A SECTION OF THE ANGLICAN JOURNAL

w w w . k o o t e n a y . a n g l i c a n . c a

APRIL 2011 SERVING THE DIOCESE OF KOOTENAY

Journaling as prayerSee P. 4

Hearts & friendshipSee P. 5

St. Mary’s centennialSee P. 4

points us to a God who hasentered into the very life of cre-ation and who is made vulnerableto the suffering and pain of theworld. The cross points us to theunique place that those who suf-fer have in the heart of God.God stands with and enters intosuch suffering. I would not wantto say that somehow sufferingleads to godliness or that Goddesires that people suffer, butrather say that those who sufferstand particularly within the careand companionship of God. Attimes Christianity has beenaccused of being so focused oneternal salvation, that Christiansoverlook the very real suffering ofthe world. The cross bringsbefore us all who live very realand pain filled lives. That Godin Christ knows the suffering ofthe cross, leads us to be extraconscious of the suffering of oth-ers, for there the crucified God isstill to be found.

Such an awareness of the suf-fering and death of Jesus draws us

APRIL 2011PAGE 2 THE HIGHWAY

The HighWay is published under the authority of the Bishop of Kootenay and the Synod of theDiocese of Kootenay. Opinions expressed in The HighWay are not necessarily those of the Editor orthe Publisher.

THE

HIGHWAY

EDITOR

Jonn LavinnderSt. Saviour’s Pro-Cathedral723 Ward Street,Nelson, B.C.V1L 1T3Phone: (250) 352-5711thehighway@shaw.ca

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n 1976 the German theolo-gian, Jurgen Moltmann,wrote a major work entitled“The Crucified God.” He

wrote it as a sequel to his“Theology of Hope,” in part tocorrect what he found to be thetendency of the western world toembrace a spirit of optimism, areliance on self-improvement, andthe gospel of success. The title“The Crucified God” was meantto be startling and to bring beforeus the centrality of the cross inChristian faith. This month theChristian world will again focusin Holy Week on the path of thesuffering of Jesus (his passion), hisdeath on the cross, and his burial,all in preparation for the celebra-tions of Easter. In the busyness ofour lives it is easy to let the focuson the cross slip by as we prepare

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ing about God. St. Paul wrote,“…we proclaim Christ crucified,a stumbling block to Jews andfoolishness to Gentiles.” With theearliest Christian preaching, thecross came into sudden promi-nence as a focal point for faith.

We can take comfort in theconclusion that in the death andresurrection of Jesus, God wasacting to save the world. As wesing on Good Friday, “O Saviourof the world, by your cross andprecious blood you haveredeemed us.” We can, however,through our familiarity with theimages and words of GoodFriday, lose sight of the extraordi-nary conclusion that it is Godwho, acting in and through Jesus,hangs on the cross. That affirma-tion, leads to startling conclu-sions. It reverses many of ourpopular views of a God that issomehow above it all, a God whois all powerful and all knowingand who can manipulate the cre-ation to whatever ends God (orwe) may desire. Instead the cross

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for the joys of Easter. In the cul-ture in which we live it is easy toloose sight of Good Friday, whenmost of the world is thinking of along weekend holiday!

Moltmann reminds us thatcrucifixion was commonplaceduring the Roman occupation ofIsrael. Literally, hundreds andthousands of crosses lined theroads and hillsides where theRoman Empire exerted its ironfisted rule. The crucifixion of anunknown Hebrew preacher couldeasily have gone unnoticed in thetumultuous history of the 1stCentury. Two things changedthat. First, the resurrection ofJesus on the third day after hisdeath at first astonished and thengalvanized his followers. “He isRisen!” became the first procla-mation of the Good News aboutJesus. Secondly, the extraordinary,mind stretching possibility thatthe One whom God had raisedfrom the dead was killed as acommon criminal and died anexcruciating death on a crosschallenged all conventional think-

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to reflect further on the placesand circumstances where there issuffering in our world and whatit means for us to stand withthose who suffer. We can ask our-selves, “How can we stand withGod and with those who suffer inthe present reality of our ownday?” Such an awareness can alsocause us to reflect on how ourlives and our decisions contributeto the suffering of others. In thisway the cross judges our lives andour way of life.

The cross of Jesus takes us tothe very heart of our faith, and tothe very heart of God. In myview, contemplating the cross canopen us to a new understandingof God and a renewed experienceof faith. As we approach HolyWeek I encourage you to plan toparticipate in some of the manyservices before Easter as a way ofpreparing for the joy of theResurrection!

