I arrived in Santiago de Compostela on Oct. 6, 2018, shortly before noon. There was also rain (a lot of it). The only challenge was that with my guidebook soaking wet and the travel data plan on my phone expired, I couldn’t find the albergue (pilgrim hostel) where I had made a reservation. At 16 euros for the night, it was like the Shangri-La compared to some of the previous albergues in which I had stayed. For one thing, I shared the room with only three other people. For another, we had our own bathroom. If there is one thing you learn when walking the Camino de Santiago, it’s to be grateful for small blessings.

Camino de Santiago translates as the “Way of Saint James.” The geographic endpoint is the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which is believed to be where the remains of the apostle Saint James are at rest. At roughly 800 km in length and traversed on foot with all your gear in a backpack, simplicity is not just a matter of piety, or a sign of humility: it’s essential. The rule of thumb is that whatever you carry should be no greater than 10 per cent of your body weight, to a maximum of 22 pounds. All that you need for 35 days of walking (the guidebook-standard time to walk the Camino) should be able to fit in a 40-50 litre backpack. Most pilgrims pack two outfits: one for walking during the day (which gets washed upon arrival, and hopefully dried), and the second for relaxing in the evening, which will become the next day’s travelling outfit (repeat this regimen for 35 days, or longer – or until a physician tells you to stop).

It is common for pilgrims to discover after a few days of walking that they can still shed a few pounds of gear, either by shipping it ahead to Compostela de Santiago or by abandoning it altogether. Take the guidebook, for example. Many pilgrims, after walking a section of the Camino, will remove the corresponding pages from the book. I knew pilgrims who half-emptied lotion containers and toothpaste tubes and broke bars of soap in half. I encountered others who declined to carry a bath towel (even a lightweight backpacker’s towel), opting instead for a shammy towel the size of a handkerchief. Fortunately, most pilgrims would dress before exiting the shower stalls. As a 26-year-old seminarian from southwestern Ontario, my training around boundaries and bridges, as well as cultural sensitivity, assumed a whole new level of importance while walking the Camino. Deo Gratias.

Night after night, I slept in albergues in dormitory rooms with with 10, 20, or even 100 other people. It’s said that the soundtrack of the Camino can be described in one letter: Zzzzzzzz. That brings me to boundary lesson number one: bring earplugs for sleeping.

Day after day, I’d find myself in conversations with strangers, both fellow pilgrims on the way and locals interested in chatting and passing well-wishes to pilgrims passing through. Boundary lesson number two: be thankful for the conversation, but also learn how and when to politely bring a conversation to a wrap. This was often a simple matter of saying, “Buen Camino!” Regardless of whatever the encounter had been, positive or negative (or just odd), it was always possible to part ways politely and wish the other person a good journey.

By this point, you may be asking: why walk the Camino? Or for that matter, why embark on a pilgrimage at all? As Christians, we have just ventured through a season of the liturgical year, Advent, that calls us on a journey. We have heard the prophet Isaiah proclaim, “In the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” This message is repeated by the wild-eyed John the Baptist. In the Gospel of Luke, we hear of a peasant couple, Mary (who is pregnant) and Joseph, who embark on a journey to Bethlehem so that they may be registered in an imperial census. And in the Gospel of Matthew, we read of the Magi from the East who witness the rising of a star and decide to pack their camels with gifts and venture forth; crossing deserts, climbing mountains, and fording streams so that they can see this king whose arrival has been heralded by a star.

As a season, Advent is rich with the symbolism of pilgrimage and journeying. At the church of St. John the Baptist in the Beach neighbourhood of Toronto, we followed a Christian learning curriculum called “Journeying in the Way of Love,” which we gratefully borrowed from our siblings in the Episcopal Church of the United States. Throughout Advent, we explored a Christian rule of life that called us to embrace seven practices to help guide us in the way of Jesus: gathering for worship, going forth into the world, reflecting on scripture, praying daily, blessing others and sharing our faith, pausing and turning towards Jesus, and —often the most difficult—taking a day of rest. You can learn more about this program on the Episcopal Church’s journeying- way-love.

So again, the question: why embark on a pilgrimage, or an extended journey of any sort? Especially one that leads the traveller far from home and loved ones, and with minimal comfort and security. Isaiah calls the Israelite people to return home. Mary and Joseph travel because an imperial edict requires that they do so. And the Magi travel because they believe that a prophesy foretelling the arrival of a king is nearing its fulfilment. I did not walk the Camino to return home from exile, or because I was commanded to do so by an emperor. Nor did I walk it because I imagined that witnessing the swinging of the Botafumeiro (the massive thurible dispersing clouds of incense used to cover the stink of dusty pilgrims) would somehow signal the fulfilment of a promise from God (but I did sing the Advent hymn, “Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending” with gusto from my apartment living room).

