anglican life may 2014

8/12/2019 Anglican Life May 2014

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A Section of theANGLICANJOURNAL

MAY 2014 NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

In a conversation recent-ly with Bishop David Tor-raville, he informed me thathe and Karen had a bequest

in their wills for the Church.When I asked him about thenature of the gift, he repliedthat they had a RRSP whichwould form the basis oftheir bequest. Naturally, Iwas pleased to hear this andeven more delighted whenhe said he would allow meto write about in AnglicanLife.

I then questioned themabout the background forthis decision and why theyhad chosen the church asthe beneficiary. This was

their rst response:Our rst introduction toPlanned Giving was Angli-cans in Mission, thirty three

years ago. We were teachersin Clarenville attending St.Marys and what went in theenvelope on Sunday waswhat happened to be lyingaround Sunday morning aswe got ready for Church.The only thing I rememberabout Anglicans in Missionis that it changed that at-titude and we needed to

set a goal and plan for ourofferings. Ever since thenwe have tried to increaseour offerings regularly aswe recognized the blessingsin our lives. As we plannedour will we recognized thatthe Church is a central partof our lives and we feel thatas we have done in this lifewe can continue by leavinga bequest.

The Torraville decisionto leave such a bequest forthe Church is founded onthe scriptural teachings andtheir reasons are worthy ofrepeating.

Take nothing with youwas the directive given tothe disciples as they set outon their ministry! We meetthe ultimate goal of becom-

ing eternally bound to ourGod through death and thusour worldly acquisition ofnancial assets can be best

used to assist the church onearth continues its ministry.Our decision of PlannedGiving to the church was toreturn thanks to God for thelife we were given.

In my experience, therehave not been many gifts ofRRSPs or RRIFs but namingthe church as beneciary ofthe proceeds can provide asignicant future gift to thechurch. It is important toremember, however, thaton your death, 100 percentof the proceeds from your

RRSP or RRIF is included inyour final tax return. Yourestate will have to pay taxeson the full amount of yourRRSP or RRIF.

There are two ways todonate the proceeds of anRRSP or RRIF. First, you candesignate the Church as thebeneciary directly with theRRSP or RRIF holder. Thisis generally the preferredmanner, as the gift of theRRSP or RRIF then becomescompletely independentof your will and results in avery simple process. Sec-ondly,You can name yourestate as the beneficiaryof your RRSP or RRIF andleave instructions in yourWill to donate all or partof the RRSP or RRIF to yourChurch.

Regardless which wayyou choose, the Church willbenet and your estate willreceive a charitable dona-tion receipt.

Thank you Bishop Davidand Karen who concludedtheir note with the follow-ing:

Blessed be thou LordGod of Israel, for all that isin the Heavens and earth isthine, and of thine own havewe given thee.

A Legacythat will last

Submitted byKevin Smith

Bishop David & Karen Torraville

Leave a Legacy

May is designated asthe Leave a Legacy month

and the Anglican Churchof Canada and its Dioceseshave been partners of thisinitiative.LEAVE A LEGACYencourages people to leave agift through their will or any

other gift planning instru-ment to a charity such as thechurch.

In the last 14 years, there

has been an increase inawareness about plannedgiving. I have assisted withor been informed about anumber of planned gifts inall three Dioceses with someencouraging results. Parish-ioners want to support theirChurch which has sustainedthem throughout the years.They believe in the essentialgoodness of their Churchand the many worthwhileministries they maintain intheir communities, their prov-ince, their country and areas

around the globe that requireassistance.I am grateful for the con-

tinuous support that the min-istry of planned giving hasreceived from Anglican Life

Editor, Rev. Sam Rose. In thisissue we will be highlighting anumber of realized bequeststhat have occurred recently.

