In a series of essays covering both ancient and modern rituals, Ms. Wotton provides a historical perspective on liturgy as a communal response to the sacred, with the power to heal and inspire. She also shares some of her own liturgical experiences and designs, from proven ecumenical services of worship to non-religious, spirit-filled events.

Ms. Wotton expects Can God Come Out To Play? to appeal to readers who are looking for a spiritual approach to contemporary challenges, interested in imaginative forms and methods, and willing to recognize God as their mysterious, playful companion.

Can God Come Out To Play? is Ms. Wotton’s second published work. Her earlier book, We Storytellers: Blending Our Stories with God’s Story, was published in 2013.

Can God Come Out To Play? costs $17 and can be ordered through Amazon or Ingram as well as from the publisher directly by visiting www.wipfandstock.com. In Toronto, it is available at Crux Books and Book City on Danforth Avenue.

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The Epistle of James is a series of moral laws and exhortations, typical of much Jewish preaching of the day. Preachers were taught not to dwell too long on any one subject, so they would read out a series of laws with brief commentaries, one after the other. This letter is a good example of that Rabbinic style.

Perhaps the epistle was a sermon preached especially to those Jewish Christians who were on the verge of fleeing Jerusalem during the first wave of persecution and the beginning of the dispersion, and James was trying to encourage them to lead a moral life in exile. This would place the letter very early in the life of the church, perhaps as early as 40 CE – before Paul’s writings were in circulation. The main theme of this letter was to be “doers of the word and not hearers only. Faith without works is dead.” This is very different from Paul’s talk about being justified by faith alone.

This little epistle is experiencing a renewed existence in the life of the church, especially with the rebirth of healing ministry so much in evidence today. It is in James that we read those beautiful words, “Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over you, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick” (James 5:14).

This demonstrates quite clearly the practice of the first-century church. It has also become the practice of the 21^st-century church and the church throughout the ages. Many Christians today are practising the same ministry given by Jesus to the first Christians and passed on to us.

How do we reconcile Paul and James? Let us look briefly at St. Paul’s “justification by faith.” Although it is mentioned in a number of epistles, the most complete summary of his theological position is found in the first seven chapters of his Epistle to the Romans. However, if I know that I am saved by my belief in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, then good works should naturally follow. If Jesus is my saviour, I must do something about the poor and disadvantaged in our midst. If I know I am saved by my belief in Jesus Christ, my response must be to help others come to this belief too. Thus I am called to be an evangelist or a witness to the saving power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We need to remember that Paul’s letters are occasional documents, written at various times and places to address specific issues. Much of the time he is handling emergencies, addressing practical problems and misunderstandings, responding to threats and defending himself against his enemies. He often assumes rather than explains the details of his teachings. His letter to the Romans is a fortunate exception to this general rule. It comes very close to a formal treatise, expounding Paul’s view of the Gospel.

Perhaps that is why Paul expands so thoroughly on justification by faith in Jesus Christ in his letter. This is central to his proclamation and has affected theologians throughout the ages, from Augustine to Martin Luther to more modern-day theologians like Paul Tillich. Dare we ignore this topic? I trust you have enjoyed this dialogue with Paul, our first Christian theologian.

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“With the funds, the school was able to build a new dormitory for its female students,” says the Rev. Joan Cavanaugh-Clark, incumbent of Minden-Kinmount. “The building includes secure doors, an apartment for the attending matron, and washrooms inside so the students don’t have to walk outside alone at night.”

Ms. Robertson is the daughter of John and Eleanor Irwin of St. Peter, Maple Lake and a member of St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Sackville, NB. For the past several years, she has spent six weeks each summer volunteering as a teacher at the school.

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“Parishioners became more aware, and they began to take the initiative to know our neighbours,” says Mr. Der.

The parish’s goal this year is “Caring for Our Community.” The anniversary organizing committee decided that a meaningful way to celebrate the 25^th anniversary would be to live out the calling of the church. All members are encouraged to serve 25 hours of community work, and each small group will take up one community project.

“Through service, we are learning to listen and to discover what God is doing in our neighbourhood,” says Mr. Der. “Our motto is, ‘People won’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.’

Some of the community projects parishioners have completed so far are picking up garbage in the neighbourhood during Earth Week, visiting seniors or shut-ins, visiting marginal youth at 360 Kids, riding a Big Bike with a city councillor to raise funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, giving out carnations to mothers in a local mall on Mother’s Day, and giving out keychains to fathers on Father’s Day. The church also sent 14 volunteers to General Synod, raised $1,900 at the St. Christopher’s Community Fun Day for a foodbank and youth resource centre, and sent members to the Richmond Hill Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast.