I didn’t know at the beginning of the Camino why I was walking it, or where I imagined I would be (spiritually) at its conclusion. I just knew I was being called to dare to risk journeying in the way of faith. Looking back, I can recall one day, on a dusty old Roman road in the countryside of the Rioja wine region, when God planted the answer in my soul. It was a portion of Psalm 103: Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. With my knees badly enflamed and in agony, and my heart yearning for home, that verse sustained me. I kept repeating it in the silent darkness of the mornings when I was guided only by fading starlight overhead as night turned to dawn. And it calmed my fears as I walked alone across an exposed mountaintop in Galicia during a lightning storm. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

We walk, and we keep walking, and then we walk some more, because our lives give glory to God. Whether on a distant pilgrimage route or a local neighbourhood street; in school playground or a hospital hallway; our feet touch the ground and the psalm verse is traced on our lips and hearts, and on the lives of those with whom we share the Good News. May we dare to walk by the light of faith and invite others to take those first tentative steps walking in the way of Jesus.

The post Called to journey in the way of faith appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Logistically, the worship space within the quaint, albeit tiny, 125-year-old building was deemed unsuitable for any in-person worship back in September, so the doors remained bolted, leaving only a Zoom option for weekly devotion and fellowship.

But, in November, a small team of creative and energetic “elves” was assembled – bound and determined to spread as much good Christian cheer, inside and outside, as was humanly possible, given COVID-19 circumstances.

Physically distanced (and appropriately masked!), they set to decorating every nook and cranny of the silent and locked church sanctuary, first in Advent blue and then again for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in brilliant reds. They also decorated the “Lady Chapel,” the welcoming interim backdrop for the weekly online livestream, which was set up in the cozy front parlor of the rectory next door to the church.

The spirit of the season was captured in photographs of familiar spots inside the beloved sanctuary – including the bowed leaded glass windows in the entranceway, weathered window-sills and the well-worn manger scene, lovingly arranged on burlap in front of the altar. These still images were then integrated into online Sunday services, shown during hymns and periods of reflection, to help everyone place themselves virtually in its enchanting midst and to spark joyous recollections of holidays past.

When the full-blown re-enactment of the annual pageant wasn’t possible on Christmas Eve, Karen Shea, the Pastor of Outreach, resorted to the next best thing, directing a group of St. Stephen’s youth to verbally recreate the story of Jesus’ birth, while live on camera and in full costume.

Committed to serve the community with open hearts and minds, St. Stephen’s outreach ministry has continued 24/7 since the beginning of the pandemic – a reminder to neighbours of a vibrant and ongoing presence. That, too, was given more than a bit of festive attention! The ever-popular outdoor freestanding food pantry lent itself perfectly to be transformed into a whimsical red-nosed Rudolph, the community dresser (containing suitable winter clothing for all ages) was garlanded and two festive mitten trees were added to the mix!

The piece de resistance? A simple, serene wooden creche scene, designed and erected on the church’s front lawn by Tieg Dawe, sexton and woodworker extraordinaire – a gentle reminder of the hope that Christ’s birth brought to a broken world.

The post ‘Elves’ spread Christmas cheer appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

You have called us to be righteous

As a deacon, priest and bishop in the Church, you have preached the Good News with depth and passion. You have served parish and community, diocese and national church, with commitment. You have been a pastor to all with whom you have served. Peter, imagine the number of times you have stood at table to break bread and pour out wine. Or walked the way to the grave with a family. Or tied the knot, or baptised, or confirmed, or ordained. Imagine the number of meetings you have attended, organized, chaired, suffered through, endured and enjoyed. With the patience of Job, the wisdom of Solomon, the tenacity of Thomas, the might of Deborah and the vision of John, you have been a voice of reason, of deep belief and faith. You have swooped in so often to say the right word at the right time to help us turn in the right direction. You have called us to be righteous – to be in right relationship with God and neighbour and Creation, doing so always with a winsome smile, playful humour, a gentle spirit and a firm resolve. For 45 years you have led, walked with and followed the people of God, encouraging us always to make our way home and to be a people of promise and love. Peter, we are grateful beyond words for you. Annie, we are so grateful for your ministry, your witness and your support for all of these years. We pray that you both enjoy every moment in your retirement.

