After a few weeks of mixed remote and in-person teaching early in the fall term, however, all instruction (except for labs) moved fully online, so that even the greatly reduced number of students living in residences found themselves in front of computers much of the time. Institutions continue to offer recreational and extra-curricular activities, and counselling and support services, all in online formats. In some ways, this makes more of the benefits of academic life accessible to students living off-campus, or with their families in other cities, provinces, and even other countries, but the combined weight of Zoom fatigue and isolation with the usual exhaustion of student existence has serious emotional and spiritual consequences for many. And for students in health care, the performing arts, or in high-performance athletics, many aspects of their programs have been suspended altogether, so anxiety about completing degrees and diplomas on schedule, and launching careers, is particularly acute.

Some students, of course, are making the most of living at home, but it can be difficult to live in their childhood homes without reverting to childhood patterns. For any whose families fail to support them in their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or their career choices, or for those in abusive family situations, lockdown can be a traumatic experience, and opportunities to earn money to move out and live on their own are drastically curtailed. Many graduate students support themselves as sessional instructors and are having to deal with all the issues and expectations surrounding online learning. A great many foreign students live with heightened worry about the pandemic situations in their home countries, and sometimes with concerns about their family’s health or even with circumstances of grief and loss.

In this context, campus chaplains work hard to maintain contacts and opportunities for group interaction in a variety of formats – online liturgies, Bible studies, discussion groups, meditation sessions, and purely social gatherings – without adding to students’ overall fatigue, and to be available for one-on-one conversations in whatever way is most helpful to students. We monitor carefully whether students might be in need of more formal clinical counselling, or whether they might benefit from being connected with congregations in the wider community.

What can congregations offer students in the current situation? If the student has been part of that congregation because of a previous family connection, it may be as simple as maintaining contact, and reaching out periodically to ask, “How are you doing?” “Is there any kind of support you would like us to offer you?” At the same time, it’s important to remember that the process of individuation, of distinguishing themselves from their parents, may also involve a separation from aspects of family life like church attendance. And of course, it’s crucial to be aware that students may have more problematic or conflictual relationships with their parents than other members of the congregation necessarily realize, so that our commitment to making churches safe and loving environments may be best expressed by offering young people the space and distance they require to develop in healthy ways.

Congregations that have recently welcomed students to their online gatherings must be sensitive to the variety of needs these students bring – they may be seeking to explore spiritual questions, or simply find a supportive community, but they may also be hoping for one-to-one connection or practical assistance. The importance of this last element cannot be overestimated: for all the spiritual, emotional, and psychological stresses of the pandemic, financial hardship remains for many students the most difficult and intractable thing about this crisis. Anything which church communities can do to alleviate this practical need, whether in the form of parish bursaries, care packages, or referrals to services, can be a genuine witness to God’s love, helping students find the security to live fully, discern their vocations, and accomplish the work they have to do.

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Several days in advance, tea party boxes containing seasonal plates and napkins, party favours and knitted prayer squares were dropped off at participating long-term care and retirement homes. A number of people from the parish were involved in creating and shopping for the items that went into the boxes, including our Prayer Shawl Ministry team of knitters, and Doris Huggett, who made favours for all of the residents who had signed up to participate in the tea. Sharmini Arulanandam recorded the musical accompaniment for the hymns and singalong, and Lenna McLaughlin helped with the organizing and filming of the video. People at the long-term care and retirement homes gathered safely in small groups to watch the video together and to enjoy the treats.

The event was so well received we decided to do another tea at Christmas, and this time the church of Trinity-St. Paul, Port Credit joined in the fun. As well, a larger number of St. Peter’s parishioners participated by recording themselves singing or playing Christmas carols for the sing-along portion. We were fortunate to be able to film the worship portion of the video in the sanctuaries of St. Peter’s and Trinity-St. Paul. It was a wonderful, collaborative effort encompassing people of all ages and two parishes. One hundred residents from five different long-term care and retirement homes were registered to participate. We plan to hold another online tea at Easter.

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At the diocese’s Synod in November 2019, the following motion was passed:

“That this Synod request Diocesan Council (or its successor) to respond to the affordable housing crisis across the diocese by developing an affordable housing plan. This plan will: determine the feasibility of building affordable housing on diocesan owned lands; prioritize strategic partnerships with industry experts in the fields of planning, development, and affordable housing provision; establish specific achievable targets (e.g. 250 units by 2024).”