Some of the stories fea-tured will include Dr. GraceLayman of the Parish of St.Philips who passed away inJanuary of this year and leftbehind a legacy of generositytowards the church. Dougand Lillian Burry of MountPearl wanted to leave some-thing for their parish, Churchof the Ascension. We alsohave a story about legacy giv-ing at the Cathedral in West-ern Newfoundland. And, asyou will read on this page, wehave a wonderful testimony

about a bequest from BishopDavid & Karen Torraville in

Continued onPage 8

Leave a Legacy Month

Kevin Smith

Columnist


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Letters to the Editor

Leave the details to GodDear Editor,I write, with respect, and

in response to a letter fromMr. Eldridge Thorne whichwas contained in your Jan-uary 2014 issue of AnglicanLife. The writer refers totwo interrelated Christiandoctrines, viz., the return ofJesus (the Parousia) and thenal judgment, and of howthese doctrines are bothcontained and proclaimedwithin the Anglican Com-munion.

Firstly, there is no doubtfrom the New Testamentthat the first followers ofJesus expected his return tobe imminent. It is also clearthat when this did not occurwithin the time frame inwhich they thought it would,the delay became a matterof critical importance. Astudy of The Gospel accord-ing to St. Luke will reveal thewriters concern to ease theanxiety among the follow-ers of Jesus arising fromthe perceived delay in Hisreturn and to accommodatethe community of believers

to the churchs on-goinghistory. For examples of thismotif see St. Luke 19:11,.and because they sup-posed that the Kingdom ofGod was to appear immedi-ately; and Acts 1:7, It is notfor you to know the time orthe seasons.. This is thesame question that St. Pauladdresses in 1 Thessalo-nians 4 (one of the passagesto which Mr. Thorne refers).St. Paul, who as far as weknow had no encounterwith the Jesus of history, re-

sponds to the question fromthe teachings which he him-self had received from theother disciples and in thecontext of the knowledgeof his time. It is commonnow within Anglicanism tointerpret these teachingsas warnings to every gen-eration of Christians aboutour stewardship of planetearth, of our responsibilityto future generations andultimately to the Creator ofall. Mr. Thorne is, therefore,

alerting all readers to thisimportant matter both forChristians and all peoples.Further, he does so in anage when we need to be re-

minded of the risk involvedin our continuing abuse of

the resources of our planet,as if there were no account-ability.

Secondly, while I believewith Anglicans in the per-fection of Gods Kingdomat the Parousia, I cannotsubscribe to the graphicand gory details associatedwith that event by the writerof the letter. The history ofour own time, as well as inthe past, records the terri-ble atrocities perpetratedby human tyrants on theirpeople, but I could notbelieve now that the Godrevealed in Jesus the Christ,and who is described in oneof Charles Wesleys hymnsas pure unbounded love,could ever act so ruthlesslyand legalistically as por-trayed in the letter. Howev-er, I am among those Chris-tians who do not subscribeto the literal understandingof every word recorded inthe Holy Bible but recognizethat when humans writeabout the nature of God we

are limited to the languageof parable, analogy, meta-phor and poetry - for Godis spirit. Now we all see ina mirror dimly, but then faceto face. (1 Cor.13:12)

Thirdly, on the matterof salvation, Anglicanismteaches that no creaturecan place God in her orhis debt by accumulatinggood works to their creditin order that we can assumethat our eternal destiny isguaranteed. If one couldbe saved by following the

commandments only, thenJesus would have shown usthe way and the cross wouldhave been unnecessary.Being good, of itself, is noguarantee of being saved;it is important but salvationalways comes to us as Godsgift to each one. That is clearin St. Pauls use of this caveatin his rst letter to the Corin-thians 9:27b, .lest havingpreached to others I myselfshould be disqualied.