Faithfully,+John ❑

ARCHBISHOP’S PAGE

The crucified God

BY ARCHBISHOP JOHN E. PRIVETT

In My View

Dear friends,

rchbishop Johnhas assembled asmall task force“to explore a

range of pastoral optionswith regard to the matter ofsame sex unions in our dio-cese, and to recommendone or two for considera-tion for the Archbishop’simplementation.”We have been meetingsince December. The firstmeeting was face-to-face,and we are planning to dothe rest of our work by tele-conference call.

Comprised of KaylaFish, Cathy Haig, RitaHarrison, Archbishop JohnPrivett, Cindy Ryley, andYme Woensdregt, the TaskForce has had fruitful dis-cussions around six facets ofthe issue:

1) identifying the scope of thetask;

2) considering the motionpassed at General Synod2010 (resolution A115,“Affirmation of SexualityDiscernment”);

3) determining what other dio-ceses (Huron, NewWestminster, Niagara,Ottawa, Toronto) have done;

4) taking into account the senseof our last two DiocesanSynods;

5) discerning the needs of ourown diocese; and

6) setting a timeline for ourwork.General Synod’s decision

came in the context of a week ofintentional, gracious andrespectful dialogue. No legisla-tive decision was made, but aSexuality DiscernmentStatement was approved.General Synod acknowledged a“continuing commitment to

develop generous pastoralresponses.” Sadly, there is atpresent no common mind, andthis causes pain to many. “Thisis not just ‘an issue’ but is aboutpeople’s daily lives and deeplyheld faith commitments.”

The Task Force is keenlyaware of the truth of this in ourown Diocese. We are part ofKootenay’s commitment to “anongoing discernment process.”As we gather resources, discussthem, and make choices, wewill seek to honour the needs ofour parishes and people, seek-ing to follow the leading ofGod’s Holy Spirit in our work.

We have made a commit-ment to substantially finish ourwork by Pentecost 2011, andanticipate that the Archbishopwill release a Pastoral Statementearly in September. Please keepthe Task Force in your prayersas we engage in this importantwork.

Task force on samesex blessings meets

A

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BY YME WOENSDREGT

APRIL 2011 THE HIGHWAY PAGE 3COLUMNS

hose who have thegreat privilege ofserving our nationalChurch, risk pre-

suming that others they meet inparish and diocesan life share asimilar awareness and interest inthe national or internationalissues they themselves find socompelling. As my regular readersknow I contend that the “person-in-the pew” remains largely dis-connected from our wider churchwith a consequentially diminishedunderstanding of its structuresand functions. The NationalChurch hopes that CanadianAnglicans are well informed bythe Anglican Journal and by theACC Website (recently redesignedand updated). Communication toand from dioceses and parishes is

thought to be comprehensivelyfacilitated by General Synod dele-gates and Council of GeneralSynod members, and by faithfulAnglicans from coast to coastwho, it is assumed, frequently andavidly follow national churchnews. Despite good intentions,experience tells me that this is farfrom reality. And this is under-standable because presumptionsget in the way; many people donot have Web or ready mailaccess. Many people have barelyenough energy or time to keep upwith their parish affairs; manypeople frankly either don’t seemto care, or are prepared to trustothers to ensure the necessarywork gets done.

Vision 2019 is the most sig-nificant strategic redirection ofthe Anglican Church of Canadain decades. It derives its namefrom the fundamental questionsthat went out to CanadianAnglicans before General Synod2010 — “Where do you wantyour Church to be, or what do

BY RANDALL FAIREY

Commentary

T

was 15 and theyoungest in a family offour children — theonly one still living at

home — when my father died.Because he and I were close,one of the side effects of hisdeath was that my relationshipwith my mother decidedlyworsened.

She was about 55-years-old, had not worked outsidethe home since before theywere married, didn’t drive a carand, in the course of their mar-riage, my father handled all thefinances. My mother didn’tlearn how to write a chequeuntil after his death. I don’tknow about driving a car but Ido know that not working out-side the home and not havingany insight into the householdfinances was the way my fatherliked it. While North Americansociety was in the throes of thefeminist revolution, my fatherpreferred things the way they

had always been.Bottom line — in terms

of his marriage, my dad wasthe epitome of a male chau-vinist. His early death, howev-er, prevented me from experi-encing first-hand the reality ofthis part of his personality. Italso allowed me to place himin stained glass while mymother became the recipientof all my teenage angst andbitterness. Because of this, Imissed seeing who she reallywas and, following his death,the amazing things she actual-ly accomplished. It has takenme years to come to regardmy mother as anything butthe focus of my rebellion, andI might never have been ableto do this if it hadn’t been formy experience as a parishpriest.