A requirement of the Synod motion was to report back to Synod and the diocese by November of 2020.

A Property Working Group consisting of Sandra Marki (chair), Bob Baird, the Rev. Keith Joyce, George Lewis, ODT, Heather McGregor, ODT, the Rev. Jesse Parker, the Rev. Stephen Shaw, Rob Saffrey and Livia Assuncao has been working to draft a framework for approaching church redevelopment projects. Work on this motion has been delayed by the state of emergency related to COVID-19. However, the Property Working Group is working towards presenting an affordable housing plan to Synod in November of 2021.

The establishment of an achievable target that includes dates is difficult for the following reasons:

• Although the diocese owns lands, they are not vacant pieces of land. Church properties come with worshipping communities. Designating church properties as being available for housing developments without consideration of local communities would not likely be a successful strategy. Instead, what will more likely be successful is an approach that encourages parishes to assess their own situation and, where appropriate, look to maximize the value of their ministry assets by considering alternate uses of their property.
• The needs of each community and allowable uses of property will vary – housing will not always be the most appropriate use.
• The discernment process for each parish and the time to bring a development plan to completion is significant. This makes a target date for providing a set number of housing units difficult and somewhat arbitrary.

At its meeting of Dec. 14, 2020, the Property Working Group decided that the first step in responding to the Synod motion was to establish a solid theological underpinning. With the assistance of the Rev. Dr. Jason McKinney and Heather McGregor, ODT, the working group will, at its next meeting, look to establish this underpinning.

A tentative work plan for the group includes:

• Establishment of theological values to underly a housing policy.
• Review the framework for existing projects (Epiphany and St. Mark, All Saints Church- Community Centre, St. Mary and St. Martha, St. George by the Grange) to assess and make changes.
• Develop material for group meetings to educate and encourage parishes of the options available for their properties.
• Review previous work done cataloging properties in the diocese and identify properties that are most suited to development.
• Propose a framework for property development in the diocese.

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At the diocese’s Synod in November 2019, the following motion was passed:

“Moved by the Rev. Canon David Harrison and seconded by the Rev. Dr. Stephen Drakeford that Synod requests the Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care, working through a creation care lens and in the context of our developing relationship with Indigenous peoples, to develop and propose environmental policies and resources for all diocesan operations that reflect the need to increase the use of renewable energy services and decrease our carbon footprint. In particular, Synod requests a review of and development of policies pertaining to:

1. our spending practices;
2. our travel policies;
3. our land use and development;
4. the creation of a fund to assist parishes to reduce their carbon footprint;
5. the creation of a fund to assist clergy to purchase or lease zero-emission vehicles;
6. the curtailment of the purchase of single-use plastic products, with the intention of ending their use no later than the beginning of 2023, taking into consideration the accessibility needs of our communities;
7. developing modules for clergy and lay formation on the connection between creation care and the gospel;
8. and promoting reduced consumption as part of a Christian Rule of Life.

“Synod and the diocese shall be provided with a report on the work of the Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care and the progress made on these issues by June 30, 2020 and every six months thereafter until the next Regular Session of Synod.”

The Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care has met monthly since July 2020 and by Oct. 1, 2020, had established three working groups: one on liturgy, one on education, and one specifically focused on the environmental Synod motions passed in 2019. The Synod Motion Working Group includes the Rev. Dr. Stephen Drakeford, seconder of the motion, as well as Bishop Andrew Asbil, the Rev. Deacon Alison Kemper, and Elin Goulden, staff member. All three working groups have been meeting regularly since October 2020.

The Synod Motion Working Group has identified items #2 (travel policy), #6 (plastics reduction) and #8 (promoting reduced consumption as part of a Christian Rule of Life) as immediate priorities for action; items #1 (spending/investment practices), #3 (land use and development and #7 (modules for clergy and lay formation) as intermediate priorities; and deferred items #4 and #5 to the longer term.