Finally, I know from ex-

perience that as we jour-ney through life our un-derstanding of the faith webelieve changes, maturesand deepens. For example,

I now believe that I under-stand the faith of my young-

er days more deeply andvery differently; it is muchless doctrinal and legalisticand much more focused onlife and living in Gods worldand also much more inclu-sive. T. S. Eliot describes thisjourney in some well knownwords from Quartet No. 4entitled Little Gidding: Weshall not cease from ourexploration, and the endof all our exploring will beto arrive at the place wherewe started and know theplace for the rst time. Thejourney has nothing to dowith geography but withthe maturity of ones faithand understanding. None-theless, we are all at differ-ent stages of the journeyand so must learn to live incommunity with pluralisticinterpretations of doctrine.And even with our differentunderstandings of the con-tent of our faith at the vari-ous points of the journey (ofwhich we are more awarein the global village that we

have created), we must stillremain united in the Loveof God and in that love withone another.

In my opinion the fol-lowers of Jesus the Christshould work hard in deedand word to make the worlda better place for all andleave the details of the naljudgment to God who isLOVE. May I also add thatthough I take full respon-sibility for the contents ofthis letter, I write with thefull support of The Retired

Clerics Association of theDiocese of Eastern New-foundland and Labrador.

Yours faithfully,Frank Cluett

We need to be morelike Christians in our

churches todayI read with great interest

the article in Marchs Issuetitled get it straight rectors,I was so impressed I decid-ed to write the Editor aboutit. This young writer struckmany a sensitive note in mymind.

I was a regular contribu-tor to the Anglican Church-man for twenty ve years andmany calls I received spokeof my down to earth wayof writing and how muchthey were enjoyed. In recentyears I was discouragedabout writing in, as I wastold by the Editor its toolong, too short, we have solittle space etc and yet ,therewere people getting spaceevery month and went onand on for pages of non-in-teresting historical thingsetc. The Anglican Life is sosparse and so very little intoit that it is not interesting andthe ordinary person cantget a look in. Much like ourchurches and the way thingsare handled. These days.If more parishoners wereencouraged to write in theirthoughts we could all learna lot. We dont need priestsgiving sermons on a regu-lar basis in this paper, andgoing on and on with theiropinions. To me, that is whatis keeping a lot of peoplefrom church. When a clergyis given a page to talk abouthis marriage, to me that isnot seeds for us all to plantto learn from. Who cares?

Its the same way in mostchurches. The same people

read, take up collection, actas greeters and assistants,and newcomers are not in-vited to join a rota to be partof this. It is a closed shop.When there is only three ina choir, you can be assuredthat is all they want and if you

attempt to join them, you aresnubbed and you feel leftout. That is why there is onlythree in that choir.

I was thinking that if eachparish sent out a surveyasking newcomers to tellwhat they would like to beinvolved in, if at our Annualmeetings, the vestry wasntalready selected before-hand, maybe we could havea selection of different peo-ple with different views. A lotof young people would liketo be servers as the authorof that article in March states,she said she would like rotasdone up, regular trainingclasses and make them feelpart of the church they love.Maybe we could have theConfirmation candidatesleave a few ideas and seewhat they like and maybe wewould see them again.

Assuming this gets spa-ce in the April issue, andis not completely changedwith editing, maybe there isfood for thought here andother people might take aninterest in writing in to THEIRAnglican Life and thereforemake the paper a little in-teresting.

Respectfully,Olive Grunert

(known as Olive Hard-ing-Stirling in past issues.

My husband and I aremembers of St. Marks inShearstown. Thank you

Editors Note:This letter was not re-

ceived in time for the Aprilissue deadline as requestedby the author, therefore itis printed in the May issue.

Letters to the EditorSend to the Editor, The Revd Sam Rose (addresses on page 4). All letters mustinclude the writers name, address, and telephone number. Telephone numberswill not be published. Anglican Life does not publish letters under nom de plume.Letters should not exceed 300 words (one double spaced typewritten page), andare subject to editing at the discretion of the editor.


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Parish Daywith Bishop Torraville

Submitted byThe Rev. Ray Brett

Religionand society

The Parish of Twillingateheld a Parish Lenten Daywith Bishop David Torravilleon Sunday, March 30, 2014.