Bishop Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto

Sharing ministry with Peter has been a privilege

Peter and I worked together when I served with him in the College of Bishops in the Diocese of Toronto from 2008 until I left in 2016. Peter brought to all he did as executive archdeacon and as bishop a deep and profound commitment to the gospel, a strength of character and conviction and an ability to see the humourous in the midst of challenges. Sharing ministry with Peter has been a privilege. Peter is a man of integrity with a fierce sense of justice for everyone – for colleagues, for parishes, for clergy and especially for God. He has a particular passion for racial justice and has been a persistent and often frustrated advocate for an end to systemic racism in Canada and in the Church. His perseverance and witness are an inspiration to many. I particularly remember with joy his consecration as bishop in 2013. As the first Black Anglican bishop in Canada, the overwhelming joy of other Black Anglicans, and especially those from Barbados, was evident in the long lines of people at the doors of the cathedral hours before the service began. The delight of so many in his consecration, in the music and the dancers sharing in the liturgy, are remembered with smiles of great delight.

Archbishop Linda Nicholls
Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada

He dared to stand up for what is honourable

I have been a witness to Peter’s outstanding service to God and God’s people throughout his ministry. Peter has been a caring pastor, a faithful priest, a passionate preacher, a fearless prophet and a reliable partner in ministry. Many clergy in our episcopal area have spoken of his forthright style balanced with sincerity, compassion and care. This is what I want to say to my friend and my bishop. When he became bishop, some people said to me, your friend is now your bishop; you should have no problems. Those who held that view, even now, do not know Peter DeCourcy Fenty. He was never one to be drawn into any unholy alliance. He was not one to be taken in by devious schemes and deals. He was not one to be drowned out by the loud shouts of evil and deceit. He dared to stand up for what is honourable. He dared to speak to power. He dared to be the drum major for justice and righteousness. He is a man of integrity, and it is a joy knowing him as my friend, my family, my bishop. Well done, good and faithful servant, enter the joy of retirement. Annie has served long and hard with you; she too deserves a rest. God bless you both, now and always.

The Rev. Canon Dr. Stephen Fields
Incumbent, Holy Trinity, Thornhill

Much loved throughout the national church

Bishop Peter is a great friend and colleague of mine and is well respected and much loved in the Ontario House of Bishops and throughout the national church. Bishop Peter and Annie, I give thanks for all that you have given to our Church over many years, for the gifts that you bring, for your loyalty, and for your faithfulness and devotion to the people you have served over many years. Bishop Peter, you embody my motto for 2021, which comes from Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good and what is required of you but to do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with your God.” When I asked your colleagues in the Ontario House of Bishops to describe you in a word or words, this is some of what they said: that you are loyal, faithful, passionate, compassionate, open-minded, a straight talker, authentic, you don’t have a fake bone in your body, you’re a powerful preacher, inclusive, deeply respectful, a courageous leader, you lead with integrity, and you are a loving family man. For these qualities, the Church gives thanks tonight and says thank you to you for all you have done, all you are and all you’ve given.

Archbishop Anne Germond
Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario

On behalf of the area council, thank you

Those of us who have had the privilege of serving with you consider ourselves to have been particularly blessed. We’ve been among those who have had the opportunity to witness first-hand the example of faithful pastoral leadership you’ve provided to the Church, not only in our area but across the entire diocese. I consider myself to have been uniquely blessed because I’ve had the privilege of working directly with you, first as a parish administrator, then as a member of the working group that was examining the issues around the renumeration of clergy. In the course of that work, I gained a particular appreciation for your love of the Church – for her mission, her clergy, her people – and the incredible generosity with which you shared your many gifts – your wisdom, your passion, your experience and your good humour. On behalf of the area council, thank you. Thank you for your service to our diocese and York-Simcoe. Above all, thank you for never failing to remind us that at the very heart of all that is and has been and ever shall be is a loving, liberating and life-giving God.

Canon Brian Armstrong
York-Simcoe Area Council

You have been a companion on the road

You have been not just a bishop, but someone who walks beside – a companion on the road. You’ve lived out what it means to be a priest in the Church of God. You’ve done so with personal integrity, patience and kindness, collegiality – you treat us all as peers – and an openness to share and talk. You have been a pastor, supportive in every possible quiet way, and also in word and deed. Your personal warmth and care has not gone unnoticed and unfelt. You have been a man of God to all of us. On behalf of your regional deans, I am honoured to say thank you and God bless you.