Years ago, I buried thehusband of a parishioner.Many people worried abouthis widow. Because of herdependence on him, we all

I

COGS wheels

Widows might

RANDALL FAIREY IS A DELEGATE

TO THE COUNCIL OF GENERAL

SYNOD AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER

OF THE DIOCESE OF KOOTENAY

you want your Church to looklike, by the year 2019 (threeGeneral Synods from 2010)?” Theprogram has been designed andendorsed by over a year of hardwork.

Vision 2019 is about theAnglican Church of Canada plan-ning to implement further mis-sion; specifically the Missio Dei— the Mission of God. It hasbeen said that engagement in mis-sion is a vital action we need toundertake in order to truly fulfillour baptismal covenant. AChurch that is not engaged ineffective mission is a Church thatover time will inevitably die. Andto help us in such holy work, theVision 2019 program is designedaround the five “Marks ofMission” of the AnglicanCommunion. In that title, theword “marks” is used in the senseof confirming the “signs” thatmission actions are truly happen-ing.

Returning to my first point,however, it is my continuing

observation that few grass rootsAnglicans are clear what Vision2019 entails or can easily buyinto it. Moreover, many still claimnot to have heard of the Marks ofMission. This is not a criticism ofthe intelligence or interest ofCanadian Anglicans; rather it is awarning that we in national lead-ership are still not communicat-ing as effectively as we would like.

In a short column I can onlybegin to raise awareness. Forthose with Internet access Iimplore you to go to the nationalwebsite and truly inform yourself(and others who may need yourassistance) at http://archive.angli-can.ca/v2019/mm/index.htmExplore the excellent resourcesthat are online. Help others with-out computers to become awarethrough discussions and study.

And so in order one cannotsay again that he/she has notheard of the Five Marks ofMission adopted by the AnglicanConsultative Council of theCommunion, they are listed here

as simple but profound actionstatements:1. To proclaim the Good News

of the Kingdom2. To teach, baptize and nurture

new believers3. To respond to human need

by loving service4. To seek to transform the

unjust structures of society5. To strive to safeguard the

integrity of creation and sus-tain and renew the life of theearth[Canada has made a popularsuggestion that will undoubt-edly become a Sixth Mark ofMission]:

6. To seek peace, and encourageconflict resolution and recon-ciliation

Please pray for the Missionof God and the actions of theHoly Spirit in leading each of usin the Anglican Church ofCanada through Vision 2019.

BY NISSA BASBAUMwondered if she would be ableto put the pieces back togetherand move on with her life. Iremember visiting with herabout a month after the funer-al and asking her how she wasdoing. “Well,” she said. “Youknow what they say: ‘Laughand the world laughs withyou; cry and you cry alone.’ Isave the tears for when I’malone. I laugh when I’m witheveryone else.” Years later, shecontinues to laugh with every-one else.

Another woman was mar-ried 54 years when her hus-band died. During a visit withthis parishioner, she told meshe had spent over 50 wonder-ful years with this man and shelooked forward to spendinganother 50 with him when shedied.

Someone else found her-self in a similar situation to theone in which my mother wasleft. Not quite as unfamiliar asmy mother was with the nuts

and bolts of living on her own,she still had to remake her life,having to learn and mastermany things that had previ-ously been of little interest toher. Perhaps more than any-one, it was my experience ofthis parishioner that made merealize just how many moun-tains my mother had to climbto survive my father’s deathand to go on to live a fulfillinglife for another 32 years.

I could write pages andpages of the number of experi-ences I have had of womenwho have lost their husbandsyet moved on with their livesin the most positive and life-giving ways. Churches are fullof them. In fact, most peoplewould be hard-pressed toargue against a suppositionthat it is often these samewomen — these widows, thatis — who are the lifeblood ofmany congregations. Theirendless energy and their capac-ity to take the love which they

have had for their husbandsand which they continue tohave for their children, andpour this into their volun-teerism — which often meanstheir church — is nothingshort of incredible.

The widows I haveencountered through my min-istry as a parish priest havetaught me that what it reallytakes to survive the death of aloved one is attitude — anattitude of perseverance, anattitude of love and an atti-tude of thanksgiving — andthe desire to maintain thisattitude even at a time when itseems next to impossible. I amcertainly grateful for the edu-cation they have given meabout my own mother and Iam also grateful for what theyhave taught me about life andhow to live it.

When I grow up, I hope Iwill be able to exhibit thesame class these women do.

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APRIL 2011PAGE 4 THE HIGHWAY CHURCH LIFE

ournaling is a meaningful prayerpractice and has been long hon-oured in the Judeo-Christian tra-dition. Putting thoughts andfeelings on paper as we pray can

help us to be reflective about what wethink and feel. It is a way of “seeing” ourthoughts and feelings and can help usput things in perspective. Journaling canopen our heart and mind so that we arebetter able to hear what God reallywants of us, sharpening our discernmentpowers. It is an activity that reducesstress, lightens our load and actuallyworks for both left and right-brainedpeople.

