joy, and learning to live together with differences

My father, Bruce, and my mother, Winne, were born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. My father worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and so he was moved around quite a bit during my lifetime. I was born in Verdun, Quebec during World War Two. We moved nearly every four to five years, first to Winnipeg, then Calgary, then Medicine Hat and finally to Vancouver, where I went to university.

What led me to become a Sister with SSJD? When I was about eight years old, the family living in Calgary, our parish church of St. Barnabas invited a Sister to speak to the Sunday School class. What I saw and heard was someone who had given their whole life to God, and that made a profound impression upon me. I told my parents that I knew what I wanted to be, someone who gave their whole life to God! I really only knew the mystery of that, not what it really meant, until we moved to Medicine Hat and in high school. Our parish church of St. Barnabas, being involved in Guides and then Rangers, and surrounded by wonderful role models and Associates of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine, I began to understand that giving my whole life to God might be a call to the religious life. I had my own dreams as well – to teach school, to marry and have children, and so was involved in many activities throughout high school and university, but always there was this inner call to give my whole life to God. After graduating from university in May 1965, I visited the convent in Toronto for the first time and knew that I had come home to the place where I could answer God’s call to give my whole life to God.

Five years from now, I would really like to be doing much the same as I am doing now – a life of prayer and service within this community in whatever way God seems to be calling me and us. Here is my greatest joy!

I have many favourite passages, but I think that at present my most favourite are Luke 1:28, 30 and 37 in The Message translation of scripture. I believe that we, throughout our lives, are confronted with many annunciation events; God has surprises for us throughout our lives.

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The Youth Ministry Apprenticeship Program (YMAP) allows people who have a potential calling to youth ministry to complete a nine-month apprenticeship at a parish within the Diocese of Toronto. During this program, apprentices are given support and encouragement to work on discerning their calling and to develop the skills needed to work in youth ministry. YMAP participants can complete this program either through a job shadowing model, where they have a youth ministry mentor to guide and teach them, or in a parish partnership model, where YMAP offers an interested parish support with training and partially financing the hiring of a part-time youth worker for nine months.

As a new addition to the YMAP team, I am working with seasoned YMAP coordinator Cormac Culkeen to help enrich the youth ministry at the seven participating parishes we have lined up for the 2022-23 year. We’ll provide very real supports to apprentices and their parishes, and also arrange for several weekend retreats to help apprentices continue their ongoing journey of spiritual growth and discernment. We’ll give one-on-one guidance and direction to apprentices as they set their goals and intentions for the program, and help them to meet those learning goals through a process of skills-building and self discovery.

I am very excited to organize in-person weekend retreats for our YMAP apprentices this year. We’ll be having these retreats several times throughout the 2022-23 program, and for the first time since the pandemic began, they’ll be offered in-person! As thankful as I was for the possibility of Zoom retreats during my own 2020 YMAP experience, there is something deeply meaningful about gathering together to ponder our callings, our faith and our journey with God as a group, face to face. I am truly looking forward to cultivating a series of creative, prayerful, and educational spaces where this year’s YMAP apprentices can lean into deep contemplation, learning and fun. On top of all that, I really enjoy conversations about discernment, callings and prayer, so I am looking forward to having many of those in the coming months with our new round of apprentices.

I was an apprentice in YMAP for the 2020-2021 cohort, doing a job shadow placement at All Saints, Peterborough. I am a pretty quiet person who likes to stay in the background, so receiving ongoing support and guidance while practicing my public speaking skills in a church setting was really wonderful. Additionally, I got tremendous value from the intentional periods of reflection and prayer that are structured into the YMAP experience. Learning how to be a part of youth ministry at All Saints in a very hands-on way was also exciting and stretched me out of my comfort zone. It was amazing to see my skill set grow in ways that helped to support and care for the youth and families in the neighborhood, while also bringing a lot of additional joy and meaning into my life.

I was born and raised in Peterborough, Ont., with some time spent away living in Oakville and Kingston. I’ve spent a good amount of time accumulating books and student loans (as well as a BA in illustration, English literature, and an MA in English literature). I have spent time working as a teacher’s assistant, an online ESL teacher and, currently, as a library public service specialist as a content writer, and as an assistant to youth and family ministries at All Saints, Peterborough. I love books, and have recently been able to start enjoying them again after a period where reading unexpectedly became difficult for me during the pandemic. I also love early morning creek-side walks in the woods, writing, creating art, periods of prayerful contemplation, journaling, spending time with my friends and family, and eating all the snacks.

