You may have noticed that I rarely called it the Old Testament. I preferred the terms the Hebrew Bible or the Tanakh. Old and New Testaments suggests that, somehow, the new has replaced the old. This is not true. The Christian Bible contains both testaments, and the new is founded and built upon the old. In some ways, it completes the Old Testament, but it does not replace it. To understand and comprehend the Christian Gospel, we must have a working knowledge of the Hebrew section of the Bible.

This series began when I read an article in the 2011 issue of Horizons, a Huron University College publication for alumni, of which I am one. A new Old Testament professor had been appointed that year, Dr. Tracy Lemos, and she had written an article entitled “Is Not My Word Like Fire? The Hebrew Bible and Anglican Theology.” This article rekindled my interest in the Hebrew Bible; it also reminded me that we Christians sometimes neglect this book and think it is not important in understanding the message of Jesus Christ. I hope I have helped you realize that it is important, even essential, in our Christian quest. Please do not neglect the Hebrew Bible.

I should also mention my three main resources for these articles; they have been invaluable in my research. First is the Tanakh itself. I have used the Jewish Study Bible, published by the Oxford University Press in 2004. It has some excellent articles as well as a good translation of the original Hebrew text. Next I have used Michael Coogan’s book, The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures, published by Oxford University Press in 2011. The third book, written by Dr. Christine Hayes, was Introduction to the Bible, published by Yale University Press in 2011. This is a compilation of her lecture series, which is available on the Open Yale Courses website, oyc.yale.edu. These lectures are well worth watching, and Dr. Hayes helped to bring this study to life for me.

So why study the Hebrew Bible? It forms the basis of our Christian faith and our Christian scriptures. Remember, Jesus and all his disciples were Jewish. So were most of the writers of the New Testament, with the exception of Luke. The writings of the New Testament were deeply affected by the writings from the Hebrew Bible. Our understanding of the messiahship of Jesus only makes sense against the background of the Tanakh. Jesus was the Jewish Messiah!

Do I believe that we must accept every word of the Hebrew Bible? Did God really order the destruction of all the enemies of the Hebrews? I think not, but this is how the Hebrew people saw and understood their God, Yahweh, at that time in history.

Dr. Lemos went on to say in her article that scripture is not the only source of truth in Anglican theology. There is a threelegged stool of truth that is comprised of scripture, tradition and reason. Unlike many reformers who maintain “sola scriptura” (by scriptures alone), Anglicans base our theology on the threefold notion of scripture, tradition and reason. This allows us to make judgement calls about the stories in the Bible. If God is a God of love and forgiveness and caring for all people, then it may be inconsistent for him to order the killing of our enemies.

It was the Hebrew people who developed and maintained their understanding of God as being one. This monotheism grew out of believing in and worshipping a multitude of gods, as did most of their neighbours. They developed a theology of monotheism, which prevailed through a very polytheistic society (worshipping many gods). The Hebrew scriptures were written to express this concept, although there is evidence throughout the Hebrew Bible of some Jewish people maintaining their household gods. Monotheism eventually became the norm for Jews, Christians and Muslims. I have enjoyed this adventure through the Tanakh, and it has helped to strengthen my own understanding of my Christian faith.

I have enjoyed the dialogue. Next month, we will begin to look at the life and writings of the Apostle Paul, the most important writer in the New Testament. Please join me in this new series of adventures and enjoy the dialogue.

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Seven independent schools within the Diocese have chaplains, whose roles can include leading regular prayer services, teaching religious education classes and providing pastoral support to their school communities.

The Rev. Jesse Parker, a graduate and board member of Royal St. George’s College and the incumbent of St. John the Evangelist, Port Hope, spoke about the ways in which school chaplains enrich the lives of their students. He emphasized the role of chaplains in providing support and sowing the seeds of vocation as students struggle with the stress of trying to discern their future paths.

“Each one of us, each child, each student, is best prepared to take his or her own place in the world when they’ve been reminded again and again that their first and great object is not so much to find a job, to start a career, to study this or that because they’re expected to by their parents or their peers, but to find a calling, to nurture a vocation and thereby to grow into the fullness of who God made them to be,” he said.