The Rev. Canon David Warren
Regional dean

Thank you, thank you, thank you

Retirement is but a pause and an opportunity to be renewed, to enjoy things you haven’t been able to enjoy for a long time. I look forward, after a time of relaxation, to give back to the Church what the Church has given to me. And that is your blessings – the blessings of clergy and people across this diocese, your prayerful support, and the privilege and honour it has been to serve as a bishop. I am particularly grateful for the wonderful opportunity of having served with the College of Bishops under wonderful leaders over the years. To all I have served with in the past and currently, I thank you – for your friendship and for all that you have done with me in this work.

I particularly want to thank Annie and our children – Andre and Peta-Anne and your families – for your loving support. It made the difference in my life, in being able to carry out this work in the way that God enabled me to.

There have been meetings that I will not miss, but there are friendships that I will treasure. I will carry with me fond memories of my Sunday visits to every parish across York-Simcoe. Those occasions have been the most wonderful of times for me in this ministry – being with clergy and the people of God, worshipping and giving thanks, celebrating the Eucharist and knowing that we are all loved by God and called to serve God as best that we are able.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this evening. It will be remembered by Annie and I for a very long time.

I must say a very special word of thanks to Jennipher Kean, who has been a wonderful administrator for York-Simcoe, whose faithful support has made a difference in my life in being able to effectively carry out the work that I was called to do. Jennipher, thank you so much for all that you do and all that you will continue to do.

Bishop Peter Fenty

Bishop sings a song

Bishop George Elliott, a retired bishop of the diocese, sang this song at Bishop Fenty’s retirement party.

Our bishop Peter retires next week,
to join the lofty rank
of those who wake when ere they want
and spend the day free from life’s call
relaxing on the couch, relaxing on the couch.

The phone is silent, but for calls
to clean out your air ducts,
your pile of books to read stands tall,
awaiting time to crack them all
relaxing on the couch, relaxing on the couch.

Dear Annie, your beloved wife,
has much for you to do,
the list is long, the time is there,
and yet another page you turn
relaxing on the couch, relaxing on the couch.

The time you’ll treasure most of all,
is with your grandkids spent,
with love to share and hugs to give,
they bring a smile to everyday
that lifts your heart to God, that lifts your heart to God.

The diocese will no doubt call,
to see if you can help,
take time at first, to sort your life,
priorities to guide your path
that lifts your heart to God, that lifts your heart to God.

With thankful hearts for all you’ve done,
in service to our Church
you’ve served us here in York-Simcoe,
our Bishop and our friend in God,
with faithfulness and love, with faithfulness and love.

Peter and Annie, may you know
our love and prayers will be
surrounding you and all you love
as life’s next chapter opens up
that blessings may abound, that blessings may abound.

Book contains comments, photos

As a farewell gift, Bishop Fenty was given a book containing 88 comments and more than 220 photos from friends and colleagues across the diocese and beyond. Below are some of the comments.

God provided

First impressions are usually important, and my first impression was of your generous, hospitable nature, your warmth and openness, and especially your sense of faithfulness to the gospel and to Jesus Christ. I remember thinking, “I wonder how we might get this wonderful priest, Peter Fenty, into our diocese?” Well, several years later, to my delight, God provided and you came.

Bishop Michael H.H. Bedford-Jones
Retired

Blessed moment

You have been a teacher, a mentor, a calmer, a friend, a voice of wisdom, unity, and reconciliation. One of my most privileged and blessed moments was serving as deacon at the table for your historic consecration as the first Black Anglican bishop in Canada. That was such an amazing, proud, and glorious event.

Canon Judy Allan, deacon
Holy Family, Heart Lake, Brampton

You never gave up on us

On behalf of the South Sudanese community church of Toronto, I want to thank you so much for the support that you gave to our people since 2006 when we were looking for a place for worship and it was hard to find a place. You never gave up on us and we found St. Olave’s Anglican Church, our home for now.

The Rev. Peter John
South Sudanese Community Church

It was an honour

I was one of the liturgical dancers who, along with my daughter Aliya and the other dancers, had the privilege of taking part in your ordination on that memorable day of June 22, 2013. It was an honour to present you with the vestments, mitre and crosier in the way of a dance, and being part of such a historic moment, which I will never forget. We would like to thank you very much for your service throughout the years. As you go into retirement, we ask God’s continued blessings and mercy on you and your family.