What would I like to be doing five years from now? That is such a challenging question for me to answer! I hope and pray that wherever I am in five years’ time, I am deeply rooted in my faith and God’s unconditional love for all creation. I hope I am living a life that is in keeping with my core values of diversity, inclusivity, creativity, compassion and community. I hope that I’m taking the time to be still in the woods and intentionally spending time with God throughout my day. I hope I’m writing. I hope I am a part of a beautiful family. I hope that I am surrounded by love, and that I am acting in real and tangible ways that also reflect God’s love back to the community around me. I hope that I am brave and say “yes” to the things that matter most, even if I find that “yes” scary. That’s more of a reflection on who I hope to grow into being with the help of God and my community in the next five years, so I hope that’s all right.

My favourite passage from scripture is Romans 8:35-39. I love the imagery that is invoked by this description of how nothing can separate us from God’s love – not life or death, not the present or the future, not any distance of any conceivable measure, not violence, not trouble. Nothing. There is no separation. As someone who is queer and has encountered times of deep suffering (sometimes in religious spaces), I spent many years in my 20s believing that God’s love would not extend out far enough to ever reach me. Today, I deeply cherish this passage because it grounds me in the beautiful reality of God’s radical, inclusive, unconditional and ever-present love – not only for me, but for all humanity and for all living beings on this beautiful, hurting and holy planet. God loves and values each and every one of us, without exception.

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I am a cradle Anglican, born and raised in a tiny parish in the south of England, but have lived my entire adult life in Canada and am now a member of St. Peter, Oshawa. I had never heard of the Mission to Seafarers until an article appeared in the local paper about the installation of a new mission station at the Port of Oshawa, calling for volunteers, and it captured my imagination as being quite a contrast to my hospital volunteering. For the first time in my life, I considered what working life at sea might be like for extended periods of time, with homes and families far away. I eventually joined the group shortly after the mission’s official opening in 2015 and have been an enthusiastic ship visitor ever since.

Initially we go on board to welcome each international ship soon after its arrival with our contact information and a bag of chocolates. We explain to an officer what we can do for the crew: provide free WiFi, refreshments and donations of clothing, books and toiletries in our mission, otherwise known as the “seamen’s club,” plus souvenirs for sale and free transportation to shopping and recreation, with information about local amenities.

Before the pandemic, we could expect more than 40 ships a year in Oshawa, but that number has since been reduced to about 30. Almost all the ships are carrying steel, but occasionally they may have large machine parts, and once we had a tanker in port. Crews may number anywhere between 12 on a tanker and 17 to 23 on the steel carriers. Ships docking on the west side of the port in Oshawa are in close proximity to a very attractive park, and it’s a pleasure to see seafarers taking full advantage of it. Such a beautiful green space next to the port is quite a rarity.

The ships come to us from all over the world and the crews can be a mix of nationalities and languages, but communication is always manageable and we enjoy our interaction. It is very rewarding – though sometimes challenging – to be able to gratify their wishes, and several seafarers have continued to stay in touch across the world on WhatsApp with a “how r u?” chat and family photos. I can’t express how heartwarming that is, and I would strongly recommend others to volunteer and find out for themselves.

Sometimes a seafarer will ask me why I do what I do; I tell him that the blessing conveyed to me by him for giving me the opportunity to be useful far outweighs any granted to him by my actions. Simply put, it makes me happy. Once in a while an officer will express his appreciation with an invitation to a meal on board, which is accepted with alacrity whenever possible. That’s always an interesting and a very enjoyable experience, with a pleasant sense of comradeship. Generosity is also frequently shown to us in gifts of well-travelled chocolates, candy or small donations to the mission, which reinforces the value of our contribution to the seamen’s welfare while they are with us. We are aware that our actions can make an appreciable difference; I like to feel that we provide a “soft place” for them to land when they come ashore.

My spiritual journey took several twists and turns, including a long period of estrangement due to horrifying world events, including the Biafra crisis affecting so many babies and children, and it took a particularly low point in my personal life to bring me back to a solid relationship with the Church, but on reflection it was all profoundly educational and did eventually lead me to where I am now, which I feel is where I was meant to be.

I would like to think that five years from now I’d be doing what I’m doing now, spending much of my time volunteering in Lakeridge Health, Oshawa, and as a ship visitor whenever there’s a ship in port, but as I’d be well into my ninth decade that expectation may have to be revised. Apart from other considerations, the ships’ gangways can be 42 steps high!

The 23rd psalm has always had special meaning for me, as it has for so many; it conveys such reassurance, hope and peace.