Mr. Parker credited the Rev. David Donkin, chaplain at Royal St. George’s College, with planting the seeds of vocation in his life. “In a difficult time, David was one person in my life that I knew I could trust completely,” he said. “I came to regard him as a companion, as someone who was walking alongside me, a confidant, a friend even. And that’s a precious and rare thing for a young person to find in an adult.”

Archbishop Johnson thanked the chaplains, as well as those who support their ministries, for their invaluable work. “I’m very grateful, because you are engaged in the training and the formation of young people who will take major leadership roles in our society in the next generation,” he said.

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St. Margaret’s was first introduced to missional transformation in January 2010, when our then new incumbent, the Rev. Stephen Pessah and his wife, the Rev. Beth Pessah, offered to lead a six-week course on missionshaped churches. Two years later, St. Margaret’s was invited to take part in the diocese’s T.R.E.C. program, and our journey began.

Our original Missional Guiding Team numbered fewer than 10 people back then, but today our Missional Action Team is made up of about 40 parishioners. As part of our missional experiments, St. Margaret’s engaged in the Adopt- A-Park program in Barrie. We committed to cleaning Hanmer Park, located just down the street from the church. Surrounded by both an established subdivision and a new one, it appeared to be common ground for people in the area. Consequently, it was a perfect place to meet our neighbours. We decided to hold a scavenger hunt in the park, as a way to practice our hospitality in the neighbourhood, develop established relationships and start new ones.

By late September, the neighbourhood was well informed of the scavenger hunt, as we put up more than 40 posters, handed out over 500 flyers door-to-door and held a promotional blitz in the church parking lot, which serves as the kiss-and-ride for the school next door. About 50 volunteers from the church were involved in activities leading up to and including the scavenger hunt. Some were in the park while others were at the church serving refreshments afterwards.

Everyone in the church was invited to get involved, as either a volunteer or a participant in the scavenger hunt. Talented members of the congregation designed costumes for the turkey and the scarecrow, real-life characters who became celebrities for the day. Others prepared the cornucopias, which were handed out to each participant to put the scavenger hunt items in, and still others tied small haystacks, shined apples and gathered acorns and maple keys, all in preparation for the day. Donations of soup and chili filled numerous crock pots at the church, and tables and chairs were set out in anticipation of a hungry crowd. The event was funded by generous donations from church members as well as our Our Faith-Our Hope fund.

The volunteers assembled at the church as early as 9:30 a.m. and began the day in the same way as had begun previous planning meetings – by reading our “missional scripture” (Luke 10: 1- 12) and praying. This day was different, however, as we knew God would show us the fruits of our labours and, more specifically, what God was up to in our neighbourhood.

The set-up in the park began at 10:30 a.m. and all was ready by 11:30 a.m. The scavenger hunt was scheduled to start at noon. We all stood around chatting and wondering if anyone would come. The weather was a mixed bag of rain showers and sunshine. People slowly started trickling into the park, and by 12:30 p.m. there were more than 75 people. The sun continued to shine and the volunteers and participants interacted in a friendly and natural way, without apprehension. After the scavenger hunt, almost all returned to the church, where more than 125 bowls of soup and chili were served. It was more than we could have imagined, and we are excited to continue on this journey, knowing that the Holy Spirit is leading us.

Submitted by Susan Cronje, the Missional Coordinator at St. Margaret of Scotland, Barre.

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The forum, organized by the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition (ISARC), opened with a powerful reflection by Imam Dr. Abdul Hai Patel. He noted that Islam’s central religious text, the Quran, affirms that the poor have a right to the wealth of the rich. But as chair of Toronto’s Flemingdon Park food bank, he sees a growing hunger crisis, with 4,500 families relying on it.

Michael Shapcott, one of Canada’s leading experts on housing issues and a member of Holy Trinity, Toronto, noted that the number of people on waiting lists for affordable housing in Toronto has soared 31 per cent to 168,000 individuals in 2014, up from 128,000 in 2008.

“We’ve got a serious problem that’s gotten worse,” he said. He linked the shortage of affordable housing with rising inequality, along with cuts to social programs and tax cuts for affluent Canadians.

He zeroed in on sharp cuts by the federal government for affordable housing. The number of affordable housing units subsidized by the federal government is slated to drop from 626,000 in 2007 to 492,000 in 2017. Unless these cuts are reversed, he said, tenants faced with higher rents “are going to struggle for a few months, go to the food bank, then get evicted.”