1. Travel Policy: Bishop Asbil has instructed the diocese’s executive director to provide a benchmark of what the “normal” (pre-pandemic) travel budget is for the diocese’s staff and volunteers. Departments are also being asked to consider how to conduct meetings and other diocesan business after the COVID-19 pandemic is over, and to what extent travel budgets can be reduced by moving meetings online. Members of the Synod Motion Working Group are researching options for carbon offsets for necessary travel as well as coming up with guidelines to help evaluate what travel is necessary post-pandemic.
2. Plastics Reduction: Members of the Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care and others throughout the diocese were encouraged to comment on the federal government’s proposed regulations to ban certain single-use plastics. Plastic-reduction ideas from government, non-profits, parishes in our diocese and the neighbouring Diocese of Niagara which have already made progress in this area are being compiled and the Synod Motion Working Group will work with the Education Working Group to create a resource for parishes and individuals in our diocese, available by Spring 2021.
3. Promoting reduced consumption as part of a Christian Rule of Life: Members of the working group are working on creating a “Rule of Life” resource based on the baptismal vows found on p. 159 of the BAS and the Five Marks of Mission.

Looking ahead, the Synod Motion Working Group hopes to find opportunities for collaboration with the diocese’s Investment Committee on investment policy as well as with the diocese’s Affordable Housing Working Group (which has already been working on a theological framework around land use). The Education Working Group of the Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care will likely take the lead on the development of modules for clergy and lay education but the Synod Motion Working Group will work to facilitate collaboration with diocese’s staff and volunteers involved in programs for clergy and lay education.

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Parish websites provide seekers and congregants with a window into the goings-on and peculiarities of church life. Most sites are effective at identifying the who’s who of any church community, plus when service times are available, what sort of ministry takes place, how members contribute to the world around them through outreach and how they experience fellowship.

With the advent of COVID-19, websites have become more than just an information portal: they are the way we conduct worship and are Church. For many, the website is now the first point of contact for virtual worship, online giving and personal contact.

I take a particular interest in websites – especially those run by churches. As a stewardship wonk, I frequently draw on the resources provided by parishes as indicators of leading practices, what they are doing to keep information fresh, how they are innovating, and what they might be doing to set themselves apart from others. The level of creativity embraced by parishes in our own diocese is remarkable, and I want to share some of these examples with you. All of the following church websites can be easily found by searching for them on Google.

From a stewardship perspective, most parishes have done a pretty good job of promoting online giving, though Christ Church, Brampton and St. Paul, Bloor Street have taken things a notch beyond. Both sites go to great lengths to explain stewardship, provide examples of how to give and invite giving through a variety of vehicles. The former offers personal testimonies that affirm the benefits of giving and invite support for parish ministry.

There is more to discipleship than giving and Little Trinity (Trinity East) in Toronto and Christ Church, Oshawa place special emphasis on small group ministry. Other parishes that have taken this ministry online include the Parish of Craighurst and Midhurst, the Church of the Resurrection in Toronto and St. Mary and St. Martha, also in Toronto.

Prayer resources abound as well. If you are looking for quiet inspiration and contemplation, check out the websites for St. John the Evangelist, Peterborough and Trinity, Bradford. I am particularly partial to St. Bartholomew, Toronto and also St. Olave, Swansea as they provide daily livestreaming of morning and evening prayer.

Outreach to migrant workers is a priority at St. Paul, Beaverton and St. Saviour, Orono. The Rev. Canon Ted McCollum and the Rev. Augusto Nunez, along with a host of volunteers, provide outreach, worship, and personal support to farm workers in the Durham Region.

Are you looking to start a blog on your parish website and need inspiration? I’ve come across three that might be helpful: St. James the Apostle, Brampton, All Saints, King City and Church of the Ascension, Port Perry. When he was a curate at Ascension, the Rev. Phil Gearing kept a daily blog as he walked 10 km a day for 100 days to raise funds for FaithWorks over the summer in 2020.

Sometimes you come across things you just don’t expect on a website, like rebranding at St. John the Baptist, Oak Ridges, whimsical theatrical performances by professionally trained actor the Rev. Ken McClure at the Parish of Haliburton and the third annual Ping Pong Relay for FaithWorks, held by St. Christopher, Richmond Hill. The latter raised over $21,000, contributing to a very successful overall FaithWorks campaign.

I know that other parishes are engaging their neighbours and parishioners creatively. For the foreseeable future, parish websites will continue to be the first point of contact for those seeking worship and faith-filled engagement with their community. Many will continue to provide virtual worship long after the pandemic is over. We may not prefer online worship, especially for those of us accustomed to a more solemn experience, but there is no doubt that more and more people are being attracted to church via a virtual experience.