The church surveyed 148 people in the area on the needs of the community and the role of the church. The results showed that children and teens’ education and physical health were high priorities. Other issues were mental health, friendship and loneliness.

“These results will prepare St. Christopher’s to go into the third year of the transformation to ‘love our mission field,’” says Mr. Der. “A missional parish needs to take root in the community. The community’s concerns will become our concerns. The parish will discern our next steps in response to these needs. From caring to loving, St. Christopher’s is transforming and bringing God’s faithful presence to our community.”

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For St. John’s, a predominately Chinese church for more than four decades, the decision to have a leader whose first language was English was a big one. It also marked the evolution of a parish that has worked hard to become truly multicultural.

The changes undertaken by St. John’s over the past few years were driven by a common concern – young people leaving the church and not coming back. “When our people started the church and worked really, really hard for it, they dearly wanted the next generation to stay and be part of it,” says the Rev. Canon Simon Li, incumbent. “But what happened is far from what they had hoped.”

Instead of staying, generations of young adults left the church, he says. One of the reasons for the disconnect was a difference in language. The children of the parish increasingly spoke English as their first language, while the services and meetings were conducted in Chinese.

“We did things to accommodate the English-speaking people but it was always on the fringes,” says Canon Li. “As a result, they did not feel integral to the church’s life.”

Another problem was the cultural divide between the founding generation and their children and grandchildren who were born and educated in Canada. “Their concerns were not ours,” explains Canon Li of the younger generations. “They were very concerned about the environment and social justice, things like that. Their parents’ generation was slow to catch on to it. They weren’t apathetic – they just didn’t see those things as integral to the church’s life. There was a disconnect there.”

The disconnect was compounded by the Chinese tradition of young people deferring to their elders, he says. When asked for their opinion in a group setting, they would often remain silent or non-committal, not wanting to upset the status quo or break with tradition. Conversely, the original founders said they wanted the younger generations to assume leadership roles but would often offer only simple tasks.

Not having a real voice in the direction of the church and marginalized by language and cultural differences, successive generations went elsewhere – often to nearby Chinese mega-churches that offered not only full English language worship services but also programs such as mission trips and outreach events. Some left the faith altogether.

“It was very sad, seeing the former generation’s labour of love evaporating,” says Canon Li.

For some churches, that would have been the beginning of the end. But not for St. John’s. “People were not blind to what was happening,” says Canon Li. “They were just immobilized and couldn’t find a way out.”

Determined to grow, the church started to take action. A morning prayer service in English was started and official meetings were increasingly conducted in English. In a largely ceremonial but significant gesture, the church dropped the word “Chinese” from its name. Most importantly, in 2009 it hired its own first English-speaking associate priest.

Progress continued after the church relocated to its current site, the former church of St. Patrick’s, Willowdale, in 2013. “The move was supported by the diocese and, by God’s grace, became a catalyst for a yet more beautiful transformation,” says Canon Li.

When the Rev. Jordan Wellington, the current associate priest, started two years ago, he encountered a group of English-speaking parishioners who “felt lonely, a little abandoned and burned out” trying to keep their worship and fellowship going, he says.

He began by asking them what sort of worship service they wanted. It turned out to be a liberating experience for them. “It was great because everyone was so open-minded,” he says. “That was a blessing and part of the reason why we’ve grown.”

The 10 a.m. service became a Eucharistic service that includes both traditional and contemporary elements. Conducted in English, its attendance has grown from about 30 to more than 60. (The church’s Chinese-language service is held at 11:15 a.m.).

Some of the growth has come from parishioners, mostly senior citizens, of the former St. Patrick’s. A few stayed during the transition while others have come back, welcomed by the church’s Chinese parishioners and enlivened by the new English-language service.

Mr. Wellington has also developed new programs for young people. Last year, a group of young adults went on the church’s first mission trip – to the Yukon. He has also started a downtown fellowship for young adults who have moved to the city’s core but still want to be part of the church.

“They can’t always make it to church on Sunday but they still want that spiritual and cultural connection to St. John’s, so we bring the church to them,” he explains. “We meet in their condos and do topical studies instead of a homily. We eat together, talk together and pray together. It’s very simple but it’s growing and we love it. People have invited their friends.”

While growing the English-language congregation, he has been careful to seek the support of the Chinese-speaking congregation and honour Chinese traditions. For instance, the 10 a.m. service celebrates Chung Yeung, a Chinese custom of honouring the departed that is similar to All Souls Day. Small but important measures like that have created a bond and mutual respect between the two congregations, he says.