The parish has a tradi-tion of having one parishworship service togetherwhenever there are ve Sun-days in a month and as thisone fell during the season ofLent, it was decided to invitethe Bishop to be with us andto lead us through a day ofreection and worship.

The day began in St.Peters Twillingate with aLiturgy of the Word whereBishop David gave two ad-dresses focused on the Gos-pel for the day: John 9:1-41.The talks were entitled ThePool of Siloam and TheNeighbourhood. BishopDavid wove his recent expe-

riences of being in the HolyLand with the retelling ofthis story. He invited peopleto experience this story forthemselves and to live itsmeaning in their lives. Hecalled us to live into theKingdom.

The day continued in St.Marys, Herring Neck withHoly Eucharist and BishopDavids third address: TheWorld. The Bishop notedthe change and develop-ment in the belief of the manborn blind; how he wentfrom just knowing Jesusas someone who healedhim to recognizing him asa prophet and nally wor-shipping him as the mes-siah. He challenged thosein attendance to reect ontheir own understanding ofJesus and to make a daringcommitment of faith, like theformerly blind man.

The services were wellattended at both Churches.We would be remiss if we didnot mention one of our con-gregation members pres-ent, Mrs. Vivian Kendall, ofTwillingate, who had hosteda open house on Wednes-day, March 26, in celebrationof her 92nd birthday. Andwe are pleased to tell youthat she is not the only active90 years plus member of ourparish. She sets a great ex-ample of continued serviceand spiritual growth.

It was great to have Bish-op David, a former rectorof the Parish, with us forthe day. His humour andpreaching skills were greatlyappreciated. It provided uswith an opportunity to cometogether as a Parish commu-nity and to reect meaning-fully on the scriptures as apart of our Lenten discipline.

Submitted byMatthew Barter

Society should no lon-ger be influenced by re-ligion. Some people saythis, but in reality many donot.

Even in the 21st cen-tury Canada could be de-scribed as having a reli-giously diverse society.People from many differentbackgrounds and traditionsexpress themselves daily interms of their beliefs. At

present the province ofQuebec is dealing withthe issue of public workerswearing religious symbols.Some would say this is away of making society evenfor all. While many otherssay that free expression ofones religious beliefs is animportant part of who it isto be Canadian. The realityis that religion is an import-ant part of life for manypeople. Even people whoare not really religious stillconsider it to be important.We could ask the question,

Why does society need re-ligion? I believe that soci-ety benets from religiousbeliefs. So much so that Iwould say that we wouldnot survive without them.

One reason religion isso important is that it helpsus to maintain good order.No one could dispute thatmost laws that we havetoday are based upon re-ligious beliefs. Withoutthe influence of religionupon our legal system, oursociety would be very dif-ferent today. Even though

our laws will continue tochange it is very likely thatthey will still be based onreligious beliefs.

Another reason societyneeds religion is that itteaches us to take respon-

sibility for our own lives.Religion teaches us to takecare of ourselves. A part oftaking care of ourselves isto get a good educationand nd work to supportyourself and your family.The desire to learn and towork is an important part ofany society.

Religion also considersit to be important to notonly take care of yourself,but also to take care ofothers. It helps us not to beselsh and greedy. Therewill always be those whoseek to better themselvesby taking advantage ofothers. For the most partreligious teaching helpskeep such feeling in check.Religion can be creditedwith establishing manyinstitutions we enjoy in Ca-nadian society today suchas hospitals and nursinghomes. Religion is also re-sponsible for many socialprograms and setting upschools for all. Religion hashelped make Canada whatit is today.