He said a comprehensive housing strategy must include bold targets with sustained funding, new affordable and accessible housing units, and legislative changes. “It’s not rocket science,” he said. “We have the resources and technical ability.”

He urged faith groups not to be afraid when pushing for solutions to homelessness. “We need to be really bold, not just pushing for one-off measures. Groups like ISARC are mighty voices.”

The government of Ontario has pledged to eliminate homelessness as part of its next five-year poverty reduction program. However, it has not allocated additional resources to achieve this goal, nor has it set out a timeline.

Liberal MPP Lou Rinaldi told the forum that his government has not been doing enough to help the homeless. However, the government’s first five-year poverty reduction plan has led to real benefits, he said, including 47,000 children and families being uplifted from poverty, with another 70,000 children in low-income families now eligible for free dental services though the Healthy Smiles program.

An afternoon panel outlined how an innovative program called STEP Home, in Waterloo Region, has helped more than 500 formerly homeless people find housing, through collaboration among service providers, homeless people and outreach workers. The program also addresses the critical issue of loneliness among homeless individuals. Funding comes from municipal, provincial and federal programs. Besides improving people’s lives, a local study showed that the program is cost effective: for every dollar invested, there is a savings of $9.45 in reduced policing, ambulance, hospital and other costs linked to homelessness.

“If we come together with passion around a common goal, amazing things can happen,” said STEP Home outreach worker Katie McDougall.

The forum wrapped up with suggestions for action, including urging participants to ask their local MPPs to support a Private Member’s Bill introduced in the Ontario Legislature by MPP Peter Milczyn, called the Planning Statute Law Amendment Act. It would give Ontario municipalities the power to require developers to allocate some units in new housing developments to affordable housing. The measure, called inclusionary zoning, has been implemented in hundreds of U.S. municipalities.

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Canon White has been dubbed the Vicar of Baghdad because he is in charge of St. George Anglican Church in the Iraqi capital, one of the most dangerous postings in the Communion. He was in Toronto recently to receive an honorary degree from Wycliffe College and to raise money for persecuted Christians in the Middle East.

He said he had to leave Iraq several weeks ago because of repeated death threats and the advance of ISIS, the radical Islamic group that has become notorious for beheading its captives. He is currently living in England.

“Justin told me I was more valuable alive than dead, and I had to agree with him,” he said, referring to Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Canon White was speaking at a prayer service for Christians in the Middle East at St. Paul, Bloor Street on Dec. 9. Well over 100 people attended the evening service and, at Canon White’s prompting, sang a rousing version of “Joy Down in My Heart.”

Canon White has multiple sclerosis and spoke while sitting in a chair at the front of the church. By turns witty and provocative, he challenged his audience to not only pray for Christians in the Middle East but also to give money to help them survive.

“Yes, pray for peace but also pay for peace,” he said. “We’re spending hundreds of thousands a month just feeding our people.”

His congregation, which once numbered in the thousands, has been greatly reduced due to killings, kidnapping and people fleeing for their lives. A large number fled to Nineveh, only to be trapped when ISIS captured the city four months ago. Many were killed or forced to convert to Islam. Those who escaped are scattered throughout the region.

He spoke about four youths who were shot to death by ISIS after saying they could not convert because they loved Jesus. “They were my children,” he said, pausing to compose himself. “I cry when our children are killed.”

Despite the persecution, Christians in Iraq have not lost hope, he said. “We have a saying: ‘When you’ve lost everything, you’ve got Jesus.’ And we’ve lost everything. We’re not sad – we have joy deep down in our hearts.”

He said Christians in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East need “protection, provision, perseverance and peace.” He urged Christians around the world to “keeping praying for us, keep believing in us.”

He asked those in attendance to financially support the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East, of which he is the founder and president. The foundation exists to support his work at St George’s and reconciliation between people of all faiths in the region.

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At St. Paul’s, I’m responsible for sacramental preparation, especially baptism and confirmation, and preach every other Sunday. I’m in charge of pastoral care and the church’s Christian formation program for adults. In that capacity, I conduct Bible studies, reading groups, and twice yearly parish Quiet Days. My ministry with the diocese includes being an NCD (Natural Church Development) coach, Appreciative Inquiry facilitator and the Parish Selection consultant. I also do consulting – for example, conflict intervention – for the College of Bishops. The things that interest me the most are those activities that involve teaching and people learning new and creative ways of understanding their faith and connecting their spirituality to action for the betterment of the whole community.