Writing about life’s challenges andre-visiting that writing later helps us togain clarity in our relationship withGod, with ourselves and with others.Over a period of time, patterns of act-ing, relating and thinking all emerge tohelp us gain self-understanding. Webegin to see evidence of God’s work inour lives, reminding us of our gifts andgently confronting us with our limita-tions.

Be assured there is no wrong way tojournal. A quiet time and place can bechosen and/or you may choose to carryyour journal with you in order to havethe freedom to write when the urge aris-es. Journaling can easily be linked toother forms of prayer. For example, aftera time of centring prayer, lectio divina,or the Ignatian prayer of Examen, timecan then be given to journal whateverthoughts, feelings or insights that mayhave arisen during your prayer time. Itcan also be a stand alone prayer activityin which we take the opportunity togive thanks, talk about what challengedus in our day or just talk, letting thewords flow in whichever way they will.

One of the great barriers to journal-ing is our tendency to judge what wehave written. We want to write our mostprofound thoughts not our petty frustra-tions and yet all needs to be taken toprayer. I have found that the best “tech-nique” is one recommended by JuliaCameron in “The Artist’s Way.” She hasher students commit to writing threepages a day regardless of whether one

JBY NANCY SCOTT

has anything particular to say. Thebeauty of this is that the pearls do ariseas we get caught up in the process, for-getting “ourselves” so to speak and let-ting God’s “voice” speak to us throughthe pen and paper before us. Some daysor periods of time will be dry where wefind very little to write; yet this is a nat-

ural part of our prayer life. Do not giveup, persevere; and in hindsight we usu-ally find that God was not only with us,but also carrying us through these times.

Journaling as prayer

he men of our parish decidedit was time to hang ourCentennial Banner. They metearly in the morning on a very

cold Saturday, the last one in January,and surveyed the situation thoroughlyprior to proceeding with the hanging ofthe banner. Out came the ladders, screwhooks and rope. Six men were availablefor this task. Now I ask you, how manyAnglicans does it take to hang a banner?Our Banner is now proudly on display,and many comments of congratulationswere forthcoming even from the truck-ers, who stop often for a rest in front ofthe church.

There are many hands involved inthe organizing of our centennial; we alsohave a dream of developing our court-yard on the south side of the church sothat it can be an attractive, useablehandicap accessible space. HomecomingWeekend beginning on the evening ofFriday, June 10 through June 12, therewill be centennial hymns to sing, storiesto listen to, and many photos to peruseand enjoy. Special events will take placeduring the whole year, including thechurch being open to visitors during thesummer months; a Ceilidh in Octoberwith many performers; and culminating

in the special celebratory service withArchbishop John Privett on December10, 2011, exactly 100 years since theRt. Revd Adam Urias de Pencier,Bishop of New Westminster, came toconsecrate the original church.

Our anniversary year is now inprogress. From an early log church forthe Anglican Church in becoming partof the Shuswap shared parish with theUnited Church to St. Mary’s venturingout on its own still as a shared parishwith the United Church.

Centennial Prayer by The Rev. Bruce Chalmers our Incumbent.Holy and loving God,

through the ages you have calledmen and women to be witnesses to your abiding presence in the world,

making known your love through discipleship in Jesus Christ.We give thanks for the gift of our community of faith at St. Mary’s:

for its witness to the gospel through the past 100 years,for its vocation of spiritual nurture and care,

and for its continuing vitality.Continue to bless us,

guiding us by the Holy Spirit, the Sustainer.May we always be a life-giving symbolof the hope given in your son Jesus,

in whose name we pray.Amen

T

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The spiritual practice of journaling

St. Mary’s, Anglican/United Church,Sorrento, Centennial

BY INA BRANSON

HANGING OUT — Helpers hanging the centennial banner were John Howat, Dieter Nitsche, Howard Peto, Mike Johnstoneand Ivan Branson.

photo ina branson

APRIL 2011 PAGE 5 THE HIGHWAYCHURCH LIFE

t. Margaret’s ACW hosted thefourteenth annual friendshiptea. Women from local and sur-rounding churches were invited,

and approximately 70 women weregathered. The hall was decorated withhearts and red tablecloths — the themewas love. Lovely sandwiches and deli-cious treats were prepared by St.Margaret’s women, and enjoyed by all.There were draws for prizes for theguests during lunch. First class enter-tainment was provided by individuals,as well as groups. This included singing,poetry reading and jokes. It was a veryspecial event with great interactionbetween old and new friends, and itwon’t be the last.