Given this reality, perhaps we should make the best of the opportunity at hand. Beyond worship, we have the capacity to use our websites to promote prayer, study, discipleship, generosity, outreach, fellowship and fun. It is all within our grasp. Reach grants from the diocese, and both volunteer and staff support, are available to parishes to help get you started or move to the next level. I invite you to make the most of it.

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Jane: How long have you been concerned about Creation and the state of the earth?
Don: I have been immersed in nature my whole life. Even as a child I would go for walks with my father and grandmother. They noticed every animal and bird, every insect and plant, and I learned to see them too. That training on how to be out in nature and observe it carefully has continued to be an important part of my life.

Jane: What triggered your concern and got you involved in the issues of global warming and climate change?
Don: Well, my university courses were mostly in the sciences – chemistry, physics, biology.  So, when I started to hear and read scientific reports saying that the world is in trouble – the glaciers melting, the temperatures rising, coral reefs dying – I took those reports very seriously. Based on solid empirical data, the natural world is already changing rapidly and about to change radically. We are destroying the natural world and ourselves along with it. That is my motivation, and that is what triggered me to say, “We have to do things differently, and we have to do them now.”

Jane: You speak about the Order of the Sacred Earth (OSE). Tell us about that.
Don: I have been following and reading the work of theologian Matthew Fox for over 40 years.  Initially with the Dominican order, he is now a retired priest in the Episcopal Church. Matthew has been very influential in the development of my personal theology. His books Original Blessing and the Cosmic Christ resonate deeply. He is convinced that the earth is dying and needs to be cared for in a global way. Based on a dream, he formed a new order, the Order of the Sacred Earth.  An individual joins the Order simply by taking the sacred vow: “I will love and care for the earth in the best way that I can.” That’s it! There are no rules or regulations, no institution. Each person must decide what that vow means in their own life circumstances. This movement of “spiritual activists” brings likeminded people of all faiths, or no faith, together to live out their sacred promise. All around the world, people are making this commitment. In that there is hope! Another of Matthew’s basic convictions is that older people should work with, listen to, support, encourage, and mentor younger people. So, the OSE is being managed and run and led by young people. And I think it is a wonderful model, bringing together the wisdom of age and the energy of youth.  My primary identity is now as a member of the Order of the Sacred Earth. I’m still an Anglican priest – retired!. But when I sign things now, it is as Don Downer, OSE.

Jane: What I find really encouraging about your talk is your emphasis, not just on what we need to stop doing, but also what we can start doing.
Don: Preparing this project, I looked at many documentaries, some of which are negative and scary. But they are also real. Things are bad and going to get worse. And these documentaries are the most powerful way to see all this! I have listed the best of these visual resources, ones that show what can and is already being done to make a positive difference. Experts have already collected and analyzed evidence-based solutions to many of the problems that confront us. For example, Project Drawdown has evaluated, summarized, and recommends 80 doable solutions to reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. We know much of what needs to be done. Many are already being tried. And we know what a huge difference it will make if we do these things on a worldwide scale. One that was new for me is the whole area of regenerative agriculture. This is a method of farming enriches the soil while raising the meat and vegetables that we need. If we used regenerative agriculture practices, so much would change for the better.  If we grew our coffee under shade trees rather than out in an open field, we would have better coffee, save the soil and provide shelter for birds and animals. Win, win, win! To save the world, we need to make all our decisions – political, economic, and social – that make nature our first priority, not the last!

Jane: We know and yet we don’t change or even want to.
Don: Yes! I am frustrated at times. So many people, so many of our systems and structures, are still in denial. And it is never easy to change. We think change is going to be too hard, too costly.  But, if we try to save our economy by continuing the way we are, we won’t have an economy to save. So, what practically and logically makes the most sense? The only sensible way forward is to put the environment first – above everything else, even profit.  Many of these things are actually not that hard to do. We just have to stop doing certain things and start doing others and we know what many of those are! We know we must stop our reliance on fossil fuels. We must move quickly to wind power and solar power and other alternate sources of energy.