The first time I came to Toronto was in 1982, as part of my novitiate experience in a branch house of the Order. At that time, the Order was responsible for St. Matthias, Bellwoods, and I assisted there on Sundays. But my real work was as director of STOP 103, a food bank program founded by Graham Russell, who was the incumbent at St. Stephen in-the-Fields. The program has evolved into The Stop, now the largest privately funded food advocacy and health agency in the city. I feel honored to have been part of a program begun by a parish of this diocese, a program that has become such an important advocacy resource in Toronto. Brothers of the Order served as the first three directors of it. I returned to Toronto in 2008 at the request of my Superior, to be part of the rebuilding of our Priory, and I have been here ever since.

I was born in Los Angeles into a devout Roman Catholic family. I was educated in Catholic schools, first by the De La Salle Christian Brothers in high school and in my undergraduate years, and then with the Jesuits at the University of San Francisco, where I did graduate studies. My doctorate, which is from Columbia University in New York, is my only degree from a non- Catholic institution. My parents, especially my mother, played an important role in my life. She taught, by word and example, how to love, how to stand up for your convictions, a strong work ethic and integrity. Several Christian Brothers in high school and college were particularly important. They imparted to me a love of learning and scholarship, and by their life and commitment that teaching and learning is an important and significant activity for evangelism. Their life and witness was the seed for the beginning of my vocation as a religious teaching brother.

I joined the Order of the Holy Cross because it is the container in which my journey with and to God is most complete. I had reached a point in my life, in 1979, where a significant change was needed in the working document that I call my life. I experienced what can only be described as a Wesleyan “warming of the heart” that turned my world upside down. I decided at that time to revisit the seed of religious life that had been planted when I was a small boy in grade school, and which I had abandoned.

I have spent a majority of my life in the Order living and working in urban areas, particularly in the Episcopal dioceses of New York and Chicago. I taught in Catholic schools in New York and was a professor at New York Theological Seminary, teaching in the MDiv program and the certificate program for church workers and ministers from a variety of denominations. In Chicago, I was on the diocesan staff, doing many of the things I am now doing in Toronto.

The most important ministry I have had in the OHC was being the Novice Master for the Order in North America, where I had the opportunity help create and nurture future members of the Order. This was probably the most growth-producing period of my life in the Order. I am currently a member of the Council of the Order. This is my fourth term in that capacity.

The best part of being a monk is that I’m still growing and becoming more conscious as a human being. The monastic life promotes this – but it is also the most difficult part. On occasion, I would like to keep things as they are. But I realize, as both St. Benedict and our Father Founder reminds us, that our salvation depends on the constant openness to life and new possibilities. What I struggle with is giving up control. In the past, I have wanted to control my progress, but what I’ve learned in so many ways as I become older and maybe a little wiser is that God is in charge. What relief!!

The Diocese of Toronto is very large and varied. There are places of health and places not so healthy. There is life and vitality here; there are also places of decline and death. There is good, creative, leadership, both lay and ordained. There are places struggling to survive and not sure how to do that. And what is sad is that some of these places are resistant to resources that might help them to live again. But I have a very optimistic view for the future of this diocese. The leadership, both lay and ordained, is outstanding, and it is their willingness to risk and be Christ’s eyes, ears and feet that gives me hope for the life, vitality and future of this diocese.

I would like my future to include teaching, at least parttime. I miss that. I hope to do some writing. There is a particular chapter of my dissertation that I am working on that I would like to develop into a book. I’ve just graduated from the Haden Institute in Spiritual Direction. While I’ve been doing spiritual direction for 20 years now, the training and learning from that two-year program has been life enhancing and growthproducing. I want to develop and devote more time to this ministry in the future.

In my top five passages from scripture is this passage from Jeremiah 29:7: “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” It underscores a philosophy and theology of mission that I find appealing yet challenging. It invites one to openness and fresh possibilities for learning and living and being. It takes God out of the temple and into the wilderness, into the desert, where God is in control.

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When we engage parishes in year-round stewardship education, one of the first things we do is evaluate their current state of affairs to establish a benchmark. We do this by asking a series of questions related to best practices and then re-evaluate the situation six months later, to measure progress. We can apply this same principle on an individual level.