Hearts & friendshipBY INGELISE HARRISON

S

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St. Margaret’s, Peachland, celebrates St. Valentine’s Day and friendship with hearts and tea

photos frank warburton

COLUMNS APRIL 2011PAGE 6 THE HIGHWAY

BY DOUG HODGKINSON

Movie review

Troubled water

good and walking hand inhand into the sunset as it isabout the telling of truth(finally?) and the chips fallingwhere they may. It is riskybusiness.

The story is told in flash-backs and has two halves. Inthe first half we can identifywith Thomas who is startingover with fear and hope. Thechurch’s expression of forgive-ness and acceptance is impres-sive. In the second half we seeAgnes, who has suffered fromnot knowing what happened

an has been in jail foreight years. He wasconvicted, along withan accomplice, of thekidnapping and mur-

der of a child. Through thework of a chaplain in the jailhe is recommended for a jobas an organist in a Lutheranparish in Oslo. This positioncomes with an apartment anda bicycle! Because he is nerv-ous about being recognized itis suggested that he uses hismiddle name, Thomas. Thepastor of the church, Anna, isa single parent with a little towheaded blond son, Jens, wholooks remarkably like the childhe was accused of killing andthis resemblance causesThomas enormous anxiety.Eventually, he is able to relaxwith the boy as well as withhis mom and a romancebegins to blossom. She tellshim of her own isolation from

in movies but agreed on thisoccasion after he’d read thescript.)

As Agnes slowly comes torealize who is playing theorgan she reacts with panicand rage. She and her hus-band, Jon, and their twoadopted children are in themidst of making plans to leaveOslo for Denmark where hehas accepted a new job. Hehas been notified that Thomaswas being released and hid theletter from Agnes. Her reac-tion is to concoct an elaborateplan to kidnap Jens and wreakrevenge on the one who hascaused such anguish in herlife. It is in the narrow con-fines of her car and in a dra-matic rescue from the verystream in which her own sonwas drowned (and whose bodywas never found) that truth istold and reconciliation occurs.It is a chaotic scene and we arereminded that reconciliation isnot so much about feeling

family when she became preg-nant, was unmarried and felt acall to ministry. In the midstof a conversation about reli-gion she states that she“believes in a God whose exis-tence is not yet proven.”(What a wonderful statementof Faith! Maybe all NorwegianLutheran pastors are taughtthat line in Apologetics but itwas my first time hearing itand it certainly gives depthand irony to the current “GodDebate.”)

As things are movingalong swimmingly Jan is dis-covered by Agnes, the motherof the child he is accused ofmurdering. She is a teacherwho has brought her class on afield trip to the church.Thomas is playing the organand the tour guide asks him toplay some “religious music.”He plays Bridge OverTroubled Water ! (Aside: PaulSimon NEVER gives permis-sion for his music to be used

to her “lost” child but has suc-cessfully “come to terms with”the loss of her child, “achievedsome closure, etc, etc,”become unhinged and venge-ful.

These two intertwinedstories collide. We are invitedto practice compassion forboth Agnes and Thomas butthe movie will test yourunderstanding and commit-ment to reconciliation, for-giveness, acceptance andrestorative justice.

Directed by Erik Poppe, starring: Sverre Walheim Hagen (Jan/Thomas), Ellen Dorrit Petersen (Pastor Anna), Trine Dyrholm(Agnes), Fredrik Grandahl, (Jens), Trond Espen Seim (Jon) 120minutes, 2008, Norwegian with subtitles.

J

You wanted to know

BY PETER DAVISON

ShouldChristiansbecomeinvolved inpolitics?

The reality isthat manyChristians, bothlaypeople andclergy, are politi-cally active. They

can be found all across the politi-cal spectrum, with some support-ing fiscal and social conservatism,some who would call themselvesChristian socialists, and othersoccupying the middle groundbetween the two. What allChristians must avoid is equatingany particular political ideologywith the Kingdom of God. Thereis a danger that stems from thefourth century recognition by theEmperor Constantine ofChristianity as the official religion

Q:

A:

who argue for a U.S. theocracyare the most vociferous againstrecognising the religious rights ofMuslims. While officially secular,the United States is much morereligious than Canada, wherechurches have become increasing-ly marginalised, and charitableregistration numbers of religiousinstitutions can be withdrawn ifRevenue Canada deems them toopolitically active.