Jane: Is there anything else you want to add?
Don:  What we have been talking about so far is about survival, about saving Mother Earth and ourselves as well. However, I am convinced we have the potential, not just for our planet to survive but to thrive. We can make things even better than they were and certainly way better than they now are. To put this in biblical language, “I see a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and first earth are passing away with all the self-centred greed and pollution and destruction. And I see forests stretching as far as the eye can see, clear blue skies and clean oceans filled with whales and fish and all the creatures that live in the sea. I see cities filled with green growing trees and plants and gardens and living things.” Simply put, we need a much bigger vision! How do we become co-creators working with God in God’s Creation? We are capable of make this planet an incredible place. Not just preserving it but giving our children and grandchildren an even better world than we have ever known. I think that is possible. And I want to do that. I hope you can make that your vision, too.

To watch the Rev. Don Downer’s presentation “Healing/Caring for God’s Creation,” visit his website, www.DonsNaturePhotography.com.

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It has been a long winter, its length stretched by news that numbs us: the daily COVID-19 death tally, today’s case count and frustration at being isolated as if under “house arrest.” And this is only the news deemed newsworthy. I’ve just edited a book about the other pandemic, happening beneath the headlines: the poverty pandemic, involving roughly five million Canadians, with a million reliant on foodbank handouts, living in shabby housing and facing bleak futures. I’ve always been a news junkie but I’ve cut back on following the news. One can only absorb so much.

Then I crouch down at a low table in front of that sun-drenched picture window and fill 10 small clay pots with earth. I carefully put three or four tomato seeds in each one, press each seed into the soil, then gently water them.

And wait.

Waiting is tough at the best of times, at least for an impatient guy like me who doesn’t relax easily. Nowadays, waiting is even harder. We’re waiting to get our long-awaited vaccine shot. We’re waiting for life to return to normal with the small pleasures we took for granted before COVID-19 snatched them away. We’re waiting for spring, when life seems easier and warmth invigorates our mood. As we wait, it’s easy for anxiety and fear to creep in.

Is it possible to think of this period of enforced waiting, when we are involuntary monks of a sort, as an invitation into the life of the Spirit? Accepting that invitation is difficult. As a lifelong social activist, contemplation does not come easy to me. Perhaps you’re in the same boat. We’re resistant to the inner life because we’re wrapped up with the issues we see in society – in the outer life – that demand our response.

American theologian Howard Thurman caught the essence of this dilemma in his poem, “How Good to Center Down!”

How good it is to center down!
To sit quietly and see one’s self pass by!
The streets of our minds seethe with endless traffic;
Our spirits resound with clashings, with noisy silences,
While something deep within hungers and thirsts
For the still moment and the resting lull.

Our Lenten journey this year can take on deeper meaning, if we accept God’s invitation and find that still point within our souls. Doing so can help us think about our fear in new ways. Yes, it’s understandable to worry about the future in these uncertain times, when so many have had their livelihoods and health harmed by the pandemic, or even lost their lives. Yet fear does nothing to stop bad things from occurring. But it can paralyze us.

Entering into the Spirit more deeply can help us come to grips with the reality of suffering in our world – not to burden our spirits even more than they already are, but to be aware that suffering is part of our human condition, and an integral part of the Christian story. Sometimes it’s easy to be so focussed on the resurrection that we gloss over the reality of Jesus’ suffering on the cross, and what he endured leading up to his crucifixion.

Contemplation can help us to take the long view, to see beyond the challenges of today, towards a brighter future. And move into action. Every positive action we take, no matter how seemingly tiny, can bear fruit – whether it’s planting seeds that will grow into lush plants, getting outdoors to bolster our health and spirits by enjoying God’s creation, using the miracle of technology to connect with friends online, or writing letters to friends without computers.

Spring is traditionally a time of rebirth, imbued for us as Christians with deeper meaning as we celebrate new life through the resurrection. Let’s not pass up this opportunity, both for ourselves and our hurting world. To paraphrase Bruce Cockburn, let’s dig deep into our faith to kick at the darkness of our times ‘til it bleeds daylight.

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Establishing “sacred space to nurture body, mind and spirit” wasn’t a priority for the Rev. Jeff and Becky Potter as they surveyed the dense forest beyond the rectory’s garden gate. It was 2016 and they had just arrived at the new church plant of St. Stephen, Maple.

Neglected for over a decade, the forest included dead trees that needed to be felled for safety reasons, and overgrowth that needed to be removed. The wildflowers could stay – snowdrops and blue Siberian squill, likely planted years earlier by the then incumbent and an avid gardener, the Rev. Dr. Ramsay Armitage.