Angela Whyte
Liturgical dancer

The post ‘Peter, we are grateful beyond words for you.’ appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Yet our decisions to strive towards personal goals and live a more satisfying life are well worth making. Here are a couple of things that can help:

Include a mix of easy and challenging resolutions. The “fear of resolutions failure” comes up because most people take on only difficult goals which they don’t achieve precisely because they are difficult. But why only make tough resolutions? For example, I like to cook and have a shelf full of cookbooks, but I tend to make the same favourite dishes over and over. For 2021, I’ve resolved to make one new recipe each month. That’s manageable.

Discuss your resolutions with a friend. It’s hard to stay motivated towards challenging goals when you feel alone. My wife meets with a close friend every December to discuss progress towards the past year’s goals, resolutions for the coming year and why they were chosen. As the year unfolds, every few months they discuss their progress. Instead of each of them striving alone towards their resolutions, they share their challenges. I plan to share my resolutions with my men’s group and give an update on them halfway through the year.

Here are other resolutions I’ll be working on in 2021:

Resisting pandemic-based pessimism. Yes, life is difficult these days, with the rise of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Canada and abroad, a desperate shortage of affordable housing, poverty that forces more than 840,000 Canadians to rely on food bank handouts each month, and much more. But succumbing to a bleak mood only strengthens it. We need to take to heart the truth that God is bigger than everything, including COVID-19. We can fight the darkness of our times by choosing to be the light, by focusing on the best of what is happening around us, not the worst. Is this easy? No, of course not. But we can draw strength from our forbearers in faith. Paul’s letter to the Philippians says, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, Rejoice… The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4: 4)

What an incredibly upbeat letter from a man in prison! Paul is showing us that peace is created in our hearts, then lived out in our lives. Our actions can help massage into existence the peace that our hurting world needs now more than ever.

Another way in which I’ve resolved to help create peace is by reducing my news consumption. I will be taking a “news fast” on Sundays as part of my Sabbath observance. Several friends have told me how they feel better by following the news less than before, not because they want to hide from the world, but because they don’t want to get dragged down by relentless news about the pandemic, and want to create space in their souls for hope. Fasting from news can be a meaningful way to observe Sunday as a day apart.

Inviting a lonely neighbour to join me on my dog walks along our street. COVID-19 is especially tough on isolated people.

Deepening my prayer life. I’m going to join a weekly centering prayer service launched by my parish, with social distancing. Centering prayer is a type of meditation used by Christians that emphasizes interior silence in the presence of God. In the past, I have found it both calming and rejuvenating. I also plan to be a more regular attender of the “Praying with PWRDF” virtual gatherings that feature guest speakers, including PWRDF partners from around the world. All Anglicans are welcome. People can register for Praying with PWRDF by visiting this link https://bit.ly/PWRDFPrayers, or emailing PWRDF staffperson Kim Umbach, kumbach@pwrdf.org.

As Anglicans, we’re familiar with this beautiful passage from Ephesians: “Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” It can inspire us to make the changes we want to make in 2021.

The post Resolve to make 2021 a truly Happy New Year appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

2020 was certainly a year for the history books, if not for the dustbin, and by time you are reading this article, I hope you have had at least some time of celebration and restoration over the Christmas season. Even when it is not being celebrated in the midst of a global pandemic, Christmas can be a time of pain and stress, and so we hold tightly to the truth that the “Light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:5)

Jonathan Edwards was the president of Princeton University in the early 1700s, and on a New Year’s Day some 300 years ago, he wrote this in his diary: Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.

2020 was a year that challenged all of us in so many ways. Some of us have had friends or family members die of COVID-19. Others have lost their jobs. Parents have had their patience stretched to the limits trying to teach their children at home. Clergy have learnt how to be video stars and film producers. And loneliness and social isolation have spread their dark tendrils around many. If Jonathan Edwards were writing in his diary on New Year’s Day in 2021, he might have written this: Resolution One: I will still hope in God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.

As COVID-19 has stripped so much away from us in 2020, 2021 gives us an infrequent opportunity to deeply reclaim our personal identity as beloved children of God, called to be disciples of Jesus, living in hope of the coming reign of God. And if 2021 gives us the opportunity to refocus our hearts and minds on our true identity in Jesus Christ, this will equip us to assist in refocusing the core of the mission of the parishes to which we each belong. Our parishes exist to give glory to God, bring people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ, and to enact God’s love to our neighbours – this is our hope and calling. As finances and human resources are stretched in the COVID- 19 era, if something is not supporting that hope and calling in our local churches, then we need to stop doing it.