The recent and ongoing dis-pute over matching grants fromCIDA to KAIROS has much todo with that church-based organ-isation’s alleged political activity— though the government hasfailed to show that KAIROS hassaid or done anything to offendagainst the guidelines. Whateverthe merits of that case or anyother, Christians of all politicalpersuasions should be concernedwith the concentration of powerin the hands of fewer and fewerhands, the erosion of our demo-

marriage to Catherine of Aragon.Parliament ruled that Henry wasentitled to keep it however, alongwith that of “Supreme Governor”of the Church of England. Alongwith the Act of Supremacy camethe political consequences of loy-alty to pope or to monarch. Onlyin the nineteenth century wereRoman Catholics officially recog-nised in England. In continentalEurope there were variousattempts to establish theocraticstates, but these failed.

The American Revolutiondecreed the separation of churchand state. This originally meantsimply no established church, butits current meaning remains indispute, with some arguing onthe one hand against any publicdisplay of religious teaching andsymbols, and others arguing(wrongly) that the constitutiondecreed the United States aChristian nation. Ironically, thesame ultraconservative Americans

of the Roman Empire. Prior tothis, Christians had often beenregarded as atheists, because theyrefused to worship the Romangods, and this refusal was regard-ed as politically subversive. Hencethe widespread persecution ofChristians, many of whombecame martyrs to their faith.

In the Middle Ages, crusadeswere organised to fight againstMuslims and certain hereticalgroups in order to preserve thewhole notion of a Christian stateand empire. Long before theReformation, tensions betweenmonarchs and popes arose overwho should exercise both politicaland religious supremacy. HenryVIII received his title “Defenderof the Faith” from Pope Leo X forhis theological critique of MartinLuther. Not long after, Pope PaulIII rescinded this title whenHenry challenged papal authorityover the Pope’s refusal of hisrequest for an annulment of his

cratic institutions, and theincreasing willingness of electedofficials to withhold the truth,and even to engage in outrightlies — all without penalty, itwould seem. At a time whenpopular uprisings in the MiddleEast and elsewhere have resultedin the overthrow of tyrants,Canadian Christians should notbe complacent about our owninstitutions. If the state has theduty to check abuse of power byreligious bodies, people of faithhave an equal responsibility topoint out that politicians andcivil servants must all be heldaccountable, not only to the elec-torate, but to a higher authoritywhich the prophets and Jesushimself have called the Kingdomof God. And the signs of thatKingdom have always been jus-tice, compassion and humility inthe exercise of power.

Should Christians become involved in politics?

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APRIL 2011 THE HIGHWAY PAGE 7COLUMNS & CLASSIFIED

have a penance to pay,which is very appropri-ate for Lent. In the lastfew reviews I have been

burdening you with heavy,academic, and even expensivebooks. I’m afraid that is thenatural outpouring of the endof an academic project. Wellthat is now behind me, and itis time to give you some sim-ple, nourishing reading. Andwhat is more, this book is free.

“The practice of the pres-ence of God” was one of thefirst spiritual classics I everread, back in the days when Iwas a university student bask-ing in the glow of my recentwhole-hearted conversion toChristianity. I was enjoyingcatholic, evangelical, andcharismatic expressions of faithin a heady mix. This book,spoke to the joys of simplefaith, without all the “extras”that the three expressionsabove promised. It is exactly

BY NEIL ELLIOT

I

Phone: 250-426-8117 Fax: 250-426-8127

EEmmaaiill:: mmaarryywwooooddrreettrreeaattss@@sshhaaww..ccaa WWeebbssiittee:: wwwwww..rreettrreeaattssoonnlliinnee..nneett//mmaarryywwoooodd

MARYWOOD RETREAT CENTRE

821 Westwood DriveCranbrook, BC V1C 6V1

that simple faith which I keepcoming back to, remindingmyself that the other stuff isoften a distraction from theheart of our spirituality, likebarnacles on a ships hull, orfancy decorations on an auto-mobile.

Brother Lawrence is a sim-ple man, writing in the 1660sand 1670s. He was a self-con-fessed clumsy man who startedas a footman and ended in amonastery. His longest role inthe monastery was in thekitchen, to which he had “avery strong aversion.” Butthere he learned perseveranceand patience, and found thegrace to do everything withlove. So his words are notlearned or sophisticated. Butthey are good and true.

The practice of the pres-ence of God is simply hismethod of becoming aware ofGod in every circumstance inwhich we find ourselves —

“Recognizing and welcomingGod’s presence.” BrotherLawrence teaches, “The bestway of reaching God isthrough those ordinary occu-pations which he receivedunder obedience.” In otherwords it is in those activitiesthat we least enjoy, that wemay most grow close to theobject of our desire.