During a clean-up day months later, the volunteers had a revelation. “We were all standing back there, and we started to realize just how much potential was held in that space” recalls Becky.

Plans unfolded. Karen Shea, the church’s pastor of outreach and a garden expert, created the master design. She laid surveyor flags where natural pathways and areas for worship, contemplation and a workable garden were envisioned. She was careful to respect natural areas and the animals, insects and birds that had come to depend on the space.

Tieg Dawe, the sexton, built perimeter fencing and summoned heavy equipment to clear swaths, which were then covered with landscape fabric and topped with specialty mulch to support those with mobility issues. A carpenter by trade, Tieg designed and constructed a raised platform with overhead pergola, slant-backed benches, a gabled pavilion sheltering one of two 18-foot tables and planter boxes.

Once complete, we were anxious to share our beautiful new garden, and word spread that there was fun to be had at the Saturday morning program, welcoming local children and parents, rain or shine. From planting vegetables to building bat barns and garden crafts, there was something for everyone. Neighbours often dropped by, coffee cup in hand, to check out the action and learn about bee-keeping, storybook illustration and earthworm husbandry.

Another blessing, weather permitting, was praising God in the garden, thanks to a portable keyboard and sound system powered by lengths of extension cord. As often as possible, we held weekly church dinners in the garden too, because food always tasted better there.

Summertime found us inviting community members into our space for annual fairs and music concerts. Gracing our worship stage was local, world-renowned Celtic guitarist Tony McManus. There was nothing like being serenaded on a balmy evening in the open air under the stars.

If it’s true that “you reap what you sow,” then it’s not at all surprising that St. Stephen’s has been literally showered with blessings from our hallowed garden space. Naturally, all this came to a screeching halt last spring, when restrictions sadly shut our community garden gates to any type or size of parish or public gatherings. And so it remains.

The invaluable handful of committed volunteers have continued diligently tending, watering and weeding since then. It’s amazing how quickly nature attempts to reclaim itself and take back the established garden space for its own when unused for long periods. And wildlife abounds!

Perhaps it’s time to turn some patch of ground laying fallow into your very own church community garden. Masters of their respective crafts, Karen and Tieg are available to offer sage advice and can be reached at St. Stephen’s.

The Rev. Jeff and Becky Potter now minister in the Diocese of Niagara.

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On Jan. 10, some Christian denominations, including the global Anglican Church, commemorated the “Baptism of the Lord” by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. According to the scriptures, the Holy Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – are here manifested together: the voice of the Father speaking from heaven, the physical presence of Jesus the Son being baptized and the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove. (Mk 1: 10-11)

That afternoon, I received an uplifting email from a couple who had been part of a pilgrimage group that I had organized and led to the Holy Land a few years ago. As St. Mark’s account of the sacred event was proclaimed during the service they attended that morning, vivid memories took them back to the Holy Land. They recalled the day they stood on the bank of the Jordan River with their fellow pilgrims. The scripture passage (above) was read to the group and, using the baptismal liturgy (The Book of Alternative Services, page 158), we renewed our baptismal vows. Standing in the river, I sprinkled the pilgrims with water, using a sprig from a eucalyptus tree nearby. We then said some prayers and broke out in song from our song sheets – good old, “Shall we Gather at the River?” Other groups of pilgrims joined us in singing!

After posing for and taking copious pictures, we were to return to our waiting “deluxe air-conditioned sightseeing motorcoach,” as the trip’s brochure advertised, to continue our sacred journey! Ah, but the only way back to the coach led through the attractive, overpriced souvenir shop! As is the expectation, we stopped to shop for souvenirs. The list of beautifully displayed items ranged from soup to nuts, but among the popular items were spices such as za’atar, where the main ingredient is biblical hyssop (Ex 12:22; Jn 19:29). Hyssop is a flowering herb of the mint family. Za’atar is made of hyssop crushed and mixed with olive oil, sesame seeds, garlic and salt for dipping bread. This simple and tasty treat was enjoyed in the area in the first century, as it still is today. But perhaps the most purchased products were honey made from local dates and a special blend of date honey with sesame seeds. Well worth the time and cost – part of the trip’s adventure!