Here are 10 serious questions (and some light-hearted responses) designed to measure personal commitment. Grades are assigned at the end.

1. Christian stewardship is…

a) An acknowledgement that all that we are and have is a gift from God.
b) The same as fundraising.
c) Designed to make me feel guilty.
d) Not worth the effort.

2. Stewardship asks us to give…

a) A prayerful proportionate gift of our time, talent and treasure based on our personal faith response.
b) 10%.
c) Until it hurts.
d) My first-born.

3. I give…

a) Abundantly and enthusiastically.
b) When I can.
c) Only time and talent.
d) Rarely. Giving is somebody else’s responsibility.

4. If others look for Christ in my actions, will they find Him?

a) Always.
b) Often.
c) Seldom.
d) Only with a microscope.

5. I use Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG or PAR).

a) Yes – it is the best way to ensure that my parish always has the resources it needs.
b) I might use it if I were certain that I would not run out of money.
c) I prefer envelopes.
d) Why should I give if I’m not at church?

6. I give a proportional and sacrificial gift to the church.

a) Yes, and I try to give a bit more each year.
b) I try to give at least an hour’s pay.
c) Why should my giving be sacrificial?
d) I give what I can, when I can.

7. How much I give to the church is influenced by:

a) Gratitude for God’s blessing.
b) Whether the sermon was meaningful.
c) How much spare change is in my pocket.
d) I don’t feel a need to give to the church.

8. If others gave in proportion to what I give, my parish would be…

a) Thriving.
b) Static
c) Floundering.
d) Finished.

9. I have left a gift to the church in my will.

a) Absolutely.
b) I’m thinking about it.
c) The church is not a priority in my estate plans.
d) What is a will?

10. The newcomer to our church is…

a) Valued and engaged for who they are.
b) Necessary to bring new energy and increase attendance.
c) Viewed with suspicion and would adversely impact the intimacy of our parish.
d) Discouraged.

For each (a) circled, score three points; for (b), score two points; for (c), score one point; and (d) gets zero points.

Score:

• 25-30 – You are a faithful steward who takes generous giving seriously.
• 16-24 – You are making progress on the journey but need to take a leap of faith.
• 6-15 – You are not serious about seeing your parish become a vibrant faith community.
• 0-5 – You haven’t been paying attention.

Of course this little quiz is not meant to make us feel guilty. Hopefully, it will incline us to take the discipline of giving seriously and help us realize our giftedness. In this season of giving, let us pray that we might be faithful stewards who give generously because we have already received the free gift of life and salvation.

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I don’t live an ordinary life; I live a hybrid life. I’m a 30-year-old Prince Edward Islander with cerebral palsy. I’m also a poet and theologian of disability. I know the indignity of living in an inaccessible world of concrete and glass, but I also know the joy of living in relationship with people through songs, meals, board games and dancing (yes, I can dance).

The Eucharist helps me to navigate my double life. The bread and wine redress my bodily shame and give me the joy of the Lord. In our worshipping communities, we share Jesus’ body and blood. We all participate in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Three words encapsulate the power of the Eucharist to change my body and mind into a vessel for Jesus’ redemptive grace: vulnerability, availability, and solidarity.

For me, Eucharistic vulnerability means receiving my life from God and giving it back to God. In the broken bread, I know my body’s fragility: I recall the reduced circulation in my right arm and my usually inert right foot. In the wine, I remember Jesus’ assumption of human weakness and pain. I also know God’s love through the touch of a friend who offers me the elements. I feel the Messiah’s risen life whenever I hug my friends, whenever I can cook potato soup, or whenever I perform my 20th chin-up. God’s infinite power animates my right hand and gives me inexpressible strength. The Eucharist reminds me both of my own bodily contingency and of God’s miraculous grace.

Availability is vulnerability’s flip-side. Because Christ offers himself to me through the Eucharist, he asks that I offer myself to others in the same way. As U2’s singer Bono says in another context, “We get to carry each other.” The Eucharist reminds us of our mutual frailty. The broken bread and poured-out wine embody Christ’s demand that we share our intermingled strengths and weaknesses with each other. I can listen to a friend’s stories of addiction. I can offer a stranger food or drink as hospitality. I can applaud when someone sings a beautiful song. God’s mercy is his gift of himself; God’s mission is our gift to each other.