The book is freely avail-able on the Internet in a vari-ety of translations. I’m sure itdoesn’t matter which one youread, for this is a simple mes-sage. Again and again I havefound in my relationship withGod that I need to come backto the simple, and remove thecomplex from my life. I com-mend it to you that youmight listen to BrotherLawrence and let his wordsencourage you upward toGod.

DIRECTED PERSONAL RETREATS:

May 26 - June 3 June 11 - 19July 21 - 29 August 5 - 13

Directors: Nina Glinski CND & others

The practice of the presence of Godby Brother Lawrence

Available free online — for example through Wikipedia

In My Good Books

e’re about midwayin our Lentenjourney to theheart of our faith.

In this season we seek to recon-nect with God and renew ourbaptismal covenant. We makespace in our lives for the sacred,and discover that we also getmore deeply in touch with ourtruest selves. It’s grace.

It’s not an easy journey tomake. Seeking God’s way is neverquite as sure and certain, as wewould like it to be. There are somany siren voices calling to usfrom the culture ... “you can becool” ... “you can be rich.”...“you can look young” ... “youcan have everything you want.”

Those voices try to drown outthe call to walk in the way ofJesus. Here’s a parable:A seeker came to a saint forguidance. “Tell me, wise one,how did you become holy?”“Two words.”“And what are they, please?”“Right choices.”The seeker was fascinated.“How does one learn to chooserightly?”“One word.”“One word! May I have it,please?” the seeker asked.“Growth.”The seeker was thrilled. “Howdoes one grow?”“Two words.”“What are they, pray tell?”“Wrong choices.”

Right choices are notalways easy to discern, so we

learn by making wrong choic-es. We wrestle with the com-plexities of life, listen for God’svoice in the midst of all theother voices in our society, andthen do God’s thing in theworld. And God’s thing is usu-ally in conflict with the moreselfish and greedy attitudes ofour society.

The wrong choices wemake become, by grace,opportunities for growth. Sochoose boldly! And let thisprayer of Thomas Merton giveyou comfort and courage:“My Lord God, I have no ideawhere I am going. I do not seethe road ahead of me. I cannotknow for certain where it willend. Nor do I really knowmyself, and the fact that Ithink that I am following yourwill does not mean that I amactually doing so. But I believethat the desire to please youdoes in fact please you. And Ihope I have that desire in allthat I am doing. I hope that Iwill never do anything apartfrom that desire. And I knowthat if I do this you will leadme by the right road though Imay know nothing about it.

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W

Choices in the journey of Lent

BY YME WOENSDREGT

TThhiiss ccoolluummnn hhaass bbeeeenn wwrriitttteennwwiitthh tthhee iinntteennttiioonn tthhaatt iitt mmaayy bbeerreepprriinntteedd iinn llooccaall nneewwssppaappeerrss.. ffoorrtthheeiirr rreelliiggiioonn ppaaggee.. YYmmee wwiillll bbeewwrriittiinngg aa sshhoorrtt aarrttiiccllee eeaacchhmmoonntthh eexxpprreessssllyy wwiitthh tthhiiss ppuurrppoosseeiinn mmiinndd.. YYoouu aarree ffrreeee ttoo rreepprroo-dduuccee tthhee aarrttiiccllee wwiitthhoouutt pprriioorraapppprroovvaall.. DDrroopp uuss aa lliinnee iiff yyoouuddoo..TThhee EEddiittoorr

Thomas Merton

Therefore will I trust youalways though I may seem tobe lost and in the shadow ofdeath. I will not fear, for youare ever with me, and you willnever leave me to face my per-ils alone.” (Thomas Merton,“Thoughts in Solitude”)

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Brother Lawrence said that in order to form a habit of con-versing with God continually and referring all we do to Him, wemust at first apply to Him with some diligence. Then, after a lit-tle care, we would find His love inwardly excite us to it withoutany difficulty.

He expected after the pleasant days God had given him, hewould have his turn of pain and suffering. Yet he was not uneasyabout it. Knowing that, since he could do nothing of himself,God would not fail to give him the strength to bear them.

When an occasion of practicing some virtue was offered, headdressed himself to God saying, “Lord, I cannot do this unlessThou enablest me.” And then he received strength more thansufficient. When he had failed in his duty, he only confessed hisfault saying to God, “I shall never do otherwise, if You leave meto myself. It is You who must hinder my falling and mend whatis amiss.” Then, after this, he gave himself no further uneasinessabout it.

Brother Lawrence said we ought to act with God in thegreatest simplicity, speaking to Him frankly and plainly, andimploring His assistance in our affairs just as they happen. Godnever failed to grant it, as Brother Lawrence had often experi-enced.