Finally, religion is allabout living for a reason.Religion teaches that weare all a part of a biggerplan and each of us has apart in that plan. It givespeople a reason to get upin the morning, to go toschool, work, help othersand seek a better future.Religion gives us a senseof meaning in our lives.It helps us, as a society,deal with challenges, di-sasters and conflict. Tond comfort as a peoplein times of difficulty and

crisis. To understand thatthere is something biggerthan ourselves helping usand guiding us. Religioncan help us be a happier,healthier society.


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For those in perilon the sea

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

ANGLICAN LIFE in Newfoundland and Labrador is the newspaperof the Anglican Church in the Province of Newfoundland andLabrador. A co-operative effort of the three Dioceses inNewfoundland and Labrador, it is publishes ten issues each

calendar year with an independent editorial policy.

Anglican Life is a section of the Anglican Journal

Editor:The Revd Sam Rose8 Croydon StreetParadise, NLA1L 1P7Email: [email protected]

Advertising Rates and other information may be obtained from:Bishop Donald Young34 Fraser Road, Gander, NL, A1V 2E8Phone: (709) 256-7701Email: [email protected] Rates:Newfoundland and Labrador: $15.00Outside the province: $20.00International: $25.00

New subscriptions, cancellations, & changes of address shouldbe sent to:CirculationThe Anglican Journal (attn. Bev Murphy)80 Hayden Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 3G2

(416) 924-9192 (O) (416) 925-8811 (fax)Email: [email protected]

Each parish is responsible for maintaining its own subscriptionlist - please notify your parish ofce of any changes. Changessent to parish ofces may take months to take effect. Pleasealso send your updated information to Circulation at theAnglican Journal (above) or to Don Young at 34 Fraser Road,Gander NL A1V 2E8.

Articles and photographs: Send to the Editor (above)

Letters to the Editor:Send to the Editor, Sam Rose (address as above). All lettersmust include the writers name, address, and telephonenumber. Telephone numbers will not be published. AnglicanLife does not publish letters under nom de plume. Lettersshould not exceed 300 words (one double spaced typewrittenpage), and are subject to editing at the discretion of the editor.

These policies were adopted by the Anglican Life Committee.

Layout & Design by: The Editor

Printed and Mailed by:Webnews Printing Inc.8 High Meadow Place

North York, ON, M9L 2Z5

Circulation: 20,486

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Geoff Peddle

BishopEastern Newfoundland & Labrador

I have just returned froma service to mark 100 yearssince the NewfoundlandSealing Disaster of March30, 1914. Religious leaders,along with other leaders ofour province gathered toshare in a time of prayer andremembrance for the liveslost when 251 Newfound-land sealers perished in twosimultaneous disasters. Onthat day 132 men left theSS Newfoundland to huntseals and were caught in asudden snowstorm, with 78of them losing their lives.The same winter storm isconsidered responsible forthe sinking of another seal-ing vessel, the SS SouthernCross, that was returningto Newfoundland from theGulf of St. Lawrence, claim-ing 173 passengers andcrew. The Great SealingDisaster has been a tragicpart of our history ever since.

In the service today I wasasked to read a small portionof Psalm 107 (verses 25 and26): Then he spoke, and a

stormy wind arose, whichtossed high the waves of thesea. They mounted up to theheavens and fell back to thedepths; their hearts meltedbecause of their peril. As Iread it, I could not help butthink that the person who

wrote these words well over2000 years ago must havehad personal knowledge ofbeing at peril on the oceanand knowing how weak theywere in the face of naturesfury. Appropriately enoughas I write on March 31, as ifto remind us of the power ofnature on those tragic twodays 100 years ago, a strongwinter storm is battering ourprovince, forcing everyoneto seek shelter and safety atthe end of a long and brutalwinter.

We Newfoundlandersand Labradorians are wellacquainted with hardship.Throughout our history wehave been at the mercy ofsea and sky and land. Andyet, that same sea and skyand land has shaped us tobecome the people we are.We have forged a cultureand community distinctiveand rich in so many ways.We have survived here be-cause we have looked outfor each other in good timesand in bad. May we never

lose that desire to care foreach other and build upon itas we move into the future,taking the very best from ourpast with us.