Solidarity is the outworking of Eucharistic vulnerability and availability. Just as Christ assumes our weaknesses and declares that we must live for each other, God also demands that we share God with those who are not present in the gathering. We who break the bread and pour the wine can recall, through Christ’s love, our brothers and sisters who suffer in First Nations communities devastated by oil and mining companies, in the razed towns and cities of Syria and Gaza, and in parts of Africa under Ebola quarantine. Just as Christ suffered and died for me, and for everyone around the altar, he gave his life for all those who cannot be present with us. Through the Eucharist, God commands that we turn our vulnerability outwards, and become part of his desire and plan to bless the world. In the Eucharist, we give God thanks; we become one with the God who loves us and with other people.

This is how the Eucharist transforms my life. To quote the Red Hot Chili Peppers, my life is “more than ordinary.” Glory to God, whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.

Mike Walker is a member of the Jeremiah Community in Toronto.

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“Will you strive to safeguard God’s creation, and respect, sustain, and renew the life of the Earth?” asks the officiant. Whenever I ask it, it calls forth an eager response. “I will, with God’s help,” answer the confirmands. This new responsibility is eagerly embraced by the young, who understand the fragility of the Earth’s environment, and our responsibility to protect it.

The road to reverse humanity’s heavy footprint on the Earth is long, arduous and complicated. God’s people must be engaged in many aspects of it, including technological, financial and political. None of it will work, however, without some sort of personal effort to lighten our footprint.

I do not claim to be a thorough-going environmentalist, but I have been striving for over 10 years to be more responsible. In this brand new year, I would like to share how we have attempted to do this at home. These are easy steps that you may wish to try at home as well.

1. We have responded to government incentives for energy efficiency. From time to time, different levels of government have offered assistance for home renovations that will result in energy saving. We availed ourselves of them twice after we bought our house in 2005. It started with an energy audit, which informed us of the degree our old house can improve in energy efficiency. It would not reach the level of newly built houses, but if we followed the recommendations, it could make a substantial improvement. It turned out that increased insulation in the attic and a simple fibreglass insulation wrap around our unfinished basement made our house warmer and easier to heat. I did the work on the basement myself but hired a professional to do the attic. Subsequently, I have made use of government subsidies to upgrade my furnace and air conditioner.
2. Kathy is religious about watching the clock when she washes clothes and dishes; she does them at night and on weekends. This evens out power generation for the producers and also lightens the load on our pocketbook. I keep a record of our hydro use and made it a game to shift electricity use from peak to off-peak hours. My hydro bill is lower this year than the last.
3. One by one, we are switching to LED lights. The bulbs are still expensive but the price is coming down, and from time to time one can find bargains. The most notable saving is on the candelabra over our dining table. Its seven bulbs of 25 watts each used to consume 175 watts each time we turned it on. I have replaced them with 9-watt LEDs and so saved 102 watts of energy each time we turn it on. Unfortunately, meals are often in peak hours. It may still be a luxury to light up the house for Christmas, but we feel less guilty because we’re using LED lights, which look just as good.
4. It bothers me to turn on the basement light during the day, when the sun is shining outside! I have installed first one, then two more, solar panels in my backyard. I got my first 20-watt panel on sale at Canadian Tire to charge my batteries. When the price came down, I bought two additional 40-watt ones and connected them to a growing battery pack in my basement. Over a period of a year, we now have a modest 100-watt system that pretty well lights up my basement workshop, exercise area and computer desk during the day. I have since connected the batteries to an outlet on the main floor, so all our cell phones and rechargeable batteries can be conveniently charged by the sun. An added advantage is that when there is a power outage, there will be light for a while before we have to turn on the generator. It is difficult to be completely off-grid, but it is easy to assist the grid.
5. We connected our downpipe to three rain barrels and use the water to water the flower and vegetable gardens. Again, we still water the lawn with city water, but reduce its use by this simple measure, which also moderates surface runoff during a downpour.

These are some modest measures of one family. It would be wrong to claim that such small steps by themselves will solve the problem. What I find, though, is that they made me get into the habit of thinking about my impact each time I drive or fly or turn on the light, and help me pay special attention to policy issues or new inventions that will reverse our unsustainable march towards catastrophe.

There will be a motion on the environment for discussion during your annual vestry. I hope these ideas give some practical substance to the discussion.