As our identity and hope are refocused in 2021, my prayerful desire is that as a diocese we will continue to seek creative and missional ways to share the gospel with those who have never experienced it. Church planting, regional configurations of ministry, fresh expressions of church, new digital forms of discipleship, and a renewed emphasis on formation of living faith in children and teenagers – this perhaps is the revitalizing purposefulness that COVID-19 leaves in the wake of its destruction.

This is my last article as a suffragan bishop of the Diocese Toronto, as my episcopal ministry will now continue as the rector of St. Paul’s, Bloor Street. It has been a singular privilege to serve Christ in this way, and please join me in continuing to pray for Bishop Asbil and Bishops Robertson and Shaw, as they lead us forward. Let us continue to still hope in God, together.

I am personally looking forward to all that God has in store for our community in 2021 – the struggles and the joys – and I want to take this opportunity to wish you, and all those you love, a very happy new year and God’s richest blessings for the year ahead.

The post God’s richest blessings for the year ahead appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

I’ve written countless articles since I began writing The Steward more than 10 years ago. The most engaging tend to be lists – Top 10 lists, to be exact – that can easily be inserted into parish bulletins or newsletters. For this column, I’d like to offer an alternative – a quiz.

When we engage parishes in yearround 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 we re-evaluate it 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 investing in.

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) Nothing.

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, they will see 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 3 points; for (b), score 2 points; for (c), score 1 point; for (d), 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. As we enter a new year, a year of new beginnings and fresh starts, let us pray that we might be faithful stewards who give generously as we endeavour to model Christ’s example.

The post Take the New Year’s stewardship quiz appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

At the tender age of 91, Margaret Keenan turns to the future with a sense of newfound hope. She looks to re-connect. With the turn of a page of the calendar, we bid adieu to 2020. It was a year like no other. It was a year shaped by pandemic and our response to it. We learned quickly how to live on our own. We learned to adapt, to physical distance, to Zoom and livestream. We closed the doors of our churches, opened them and closed them again. We grappled with what it means to gather and commune remotely. We observed a eucharistic fast and dwelled in the Word. We learned to receive Communion spiritually. We tried to flatten the curve in the attempt to keep each other safe. We made it through one wave and braced ourselves for the second.

We learned to wear masks, everywhere. We leaned on curb-side pickup, Amazon and Netflix. We lived at home, worked from home, went to school at home. We mixed business attire with pajama bottoms. Some of us grew beards and let our hair grow (well some of us, anyway). And we reached out to neighbouring parishes and pooled our resources to support one another in these unprecedented times.

At the same time, issues of concern, need and alarm surfaced. We were confronted once again by the sin of racism in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd. We were awakened to the reality that so many in our society live in poverty, struggle with precarious housing and food insecurity. We were roused by the needs of so many who struggle with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. And we grappled with how to respond to the rising incidents of domestic abuse.

As we step into 2021, we welcome the possibility of putting COVID-19 to the side with the advent of a vaccine. We share in Margaret Keenan’s hope for a return to a life that we miss. At the same time, I hope that we will not squander the lessons that we learned together in 2020. I pray that we will not lose our 2020 vision, the sharpness or clarity of seeing at a distance. We learned in 2020 how to be vulnerable, resilient and tenacious. We made promises together. We pledged to serve our elders more carefully. We promised to put down racism in all its forms in our churches and communities. We told ourselves that we would raise up the poor and seal the cracks in our social structures through which so many have fallen. And we have to do our part in healing creation and lowering our carbon footprint.

With the turn of the calendar, I am conscious that almost half of my episcopacy thus far has been served in pandemic. This time is shaping me deeply. To this time, we are each called to bear witness to the faith that is in us. Like the Magi, we find our bearings from the heavens; like the Shepherds, we are guided by angels and wend our way back to the fields from Bethlehem.

Just like Margaret Keenan, or Sarah and Abraham, we do not allow age or fatigue to diminish the hope that we are called to live into every day. For a Child has been born for us, who is Christ the Lord.

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Seated in front of the Toronto Homeless Memorial, surrounded by an encampment of tents and makeshift shelters, Bishop Asbil acknowledged that Anglicans around the diocese are daily ministering to unhoused people and those in need of housing, while highlighting the diocese’s new advocacy campaign, Housing Matters.

He noted that Nov. 22 is National Housing Day in Canada, marking the day in 1998 when the Big City Mayors Caucus of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities recognized homelessness as a national emergency. “Twenty-two years later, homelessness is a state of emergency, doubly so in the reality of COVID-19,” he said. “When we hear from government leaders that we need to stay home and self-isolate, most of us can do that from the comfort of our housing, but there are many among us for whom that is not the case.”