“It’s not like two congregations – there’s a lot of intermingling, a lot of relaxed conversations,” says Canon Li. “Now we have people from the Caribbean, south Asia, Korea, Hungary and the Ukraine. Anybody who walks in would feel comfortable.”

The bond has played out in other new ways. For the past two summers, both congregations have come together to host a Canada Day fair. This year’s event attracted more than 300 people from the neighbourhood and beyond who were welcomed by St. John’s 100 parishioners. Young career adults from the English-language congregation are holding leadership positions in the church.

“All of St. John’s clergy, churchwardens and deputy churchwardens are in strong agreement that the church is almost ready to take the next step to become a new generation church while continuing to have worship, mission and ministry in Chinese,” says Canon Li.

Teddy Ho, the people’s churchwarden, says the church is moving in the right direction. “I’m very excited by the position that we’re in. It’s been exciting to see the former St. Patrick’s parishioners rejoining us, and also to see neighbours, friends and young people coming to the church.”

He says the growth has not all been in the English-language congregation. “On the Chinese side, we’re also seeing new faces coming in, joining us and staying with the church. It’s a very encouraging sign.”

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“This new position expands the original FaithWorks campaign manager portfolio to include the annual giving responsibilities of the Bishop’s Company and the Anglican Diocese of Toronto Foundation,” says Peter Misiaszek, director of Stewardship Development. “Streamlining the annual giving function will assist in future branding and ensure a better coordination of fundraising activities.”

Ms. Souter has more than 20 years of experience in the non-profit, for-profit and public sectors, spanning community development, education and information technology. Her career has focused on program management, communications, promotions, marketing, fundraising, strategic planning and community-building.

At the heart of Ms. Souter’s work is her commitment to live out Matthew 25:40 and serve the “least of these.” She is committed to building communities that are “compassionate, vibrant, and inclusive.” She has studied theology at both Wycliffe College and St. Michael’s College and is an active teacher of the faith. Her workshops, lectures, and classes focus on scripture, social justice, and care for creation. Most recently, she was the education program coordinator of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation program at Scarboro Foreign Missions, where she developed a new parish-based program inviting participants to care for creation and for vulnerable people.

“I think of myself as a bridge builder – building bridges that enable the development of communities that live out Jesus’ commandment to love one another,” says Ms. Souter. “I look forward to working with everyone to make God’s kingdom a reality.”

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I am responsible for choosing the five plays we present each season and involve our audiences in helping choose – I prepare a shortlist of about 12 plays and invite people to rank them in order of preference. I select a director for each play and, in consultation with them, cast the play and put together a backstage team. Usually I direct one play each season myself. I also conduct annual auditions. I write the text for brochures, flyers and press releases, and sit on the board of Stage Centre Productions. Along with the president, I am the public face of the company. I try to be at every performance of every play and thoroughly enjoy interacting with our patrons and getting their feedback.

We have just successfully kicked off our 40^th season with the North American premiere of an English comedy, Entertaining Angels, by Richard Everett at the Fairview Library Theatre. Although it is extremely funny, it deals with important issues and provides much food for thought. The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario was our guest of honour on the first night. The second play of the season is The Best Man by Gore Vidal, on stage between Nov. 24 and Dec. 3.

I made my first stage appearance in an amateur production when I was a child, then, bitten by the showbiz bug, went on to do numerous amateur productions in the U.K. before working backstage in the West End theatre, finally graduating to acting on stage. I was lucky to keep in work most of the time, toured the U.K. extensively, and even appeared in three different West End musicals.

While I was at the Chichester Festival Theatre, I got to know some of the students at Chichester Theological College (we drank in the same pub) and soon realized that God was calling me to priesthood, so offered myself and was selected. After training at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, I was ordained in Chelmsford Cathedral and served six years in England, first at St. Margaret’s, Leigh-on-Sea (Diocese of Chelmsford), then at St. Peter in Thanet (Diocese of Canterbury), before coming to Canada as chaplain to what is now Royal St. George’s College (Toronto), Canada’s only Anglican choir school. Since I was also head of drama, I could not have been more fulfilled. During my years as a parish priest, I wasn’t involved on stage − too many potential time conflicts – although I sat on various theatre boards and did some plays and concerts in the various parishes I served. The Stage Centre Productions job more or less fell into my lap soon after I retired.