But this popular spot is not the recognized site of Jesus’ baptism. It is a convenient place with easy access to the river, set up to accommodate pilgrims like us who would desire to remember Jesus’ baptism and either renew their own baptismal vows (as we did) or be baptized by full immersion in the river. The place long venerated by the Church and pilgrims as the original site of the baptism of Jesus and of the ministry of John the Baptist is shared between Israel and Jordan. In Israel, it is located on the west bank of the Jordan River just above where it empties into the Dead Sea. Interestingly, it is within sight of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947-8 and was home of the Essene community where John the Baptist could have come from. The baptismal site in Israel is called “Qasr el Yahud” or “Fortress of the Jews.” Right across from there, on the east bank, is biblical “Bethany beyond the Jordan” or “Al Maghtas” – Arabic for “immersion” – in Jordan. A yellow line of floating balloons in the middle of the river marks the border between the two countries at that point.

The Gospel of John names the place of John the Baptist’s ministry at the Jordan as “Bethany beyond the Jordan,” later named “Al Maghtas”: Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him (John the Baptist), “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Eli’jah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know, even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. (Jn 1: 24-28).

Bethany beyond the Jordan has been visited by international pilgrims and venerated as the original place of Jesus’ baptism and of the ministry of John the Baptist since Byzantine times (c. 324 – 638CE). Various archaeological digs over the centuries have uncovered the ruins of a large monastery on a high place known as Elijah’s Hill and a sprawling area near the riverbank with ruins of more than 20 Roman and Byzantine churches and chapels, pools for baptism, dwelling places for pilgrims and some caves where desert hermits would have lived. The site was closed for decades due to the thousands of landmines planted there and left over from the 1967 Six Day War between Israel and Jordan. The mines were cleared, and in 2015 Bethany beyond the Jordan was re-discovered and designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

According to early local tradition, Bethany beyond the Jordan is also the place where Joshua and the Israelites crossed over into the land of Canaan at the end of their wilderness journey from Egypt. (Jos 3:14–17) Local tradition also holds that from this place, the prophet Elijah was “taken up to heaven by a whirlwind.” (2 Ki 2:1)

Qasr el Yahud on the Israel side has not been designated a World Heritage site but was uncovered and renovated and opened to pilgrims around 2010. Just two years ago, the Rev. Canon Geoff Sangwine (of St. Peter & St. Simon, Toronto) and I (of St. Thomas, Brooklin), co-led a Holy Land pilgrimage with some of our parishioners and friends. We visited the impressive complex of Qasr el Yahud with its massive buildings, stone plaza and steps, sheltered chapels for services, and easy access to the river for baptism. There, beside the always-murky waters of the Jordan, we solemnly renewed our baptismal vows, read corresponding scripture, said prayers and sang a hymn. We looked longingly across the river towards Bethany beyond the Jordan, in Jordan, just yards away! Unfortunately, swimming across the narrow divide was not an option; we could only access the Jordan by visiting the Hashemite

Kingdom itself!

Celebrating Epiphany at the Jordan River

In the Orthodox Church, Epiphany commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River rather than the arrival of the Wise Men, as the Western Church celebrates on Jan 6. Since the mid-1800s and even earlier, thousands of pilgrims from Orthodox churches around the world would arrive in droves to the area annually to mark the occasion. Bishops and priests would preside over elaborate liturgies of baptisms and renewals of baptisms and enact ancient traditions such as the blessing of the water by immersing holy crosses in the river and releasing white doves into the air, reminiscent of the Holy Spirit. Myriads of frenzied pilgrims would immerse themselves in the water numerous times as if to relive their baptisms over and over. Russian Orthodox pilgrims have been known to come to the river dressed in their white burial shrouds or with them draped over their arms as they enter the muddy river. Those shrouds would then be kept for their burial. In 2021, despite the pandemic, it is reported that pilgrims still come in relatively large numbers to celebrate Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan.

In my previous life as a tour operator, I specialized in organizing and leading study tours and pilgrimage to biblical lands. The Holy Land, in times of peace and war and in-between, has provided the “mother of all Christian pilgrimage” experiences for centuries. It is the ideal pilgrimage destination for the three monotheistic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In 10 days or so, Christian pilgrims can reach most of the accessible sites of both Old and New Testaments (some are seen from a distance). Pilgrims would read scripture at its geographical location, say prayers and sing hymns throughout the land.