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My responsibilities include organizing networking opportunities for all youth leaders – staff and volunteers ± and clergy in the York-Scarborough area. This provides opportunities for youth leaders to gather and share their experiences, successes and concerns; to learn from each other and share resources for ministry in their parishes; and to take part in appropriate training. My partner in ministry is Ian Physick, who is a champion advocate for youth ministry. My predecessor, Jillian Ruch, continues to act as our informal advisor, supplying us with much needed resources and support. We also work with Bishop Kevin Robertson, who is a dedicated supporter of youth ministry, having been a youth leader himself for many years.

Some networking opportunities include the SPARK retreat held every spring for parish youth leaders, the youth summit in January, theology days, Synod, the ReCharge retreat in Muskoka and training days in conjunction with Wycliffe and Trinity colleges. As area coordinators for York-Scarborough, Ian and I also attend the monthly clerius meetings. As part of our mandate, we welcome clergy to work alongside BYMC (the Bishop’s Youth Ministry Committee) in recognizing and supporting the youth leaders and (re)building youth ministry in their congregations. One way that BYMC does that is through the Youth Ministry Apprenticeship Program (YMAP). YMAP is an initiative that was started by the Rev. Christian Harvey and is continued faithfully by coordinators Cormac Culkeen, the area youth coordinator for Trent-Durham, and Ali McIntosh, the pastoral associate at Christ Church, Deer Park. It is designed ™to equip and prepare potential leaders for a (paid) youth ministry position in the Diocese of Toronto.  Leaders learn not in a classroom but by doing actual youth ministry.™ Some of the current volunteers with BYMC are graduates from YMAP!

As a youth ministry director at St. Paul, L’Amoureaux, my primary focus is equipping and empowering young people to follow Jesus, who is the way and the truth and the life (John 4:16). At St. Paul’s Youth (S.P.Y) Network, we believe that youth ministry is vital not only to the church but also to the Warden and Finch community. My role involves developing, implementing and coordinating various programs and offering pastoral care to the youth and their parents. Some of the programs that I coordinate with my team of volunteers are the Friday Night Gathering (fellowship and Bible study), the S.P.Y. Basketball Clinic on Tuesday evening at L’Amoreaux Collegiate Institute, CONNECTED, an after-school youth drop-in program with a focus on spiritual growth and academic support for immigrant and refugee youths, and parenting seminars. The S.P.Y Network also provides support to the Young Adult Fellowship, which meets quarterly throughout the year. I am particularly excited about the development of the Aduza African Fellowship, created in the memory of Timothy and Terver Aduza, which will honour the African congregation and their contributions to St. Paul, L’Amoreaux. St. Paul’s continues to extend a friendly hand and a place of prayer and support to new immigrants.

The best part of working as a youth program director and as an area coordinator is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and observing the movement of God in young people’s lives and within the Church. The worst part is learning how to be patient as the seeds are being sown, and watching God give the increase. After all, His ways are not our ways, and – I’m paraphrasing here ± His timing is not our timing.

I was born and raised in Toronto to Jamaican parents who immigrated to Canada in the 1970s. At the age of one, I was diagnosed with a profound bi-lateral sensorineural hearing loss. I wear hearing aids and, after countless years of auditory-verbal therapy, I can speak well. I spent most of my formative years in North York, where I attended North York Christian School and, later, St. Joseph Morrow Park Secondary School, which is now the site of my alma mater, Tyndale University. I attended George Brown College to study hearing aid dispensing, which is a program dedicated to studying the effect of hearing loss on individuals and providing proper clinical care to test hearing, select hearing instruments and to dispense and provide support for those who need aids. Through this program, I became passionate about advocating for accessibility for deaf, deafened and hard-of-hearing people, which later led me to studying social work at Ryerson University. I was blessed with opportunities to work with a variety of organizations with a focus on preventing violence against women and children, preventing anti-Black racism, and providing community development and program implantation of heritage-based education for Black youths and corporate staff training. After 10-plus years of working in the social work and banking sectors, I answered God’s call to obtain a Master of Divinity degree in Christian education and formation (now known as Christian education and discipleship) at Tyndale University. In 2018, under the leadership of Fr. Dean Mercer, I was welcomed with open arms to St. Paul, L’Amoreaux as a youth ministry director, and the rest, as they say, is history.