I end with the prayerfor Psalm 107 which speaksof hardship and trial in life

and of the safety given byGod at the end of our jour-ney. Please remember thesealers and their families of1914, and the sealers andtheir families of 2014, as youpray it today.

O God, the divine seek-er, you are light to the lost,bread to the hungry, deliver-ance to the captive, healingto the sick, eternal vision tothe dying, and harbour toevery soul in peril. Gatherthe wanderers from every

corner of the world into thecommunity of your mercyand grace, that we mayeternally praise you for oursalvation in Jesus Christ ourLord.

With my every blessing,+Geoff

St. Peters Anglican Church Women members from Catalina proudly displaythe quilt they made for Ronald McDonald House. The ACW also reached outto the congregation for some needed supplies for Ronald McDonald House.It was a great success and on March 6th, 2014 they were received by the staffwith much enthusiasm. Submitted by Dallas Rogers.


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Lectio DivinaAnglican Prayer Fellowship

Submitted byThe Rev. Brian Candow

The Anglican Fellow-ship of Prayer for the Dio-cese of Central Newfound-land recently held a retreaton the practice of LectioDivina. The retreat washeld at the St CatherinesRetreat Centre in GrandFalls-Windsor, with Fr. Ger-ald Westcott of the Parishof the Resurrection, SouthRiver, leading as the retreat

director.Fr. Gerald began theretreat with the question,What is the objective ofthe human life? The an-swer explored was to re-alize union with God. Inorder to do this a personmust learn to die to theirself. Lectio divina is a toolfor helping to achieve thisend, so that one can de-

clare that which St. Paultestied, It is no longer Iwho lives, but Christ wholives in me.

Lectio Divina meansholy reading and has beenpracticed in the life of theChurch since St. Benedictof Nursia (c.480547), ifnot before. It involves amethod of listening intentlyto the Word of God in theScriptures, with the practiceof centering prayer andcontemplation. With gentle

wisdom, experience, andgood humour, Fr. Geraldwas able to lead the groupover several sessions intothe practice of Lectio Div-ina, teaching the art ofletting go of thoughts andmeditative breathing. Hewas careful to incorpo-rate this practice withinthe celebration of the HolyEucharist.

New to most at theRetreat was the use of aprayer bowl (a well lovedand simple chime used atmost if not all worship ser-vices at his home parish).When struck, it emitted abeautiful call to quiet, andas its single-note tone sub-sided the participants weredrawn into silence.

The retreat providednew insights into an an-cient Christian practice ofprayer, meditation, and

contemplation. Many wereexcited by the experiencebut realized that the fruit ofthe Lectio Divina methodwould require devoted andregular practice. Howeverthe possibility of unionwith God and openness toothers in the Life of Christmight be sufcient motivefor those blessed by theRetreat.

Martin Luther

The Rev. Everett Hobbs

ColumnistMartin Luther (1483-

1546) is regarded as thecatalyst for the 16th centuryProtestant Reformation inEurope. Although therehad been criticism of cer-tain Church teachings andpractices for centuries, itsproponents were silencedby excommunication, sup-pression or execution. Lu-ther was the right man at theright time.

While Luthers mainactivities were preaching,writing and engagementwith reforms and politics,he remained a pastor con-cerned with ordinary people.At the heart of all this wasprayer. He used to say, Ihave so much to do that Ishall spend the first three

hours in prayer. He said thatwe cannot neglect prayerfor things which seem morenecessary. It reflects thesaying,If youre too busy topray, youre too busy. With-out the discipline, we be-come lax and lazy. Prayeris our most important workand should come rst. Anykind of work can becomeprayer when we give it ourfull attention and strive for

excellence.Luther was inspired to

teach others to pray by Pe-ter the barber. On one visit,Peter asked him, How doesone pray? It alerted him

to the fact that ordinarypeople had very little guid-ance on praying. Luther hadbeen a monk and as suchhe had spent many hoursat prayer. He did not ndmonastic prayer very helpfuland he turned to the Biblefor direction. He found away of prayer that was au-thentic for him and he beganto share this with others. ForPeter and others like him, hewrote A Simple Way to Prayfor a Good Friend. He wroteother books on prayer andoften preached about it. Hesaw faithful prayer as one ofthe ways God changes us.