For a long period in the West, our theology about the Earth was formed by an interpretation of the first story of creation. It puts humans in the role of subduing and dominating the Earth. Biblical scholarship help us to understand that there is a complementary narrative in the second story of creation, when God both created and called human beings to be gardeners. Christians look for a renewed world redeemed by the Lord Jesus. “He shall come in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his Kingdom shall have no end.” The new heavens and the new Earth are, metaphorically, presented as a city, but a city built on the banks of a river, on each side of which trees are planted. As we move into the New Year, I hope this will be a guiding image for our lives. Next time there is a baptism or confirmation, watch for the newest addition to the affirmation of faith, and respond enthusiastically with word and deed, “I will, with God’s help.”

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We had found a townhouse for them to live in, assembled furnishing and filled the fridge. They spoke no English, and we spoke no … actually, we didn’t know what language they spoke. (It turned out to be Cantonese.) We had no idea what we were doing or how it would work out, but we knew what an awful situation they had been through. (Actually, we learned much later that it had been worse than we could possibly have imagined on that cold morning. Only slowly did we find out that they were not mother and father with their children: they were brother and sister, with two nieces – the daughters of another sister – and a nephew, who escaped the last dreadful days of the Vietnam War. They were terrified that we would send them back.)

We taught them their first words of English and they practised them on our uncritical newborn infant. We wondered how they would fare in a small, rural community where there were no compatriots to meet. But they flourished in Canada. They worked so hard! Some years later, once they got established, they moved to Toronto. We kept up contact occasionally and attended their weddings. A couple of them have university degrees. All are highly accomplished. They were able to sponsor other family members to Canada.

On the 25th anniversary of their arrival, we had a reunion of the refugees and their sponsoring families. There were laughter and tears, old stories retold and ones that we heard for the first time. What an impact the sponsorship made on all of us! None of us will ever be the same because of it.

Just days after Christmas, either Dec. 28 or Jan. 11, depending on which calendar you use, the Church keeps the Feast of the Holy Innocents. It commemorates the destructive rage of Herod’s slaughter of the infants of Bethlehem and the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. The Art Gallery of Ontario houses Peter Paul Rubens’ early 17th century masterpiece, “The Massacre of the Innocents,” a haunting portrait of hopeless despair and depraved brutality. (You can see it at http://www.ago.net/agoid106855.)

The infant Jesus was a refugee, forced from his homeland by violence and political machinations that came suddenly to his door. He followed the path of the children of Israel millennia before, escaping their famine-ravaged homeland to survive in Egypt. There they thrived for a while until they fell into slavery under the domination of a pharaoh “who knew not Joseph.” In their escape, led by Moses, they were reminded before re-entering the Promised Land: “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10).

Today, we are in the midst of the worst refugee crisis ever. Our country’s prosperity has been built on the shoulders of immigrants and refugees, from the United Empire Loyalists to the potato-famine Irish, from the Chinese who built our railway to the scientists fleeing post-war Europe, from the Vietnamese boat people to the victims of the Rwandan genocide. Today, we need to respond again to the dire needs of the people around us. More than 16 million people – men, women and children – have been displaced by war, famine, persecution and disaster. Another 33 million are internally displaced in Iraq, Syria, Palestine, South Sudan, Colombia and Congo, to name but a few. They are running for their lives, eking out survival without adequate access to food, water, shelter, protection or education.

Canada can do much better in responding. People and parishes in the Diocese of Toronto can help. AURA (Anglican United Church Refugee Alliance, a FaithWorks partner) brings refugees to Canada “where they can get a fresh start under the care of faith communities. Working with the Diocese and the Toronto Conference of the United Church, AURA matches UN convention refugees with parishes and congregations. They arrange for private sponsorship, facilitate the application process, advocate with the federal government and assist parishes with settlement issues. More than 50 parishes are currently sponsoring refugees. AURA is an essential resource as refugees begin the often overwhelming process of starting over in a new country.” (From the FaithWorks brochure and www.auraforrefugees.org.)

We can help. We have the history, the structures, the capacity and the will to respond. And we have the mandate: “‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me’” (Matthew 25).

Join me at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1 at St. James Cathedral for a special Eucharist to give thanks for the work of refugee sponsors and those they have helped, and to pray for refugees and for openings to engage in this ministry more compassionately and more effectively.

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