Congregate settings such as shelters magnify the risk of transmission, leading many to seek shelter and privacy in encampments such as the one outside Holy Trinity. Additionally, since the beginning of the pandemic, loss of regular income and recent changes to the Landlord and Tenant Act have put many people who had housing at increased risk of losing their homes, especially since an earlier moratorium on residential evictions expired in early August.

“It’s always a surprise to Canadians that the cold comes every winter,” said Bishop Asbil. “But successive governments have failed to address the need, leaving more and more people in need every winter. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the cracks in our social safety net to an extent impossible to ignore.”

Through the diocese’s Housing Matters advocacy campaign, each Anglican in the diocese is asked to advocate to provincial and municipal governments on three issues:

1. Urge the provincial government to re-instate a moratorium on residential evictions for the duration of the pandemic.
2. Urge municipal governments to institute a moratorium on clearing encampments, and instead provide equipment, supplies, and information (including tents, sleeping bags, access to washrooms, and fire safety measures) for the survival, health, and safety of encampment residents.
3. Urge municipal governments across the diocese to provide a range of flexible and rapid housing options – such as hotel rooms, modular or “tiny house” units or vacant apartment units – that do not require people to move into congregate settings, and to work with unhoused people and service providers to provide adequate support for those who are rehoused.

Bishop Asbil noted that National Housing Day falls on the same Sunday that the diocese highlights its campaign in support of its Faith- Works ministry partners. This year, it was also the feast day of the Reign of Christ, the readings for which called Anglicans “to envision the world as God intended it to be, where all live in peace and justice and harmony.”

Encampment resident Candace Mitchell spoke movingly of her friend Adam, who had died just the previous night. Though he was undergoing cancer treatment and in a wheelchair, Adam was unable to find housing. “We need help,” she said. “We need to get off the streets. We need any support we can get. Give us a chance to look toward the future.”

The Rev. Leigh Kern, the diocese’s Coordinator of Indigenous Ministries and Reconciliation Animator who works with Toronto Urban Native Ministry in Trinity Square, said deaths like Adam’s were preventable. “People who have already been most impacted by the violence of our society have been pushed to the fringe and treated as if we, as a society, do not care if they live or they die. As a community, we need to prioritize one another.”

She spoke of how disparate groups – from Muslims to Korean Catholics to Trans Pride Toronto – have come together to support the work done by Holy Trinity and Toronto Urban Native Ministry, which never shut down, even in the early days of the pandemic. “Through that, we have all become stronger. People living in the encampment have provided crisis intervention, mental health support, overdose prevention and other supports for each other. They have shown us the path forward. But we need your help. We need support from the community, and hygiene facilities and access to housing options from the city.”

Asked by one of the reporters why he thinks the housing crisis has persisted for so long, Bishop Asbil responded, “We have to ask ourselves why we have allowed ourselves to walk by and not notice, why we have failed to recognize the humanity in our neighbours.” All of us have a responsibility to make the need for housing a priority for our elected leaders.

Following the press conference, Bishop Asbil was invited to meet with local City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and officials from the Mayor’s office around support for people in encampments and advocating for more affordable housing at the provincial level.

A Housing Matters campaign backgrounder and template letters to provincial and municipal officials can be found on the diocese’s website at www.toronto.anglican.ca/sjac under the heading “Housing Matters.”

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“We are asking you to consider being good stewards of creation as we grapple with the growing climate emergency,” he wrote. “We invite you to consider setting a goal to reduce our collective carbon footprint.”

Beverley Dowling, a parishioner at St. George, Pickering Village, took up the bishop’s challenge by looking at what she could do in her own community. In Pickering, thousands of acres of land are owned by the federal government for the purpose of building an airport, but Ms. Dowling says there is no need for one.

“That land is prime agricultural land,” she says. “So, I just decided to start a petition.”

The petition, launched on Oct. 15, asks that Parks Canada be the agricultural custodian of the lands. In the first week, it gained 300 signatures. More than 900 people have signed the petition. If successful, the changes the petition is asking for would allow the lands to continue to be used to grow food for surrounding cities and communities.

“The biggest city in the country gets most of its food from other places, but most people in Toronto have no idea how important farmland is,” she says.

In addition to providing food to the surrounding communities, local agricultural lands would help cut down the carbon footprint of the produce sent to bigger cities by reducing the distance it would need to travel, she says. “The longer the mode of transportation, the more energy it takes to get there.”