My church journey began as a little girl when I would attend Holy Cross Catholic Church with my godmother, a devoted Catholic. I was also a daughter of an Anglican father and a Baptist mother, so my exposure to different denominations gave me an advantage in seeing various styles of worship and liturgical practices. However, my faith journey didn’t really begin until 2006, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. Shortly thereafter, I began attending a non-denominational Charismatic church that helped to shape my walk with God. I learned how to study the word of God, developed a dynamic prayer life and discovered my love for teaching and hospitality. Under the leadership of Pastor Richard J. Brown of Kingsway Community Life Centre, I taught Bible study and helped to facilitate discipleship workshops. I was invited to teach Bible study and helped to develop various ministries at different churches. As a woman, I was unsure of what role I played in ministry, but that all changed when I heard the Rev. Jennifer Porter-Cox, an evangelist from Baltimore. Her ministry serves to remind me that God can use anyone for His Kingdom, regardless of their gender, background, talents and gifting. In 2014, God was calling me to go deeper with Him. I left my full-time job to study at Tyndale University. I came under the tutelage of Dr. Yau Man Siew, the faculty advisor and associate professor of Christian education and discipleship. The Rev. Dr. Victor Shepherd, a professor emeritus of theology and the Rev. Dr. Arthur Boers, a professor of leadership development and an honorary priest at St. Paul, L’Amoreaux, also played a crucial role in my spiritual development and formation. I consider myself to be very fortunate to have met so many wonderful people who have walked alongside with me as mentors and spiritual directors.

Five years from now, I’d like to start and complete my PhD with a focus on Christian education and discipleship. I also hope to see a thriving and all-encompassing youth ministry body within the Diocese of Toronto in which youth leaders are given an opportunity to receive educational training and spiritual formation, counselling services and an online portal of resources. 

It’s impossible to pick and choose a favourite passage, as there have been so many that have reminded me of the goodness of God over the years. In this season, Matthew 6:33, “So above all, constantly seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly” (The Passion Translation) seems so appropriate. As humans, we are fickle, given over to worries and anxieties of our everyday lives, which blind us to the omnipotence and omniscience of God. Yet, the testimonies of God are sure, admonishing us to trust Him in the face of uncertainty and to fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and the perfector of faith.

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Ian Physick is the area youth ministry coordinator for the York-Scarborough episcopal area. He also serves on the Bishop’s Youth Ministry Committee (BYMC).

My duties are varied, but essentially I work at helping to coordinate area youth ministry events and to connect, encourage and uplift fellow youth ministry leaders in the York-Scarborough area. I meet with individual leaders and try to see the best way we can support them within their respective youth ministry spheres. I also meet regularly with clergy – through clericus meetings, area council meetings, Synod and on an individual level – to see how to support the potential building up of youth ministry within a prospective church. On a more macro level, the aim is to bring attention to matters pertaining to youth ministry within the Diocese of Toronto and hopefully throughout the Anglican Church of Canada.

I am really excited about the upcoming Theological Day that we are working on for this winter. Thanks to the hard work of many who have come before me, such as Ali McIntosh, Cormac Culkeen and many more, we have been able to become more closely linked to our fine Anglican-based university institutions, Trinity College and Wycliffe College. Our previous Theological Days, both in-person and virtually, have been a resounding success as we have explored what it means to be a historical and sacramental church, and allowed leaders to ask often tough and challenging theological questions. I am also excited about some of the work that is being done in individual churches as they plan youth ministry within their respective parishes.

The best part of my job is seeing an event unfold and seeing teenagers and youth leaders engrossed in it. The BYMC is made up of a great team of people who always make the event-planning and the actual event a blast! Also, seeing a church’s youth ministry grow is quite rewarding and exciting.

Probably the most challenging part of my job is sometimes getting laity and others to see the importance and validity of doing and investing in sound ministry. However, I will say that over the last two to three years, I have witnessed a great shift of support in general for youth ministry and nurturing it within the wider Church.

I was born in Toronto and raised as a child in Mississauga prior to moving to North York in the latter part of 1988. I am the son of two loving parents, the Rev. Canon Gregory Physick and the late Susan Physick, and I have a twin sister, Devon, who resides on the East Coast with family. I work, and have worked, in various social service organizations throughout the GTA, primarily in group homes and day programs for vulnerable youth and young adults.

I was raised in the Church, with the belief in a loving, forgiving and compassionate God. My father was, and still is, one of the main influences on my spiritual walk. In the midst of some national calamity or controversy, my father would often say that God was “bigger than it all.” This was one of many sayings that served me well in my faith formation.  