An excerpt from The practice of the presence of God

THE HIGHWAY PAGE 8APRIL 2011 CHURCH LIFE

Cathedral Building Project — St Michael's House

St. Michael and All Angels — our diocesan Cathedral — isnearing the end of a financial campaign to fund the con-struction of St. Michael’s House. To date, through gifts,pledges and bequests, the parish has raised over one milliondollars, definitely something to celebrate; yet additionalfunds are needed for the construction to be completed.

Approval to proceed is in part dependent on financialcontributions to the project. Your support of our Cathedral,through immediate gift or timed pledge, will help to realizethis venture and to encourage a revitalized diocesan ministry.Please assist us in achieving this goal.

Here is my gift or pledge to help complete the construction of St.Michael’s House. (Tax receipts will be issued.)

I pledge $__________/ month for ______ months OREnclosed is my gift of $_________

My name:____________________Phone:____________

My address:____________________________________

_____________________________________________Please mail this, and make cheques payable to:St. Michael’s Cathedral,608 Sutherland Avenue,Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 5X1St. Michael’s supports the Kootenay Forward Fund

I was pleased to read the very interestingarticle in the latest Highway on BishopColeman, as he had confirmed me as anadult in 1962. I was rather distressed,however, by the description of ArchdeaconCatchpole as becoming more removed andofficious. Archdeacon Catchpole (or Mr.Catchpole as he was known) prepared mefor that confirmation, and I well remem-ber the classes in the old Children’sChapel. The Archdeacon certainly didn’t“suffer fools gladly” — he was opinionat-ed, direct and somewhat intimidating, buthe was a wonderful man, with a way withwords and a dry sense of humour — andhe loved his people. My husband and Iconsidered ourselves fortunate to have himas our rector for 6 or 7 years before hisretirement, and have kept several of thewarm and witty letters he wrote us aftermoving to Victoria. Reaction to theArchdeacon was either black or white —many people couldn’t stand him, but weare among the many who loved him. Irealize the article was about BishopColeman, but I felt compelled to speak upabout the Archdeacon.Maureen TinkerMember of the Cathedral Church of St.Michael and All Angels

Letter tothe editor

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Breakfast in Balfour

HASH BROWNS ANYONE— Mens breakfast at the St. Michael & All Angels, Balfour, Saturday March 5. Speaker the Rev.Canon Jim Hearne. Also attending were men from the Balfour Covenant church and Balfour Christian science church.

The Vicar of Kokanee remembers

Godfrey White

his priest of theChurch of God was amachinist at the

Sullivan Mine at Kimberly whenthe call to ministry came to him.Godfrey was made deacon inKimberly in 1958 and priested inNelson a year later.

His first parish was centredin Nakusp with its five congrega-tions. His son told me that in thetwo and one-half years there hewore out seventeen cars on therough roads of the Arrow Lakecountry. At one point, he and aUnited Church minister, RodBooth, were headed together forEaster services and the roadsbecame too muddy to make anyheadway on four wheels thatthey abandoned their vehicle,and struck out on foot in ordernot to spoil their foot gear. Theytrudged on bare feet to theirrespective places of worship.

Godfrey continued his min-istry in Grand Forks. In thosedays the parish contained fivecongregations from Carmi toChristina Lake. A mission wasenvisioned there with the clergyof the West Kootenay blitzing thearea to draw as many as wouldcome to hear Bishop Colemanaddress them.

Those were the days of theSunday School Vanners. Thiseffort fostered ChristianEducation in the remote areas ofCanada. One “Miss Hazel,”whose brother was an archdeaconin Saskatchewan, headed it. Thefinances came from Britain.During Bishop Coleman’s missionto Grand Forks a team of Vannerswas present. One vanner provedto be a rather disturbed person.She had let herself into HolyTrinity Church one evening, andPrayers Books were found strewnaround the church, while otherfixtures were in disarray. Thecross on the altar had been takenaway and replaced with a statueof the Blessed Virgin Mary.

TBY JIM HEARNE

From the parish of GrandForks, Fr. White moved acrossthe 49th parallel to theDiocese of Spokane and theParish of Moses Lake. Wewere able to visit the Whitesthere on a number of occa-sions. On one occasion, wewitnessed the ordination ofGodfrey’s son, Jim. For thatevent, John Snowden, theBishop of Cariboo, came toMoses Lake for a co-ordina-tion with the bishop ofSpokane.

During his years in MosesLake, Godfrey produced aseries of pastoral letters thatwere widely disseminated.They revealed the depth ofwhat my seminary dean called“a pastor’s heart.”

The last time I sawGodfrey he had retired withhis devoted wife, Betty, toLogan Lake. One small detailof that visit was a little alarmsystem that alerted the dearpriest that it was time for himto have another cigarette.

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