While I was at Royal St. George’s College, I was an honorary assistant at St. Anne, Gladstone Avenue. A brief interim at the Church of the Advent, West Toronto, followed, and I then served for almost 15 years at the Church of the Epiphany and St. Mark, Parkdale. My final full-time position was six years at the Church of the Transfiguration in Toronto. During this time, I also sat on various diocesan boards and committees. After retirement in 2010, I became an honorary assistant at St. John’s, Norway, and have been interim priest-in-charge there since the beginning of August this year.

I have been blessed in spending most of my life doing a job that I love, in places that I love, among people that I love. And I am doubly blessed because I know that I am blessed. It doesn’t get any better than that! However, although I don’t want to suggest that I have not found parish ministry fulfilling, I confess that I look back at my time at Royal St. George’s College as golden years: more than 27 years after my leaving, there are still a good many former students who keep in touch. I also have fond memories of staging the diocese’s sesquicentennial Eucharist in the (then) SkyDome, and I was privileged to be part of the delegation from the Diocese of Toronto to Seoul, Korea, in 1990 to celebrate the Diocese of Seoul’s centenary.

It feels as if I have never been away from the theatre. I love it. This might be a good place to point out that at the altar and in the theatre are the two places I feel most fully alive.

Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, pointed out that the church is very much like the theatre: “The congregation is the actor; God is the audience; and the preacher is the prompter.” The word worship equals “worth ship,” the offering to God of what God is worth. I feel that if we don’t take time and trouble over our offering of worship, we have missed the point. For me, theatre always has a sense of occasion about it. It would be wonderful if our services of worship could have a similar sense of occasion. In the same way that no actor would dream of going on stage unrehearsed and unprepared, we should be equally well prepared when we worship – not just the clergy and the choir and the readers, but every single one of us. Worship is not just what the people in the chancel and sanctuary do, it’s what all of us do together. I forget where I read it, but I like the definition of true worship as “when spirit touches spirit – when our spirit reaches out to God and when God’s spirit reaches out to us simultaneously.” That thrills me.

Another thing: in the theatre, people forget their personal differences and unite in order to ensure that the production they are working on is the very best it can be. Sadly, parish life isn’t always like that…

Five years from now, I’d still like to be enjoying good health, still able to laugh at myself, and still able to make a contribution in the church, in the theatre and in the community.

My favourite passage from scripture is John 10:10: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” The Christian life is meant to be fulfilling.

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The success of FaithWorks is the result of faith-inspired work by volunteers to raise the funds required, along with faith in the generosity of our parishes, the corporate community, foundations, and individuals to respond to the needs of people who need our help. The name FaithWorks, suggested originally by Suzanne Lawson and Ward McCance, parishioners of St. Peter, Cobourg, has certainly lived up to its promise.

Those who remember the birth pangs of FaithWorks may be surprised at its longevity. It was created to help ensure diocesan financial support for outreach ministry at a time of deep fiscal uncertainty. By the early 1990s, the level of parish assessments had become unsustainable. Deep cuts to the diocesan operating budget had decimated key areas of ministry. Outreach support provided through the fund-raising campaigns of the 1980s would run out by the end of the decade.

The problem was exacerbated in 1995, when Ontario’s “Common Sense Revolution” eliminated funding for key social services throughout the province. With the loss of government support, faith communities struggled to respond to the ever-widening gaps in the social safety net. The diocesan response was to create an annual parish appeal, the proceeds of which would protect outreach ministry from fluctuations in future budget years.

With faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to inspire abundant generosity, the first FaithWorks campaign was planned for the spring of 1997. The fundraising goal was set at $1.35 million, with a vision of 100 per cent participation by parishes. The campaign fell well short of its objectives, raising just $686,898 with only 65 per cent of parishes participating. Despite the disappointing results, faith in the potential of FaithWorks remained strong.

A speakers’ bureau, launched under the leadership of Joan Francis, a parishioner at All Saints, King City, helped to spread the good news of FaithWorks throughout the diocese. In 1998, Diocesan Council approved a measure that allowed parishes to retain 15 per cent of the funds raised through FaithWorks to support their respective local outreach ministries. In addition, each episcopal area would retain five per cent of the parish totals for area outreach.

These enhancements quickly paid off. The 1998 FaithWorks campaign raised $1,083,611, a 58 per cent increase over the previous year. Eighty per cent of parishes participated and it was becoming apparent that FaithWorks had the potential to breathe new life into diocesan outreach ministry. As FaithWorks took hold, many parishes took advantage of the campaign’s offertory envelopes to encourage giving throughout the year, while some parishes made FaithWorks an option for those who participated in the Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR) program.