The Rt. Rev. Kenneth Cragg, famed biblical scholar and Anglican bishop of Jerusalem and later Cairo, proposed that the combination of the biblical story and place, through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, can be a means of grace – can be sacramental. The Rev. Dr. Stanford R. Lucyk, who has led pilgrimage worldwide for 40 years, contends that just as linking the Word to bread and wine is sacramental, so likewise linking biblical geographical place to the applicable biblical narrative can be a sacramental experience. One may cruise the waters of the Sea of Galilee and reflect on corresponding scripture and gain insight into the miracles of Jesus around that freshwater lake that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us about. On another level, those seeking a cure from conditions like psoriasis may sample the therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea and be healed (there are proven documented cases) or one may simply “float” on the amazing Yam ha Melah or Salt Sea (Gen 14:3) near the infamous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18-19), referenced numerous times throughout the Bible, even by Jesus himself. Overnights would be spent in key locations, ideally ending up in the eternal city of Jerusalem – the goal of all pilgrimage.

Enroute, lasting friendships are developed as the community of pilgrims share, eat together, engage with the scripture on location and pray and care for each other. Not only do pilgrims encounter the ancient ruins but also the “living stones” of the land such as the wonderful people who work to preserve the sacred sites; the colourful merchants who peddle their wares everywhere and those who would look after us daily. We also engaged with local Christian communities – the brothers and sisters of St. George’s Anglican Cathedral in Jerusalem, and with others. There were sometimes opportunities for interfaith outreach with local Jews and Muslims. The stories and memories so impact and enrich one’s spiritual experience and do last for a lifetime!

The season of Epiphany and its focus on Jesus’ baptism and ours, and how we live out our baptismal vows, give way to the solemnity of Lent and our preparations to commemorate Holy Week, then to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Saviour. The words of St. Paul to the already-established Christian community in Rome express our eternal hope: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Rom 6: 3-6)

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One of the Scripture texts offered for reflection by Brother James was the story of Jesus stilling the storm (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25). Remember the richness of this story as it is recounted in three Gospels. Jesus and his disciples were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. A storm swelled up that was so violent that the boat was almost swamped by the waves, and the disciples were terrified. Yet Jesus was somehow asleep at the back of the boat. The disciples woke Jesus with the cry, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He responded, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus says to the elements: “Peace! Be still!”, and there was suddenly a dead calm. And the disciples asked themselves in amazement, “Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

This familiar story is beautifully depicted by Rembrandt in his painting from 1633 entitled, “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee.” (You’ll have to settle for viewing the painting online because the actual piece was stolen from a museum in Boston in 1990 and has never been recovered.) If you google it, you’ll see the vivid portrayal of the panic-stricken disciples trying desperately to control the boat which is being tossed in the waves. One of them even looks like he is about to lose his lunch over the side! All the while, Jesus is reclining serenely on a cushion in the stern. No wonder the disciples were distraught!

For me, this story begs the question, “What are the storms raging around and within us?” Certainly, this year-long storm of COVID-19 shows little signs of abating. Sure, there are vaccines on the way and the reopening of the economy is now taking place. But it may be a long time before the clouds part and the sun shines through once again. Or what about the storm of systemic racism that continues to beat down on our Church and society? Here too, the forces around us and within are heaving us into places that are tumultuous and unsettling. Fear, dread and uncertainty are well-known emotions for all of us at times.

But here’s the thing: just as the disciples in the midst of the storm cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save us!”, so must we. “We have no power of ourselves to help ourselves” (BCP, Collect for the Second Sunday in Lent), but “God’s power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine” (BAS, Prayer After Communion). Our salvation is in God alone. Only Christ can rebuke the raging forces with which we contend every day. Only Christ can bring us to a place of true peace.

The image of a boat has long been used to describe the Church. The term “nave” – the part of the church building where most people sit – comes to us from the Latin word for “ship,” and if you look up in many of our churches, you may be reminded of an overturned boat. The Church is able to move through the storms of life to the peace that is promised in God’s love because Jesus accompanies us and prevails over all things.

This Lent, may we listen for the voice of the one whom even the wind and the sea obey: Peace! Be still! May we place our trust in the one who lived, and died, and rose again, that we might have life, and have it abundantly.

I wish you a holy Lent and the gift of God’s deep and abiding peace.

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