There is not a business case for an airport in Pickering now, she says, and developing the airport on the lands would take away the option of using it as farmland and potentially disrupt the surrounding ecosystem.

“When you take thousands of acres of farmland and pave over it, you can never bring it back,” she says. “We’re going to have an absence of what nature has created to protect the Earth.”

Ms. Dowling is not against building new airports, but she says their development should be considered alongside environmental preservation. It’s that concern for creation that inspired her initiative.

“We don’t realize the importance of these things until they affect us,” she says. “We forget sometimes that the environment is something to be treasured.”

Caring for the environment in one place helps promote a better global climate, she says. While the petition seeks to protect lands in Pickering, the benefits would be seen in the region, the country and the world, she says.

“We need to be in communion with the Earth,” she says. “We’re all spinning around on this small planet.”

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The plan, which will be launched in January, will include listening sessions, antiracism and anti- bias training, the formation of a strategy group, and the raising up of volunteers to lead training workshops.

Bishop Jenny Andison, the diocese’s Diversity Officer, says the plan will build up capacity in the Church so that it can begin to dismantle the barriers that are preventing it from reaching all people with the good news of Jesus Christ.

“One of the barriers to following the God of mission is structural and personal racism,” she says. “This summer, the murder of George Floyd and similar tragedies in the U.S. and Canada focused the Church’s attention on this particularly insidious barrier to living out the mission that God calls us to. This plan flows out of that desire to shed a light on that brokenness in our own hearts as Christians and also in how we have structured the life of the Church.”

She says reconciliation in the Church will not happen unless people can speak openly and honestly about racism and bias. “There can’t be reconciliation without repentance and there can’t be repentance without speaking out loud, so we want to start a conversation that will be challenging but we hope will lead to reconciliation and new life. We hope it will knit us together stronger so that we can share the good news of Jesus with people who haven’t heard it.”

The plan is an initiative of the College of Bishops and the diocese’s Working Group on Intercultural Ministries. It will be led by a diverse team at Co: Culture Collective, a Hamilton-based training and consulting firm that specializes in helping organizations embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Bernadette Arthur, the owner and principal consultant of Co: Culture Collective, spoke about what the diocese can expect from the capacity-building plan over the next 15 months.

Ms. Arthur, who is a practicing Christian, has worked with several other denominations over the course of a decade on issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. The denominations include the Mennonite Church, the Christian Reformed Church, the Salvation Army and the United Church.

She sees her work as an extension of her religious beliefs. “Jesus Christ is an important figure to me, and to do this work feels like a living embodiment of the work of Christ and how He called us to live,” she says.

Starting in January and February, groups from across the diocese will take part in listening sessions. Participants will come from different cultural backgrounds and will include members of the LGBTQ2 community. They will be asked to share their experiences of race, racism and bias in the Church.

Learnings from those sessions will be used to create an anti-racism and anti-bias training program for the diocese’s bishops, clergy and staff. The six-hour Foundations Training Program will provide a common language and understanding of racism and bias and will give participants the skills and tools needed to address them. The training is expected to take place in the early spring.

At around the same time, 12 people, both clergy and lay, will be chosen to form an anti-racism and anti-bias “pod.” Team members will be engaged in an intensive training program so they can identify what racism and bias looks like in the diocese and what steps are needed to bring about cultural and structural change. In addition to the pod, 12 volunteers will be trained to continue anti-racism and anti-bias workshops after the plan ends.

Ms. Arthur hopes the plan will help the diocese go through a culture shift that will result in a more equitable and inclusive faith community. “Every institution in the country right now is thinking about how to do this work,” she says. “We’re on the cusp of a great cultural shift and the Church has the ability to consider doing that using the ways that Christ has instructed us.”

She cautions, however, that it will not be a quick fix. “We are offering the skills and tools to create a container for people to learn and think about what it looks like to shift towards a more inclusive community. But the work won’t end when Co:Culture Collective is finished. People will still have to decide if they want to make changes to policies and practices. They will have to decide if they want to open up their churches so that they not just look more multi-ethnic but are actively ensuring that their culture and practices are not exclusive or oppressive.”

She looks forward to hearing from people throughout the process. “I invite people to share with me and others. That’s what’s going to make this process rich – the community’s commitment to dialogue and action.”

Bishop Andison, who will handing off the role of Diversity Officer to Bishop Kevin Robertson at the end of February, says she is honoured to be part of the initiative. “This is part of what it means to follow the God of mission, and it’s really good news,” she says.

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