I took several religion courses while studying at the University of Toronto and had the privilege to study under some wonderful professors who taught me to challenge, explore and examine my thoughts and beliefs. I especially have an appreciation for the Orthodox and Anglo-Catholic expressions of our great faith, and they have undoubtably influenced my outlook on spiritual matters. Several clergy were also very helpful to me over the years and encouraged my spiritual walk, namely the late Fr. Ron Scott, Fr. Bill Kibblewhite, Fr. Vernal Savage and Fr. Dean Mercer.

At my own church, I was becoming more involved in assisting with youth ministry activities, and I was also the Synod rep on a few occasions, so this aided in deepening my understanding of life in the Church and beyond. I also had the privilege of connecting with Christian Harvey, who helped me learn more about what youth ministry looked like within the Church at the time.

One day while working at a local youth center, I happened to run into Jillian Ruch, who I knew from her work in youth ministry circles. Jillian and I connected a few more times and eventually I was fortunate to work alongside her as a fellow York-Scarborough area ministry coordinator.

In five years, I see myself still working in social/human services in some capacity. While I’m not exactly sure where that road will lead, I have faith that new, exciting challenges will abound. The drive and desire to help and support people in pain is probably the biggest catalyst for me.

The scripture that often holds a special place in my heart is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I think that working in the realm of youth ministry, and in life in general, one can at times feel discouraged, and this passage is almost a mantra for me as I remember from whom that power flows and that Christ’s infinite grace, love and mercy are always present. 

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My role touches on a number of areas, including communications, stewardship, outreach and general administration. As the parish administrator, I have a pastoral role that requires discernment and discretion, all while working within healthy boundaries. I assist a wonderful team of clergy, other staff members and volunteers in the ministry of our parish. Like many other churches, we did the “pandemic-pivot” and worked together to provide both online and in-person worship, ensured that outreach ministries thrived, continued discipleship for children, youth and adults and made sure that we all stayed connected whether online, by post or by visiting. Oh, the skills we learned!

With a year end of June 30, Christ Church is currently preparing for our annual vestry. I know many people would not be too excited about that, but for me it is both an opportunity to reflect on the past year and to plan for the year ahead, so I am working down my lists to check things off. Not many people get to see how the whole of a parish works – how one area informs another. Helping to tell that story, how we are the hands and feet of God within our community refuels me.

The best part of my job and the most challenging part are two sides of the same coin. Planning and hospitality come naturally to me, so I would put those near the top of the list. After all, my name is Martha. The challenge arises during a pandemic. It is all doable but just different, and I find that I have been content with all that. Working behind the scenes to see ministry thrive is a pretty awesome thing, but I need to mindful to not spread myself too thinly and to say no to a couple of things – not always an easy thing to do. I am blessed to work with a great team. We encourage and support one another. We keep God as both the subject and object of all that we do, with good humour and creativity. This, clearly, is not a challenge.

I was born in Peterborough and raised in Brampton. I was baptized and confirmed at Christ Church, so I had be bit of a “leg-up” when I returned after many years, as my parents were still worshipping at Christ Church. Because of this, it comes naturally for me to say “welcome home” when people arrive at Christ Church, whether it be on a regular basis, after several years’ absence or for the first time.

Prior to working at Christ Church, I worked for many years in human resources and strategy in the financial services sector. From an administration and communications aspect, many of my previous skills and experiences were transferable. My background in human resources continues to be helpful in many areas. Mentoring, listening and encouraging all play a role in parish administration.

When I left home, I found that going to church became sporadic but definitely not fully absent. The inevitable messiness of life got in the way and I found myself back in Brampton. I remember distinctly 9/11 (as many people do) and feeling that I was completely alone. The only thing that made sense to me that day was prayer, and I was so grateful that God nudged me to see if Christ Church was open for just that. Looking back, I can see that God nudged me over the years, but I think my unconscious response was to say that my dance card was already full.  That day was a turning point; I accepted the dance and have been dancing ever since. Not all the dancing is joyous, but I know I have a partner – three in one, actually!

Five years from now, I want to be near water and an Anglican church! In 2019, I did a pilgrimage in Wales with a friend. We had another planned in 2020 but you know how that turned out. When it is safe to do so again, I hope go on to more pilgrimages and retreats, but in the meantime I walk my dog, George, about 10km a day and do a practice of Lectio Divina everyday – ever hopeful to travel again.

My favourite passage from scripture is, “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) There are so many passages, but I find this one so simple and clear. For me, it means that we are not to be passive but rather active partners with God. That path is not always straight, easy or clear, but if I can use justice, mercy and humility as some guideposts along the way, I feel I am going in the right direction. And believe me, there are times when I need to turn around.

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