In 2004, the FaithWorks Corporate campaign was launched under the leadership of Peter Misiaszek, who had recently joined the diocese as the director of Stewardship Development. Tony Van Straubenzee, a parishioner at Christ Church, Deer Park, served as the first FaithWorks Corporate campaign chair. In its first year, FaithWorks Corporate raised $232,000 toward the campaign total and quickly became an important element of the annual campaign. A FaithWorks endowment was created in 2008 and has become a significant source of revenue that helps protect against fluctuations in campaign proceeds.

In 2003, 80 per cent of FaithWorks proceeds came from parishes. Today, parishes contribute about 60 per cent of FaithWorks revenue. Additional support is provided by corporations, foundations, individuals and income from endowed funds. In anticipation of the adverse impact that the diocese’s Our Faith-Our Hope campaign might have on annual support, the FaithWorks Allocations Committee had set aside a healthy reserve from previous years’ income and was able to provide a sustained level of funding until FaithWorks revenues normalized.

In 2015, FaithWorks raised $1.67 million, the best result in its history. It continues to provide essential operating support that allows its ministry partners to serve the needs of some of the most marginalized people in our diocese and around the world.  An ongoing process of discernment helps to ensure that FaithWorks will remain a vital, dynamic, and relevant ministry.

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I ask for the prayers of the faithful in our diocese for Archbishop Colin Johnson, the new bishops and me, as we go through this period of transition in the months ahead. It will be a time of building a new leadership team, as well as making adjustments and adaptations required for doing so.

The bishops-elect are gifted priests that Synod, in its prayerful consideration and discernment, has chosen to be leaders of the clergy and people they will serve. As is true with any change of position and leadership in our church, it will require a significant degree of encouragement, patience, prayerful support and cooperation, as the new bishops begin their new ministries.

I was very grateful for the support, advice and encouragement I received when I began my ministry as a bishop. Clergy and people were most welcoming, and made the initial days in my new role pleasant and enjoyable. My hope is that our new bishops-elect will receive the same kind of support, advice and encouragement as they begin their ministries in their respective areas.

We affirm the baptismal ministry of all the faithful in our church and are appreciative of the wonderful work and witness carried out across the length and breadth of this diocese. It is from among the faithful people of God that women and men are called to ordained ministry in our diocese, and we are blessed with dedicated clergy who serve our church well.

Our bishops-elect are among the able, dedicated and good clergy now called to serve as leaders in the diocese. We pray for them during this period of preparation and transition. We also pray that their families will be strengthened in order to be able to deal with the many changes they will face.

Riscylla, Kevin and Jenny will be leaving parish families that they have come to love during their years of parish ministry. Let us pray for those parishes as they too will be in transition, anticipating selection processes and the eventual call of new clergy to serve them. We thank these parishes for contributing to and sharing in the growth and leadership skills of our bishops-elect. I encourage the faithful of those parishes to honour the ministries of their priests now called to the office of bishop, by continuing the good ministry, work and witness that they shared through the years.

As a bishop, it is a privilege and honour to share with others in this vocation of service and leadership. We are mindful of how weighty a ministry it is and the trust and responsibility placed upon us by the church. It has to be approached with humility, prayerfully and a willingness to be spirit-led. We are also mindful that in accepting this ministry, we do so trusting in the grace and help of Almighty God. As bishops we realize the importance of listening, working with others and discerning what God is up to in the world that God has wonderfully made. It is crucial that in reading God’s word, we listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church at this time.

In weekly services across our diocese and the Anglican Communion, bishops are prayed for by name. We are appreciative, comforted and encouraged in the knowledge that we are upheld in prayer by many.

The days ahead are anticipated to be exciting, invigorating and missional-focused. I expect that our bishops-elect will bring new energy, enthusiasm and perspectives that will enhance the work we are called to do.

In the ordination service, the bishop is reminded of her role and responsibility and asked a number of questions by the Archbishop and other bishops. One of the questions asked is, “Will you encourage and support all baptized people in their gifts and ministries, nourish them from the riches of God’s grace, pray for them without ceasing, and celebrate with them the sacraments of our redemption?” The bishop-elect answers, “I will, in the name of Christ, the shepherd and bishop of our souls.” Another question asked is, “Will you share with your fellow bishops in the government of the whole church; will you sustain your fellow presbyters and take counsel with them; will you guide and strengthen the deacons and all others who minister in the church?” The answer given is, “I will by the grace of God given me.”

God’s grace is sufficient to meet all our needs as people, deacons, priests and bishops, in living into our baptismal ministry. I pray that the grace of God will enable, empower and sustain the College of Bishops in the days ahead, as we welcome our new bishops into this wonderful ministry to which Almighty God has called us.

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