Luther related prayer tothe teaching of the Churchand saw it as foundationalto spirituality. In particularour lives should be centredon the Lords Prayer, the TenCommandment and theCreeds. He taught that Godtakes the initiative in prayerand this is especially so inthe Lords Prayer and Psalmswhere God puts words inour mouths. And we mustalways let the Holy Spirit beour guide.

The fundamentals ofLuthers teaching is foundin the Smaller Catechism

which proved to be a vitalteaching tool at the time. Hisfoundation doctrine wasJustication by Faith - salva-tion by grace alone throughfaith. We are justied by faithalone without the deeds ofthe law or works. Our theolo-gy/beliefs and prayer informeach other.

Luther emphasized ourrelationship with God asfather/child. Prayer is theconversation of the depen-dent and trusting child, whois eager to voice both thanksand requests with the lovingFather, who is in turn eager to

hear from his children. Weare to ask God boldly andwith complete confidencethat God will answer andgive according to our needs.

W h y s h o u l d w epray? God commands it.God promises to answer. Weneed to do it. For Luther thebest place to learn to praywas the home. As a familyit should be the rst businessof the morning and last atnight. The father is assignedthe role of teacher, and theuse of the Bible and the Cat-echism is promoted. Spiri-tual practices are about livingour baptism: each day weneed to continue the dyingand rising with Christ thatbegan in baptism, living asa child of God. This requiresprayer.


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A Christians journey through cancer

In the valley of

Shadow part ThreeThe Rev. John Watton

Guest Columnist

When you are told youhave Cancer your worldgets very small. You aredealing with the diagno-sis. How bad is it? Whatcaused this? What am Igoing to do? Treatmentshave to be set up. Sched-ules need to be dealt with.

You decide which peopleneed to know what is go-ing on, and you have toget yourself ready. Yournew world is small, butincredibly complicated.

Once things are inplace and settled down,the spiritual and emo-tional challenges begin toemerge from the fog; theytake shape and look you inthe eye.

In spite of the com-mon elements, Cancer is alonely journey because itis not the same for every-one. Some have very treat-able illnesses and attainthe blessing of a lighterand brighter perspective.Optimism is an essentialpart of healing for Cancerpatients, and when theperson who is ill radiatespositive energy, it makesmost people comfortable.

Others have gone

deeper into the Valley ofthe Shadow. The battleis intense, complex andexhausting . The shadowsthere obscure and chal-

lenge the light of faithcausing denial, fear, andsadness. Many have diedwhile they were still in theValley. I almost did.

On a spiritual levelwhen safe routines arebroken, or sudden changecome, people are led (or

forced) to a place wheretwo things can happen.

One, losing sight ofGod and faith, or, second,the nurturing of a deeper,more real and Honest re-lationship with God . Nei-ther of these will happenwithout a struggle.

Our scriptures arelled with images of peo-ple struggling: Jacobalone at Peniel wrestlingwith God; Abraham re-ceiving and giving up thelife of his son; Job, chal-lenged by life tragedies;Jesus in Gethsemane. InPsalm 88:18 it says, Youcaused my friends andloved ones to leave me.Now darkness is my clos-est friend.

I spoke to one of myparishioners in a quietshared moment at the Ca-thedral. I said, God hadme right where he wanted

me; late at night aloneand helpless in a bed ina palliative care room af-ter radical chemotherapyand radiation treatments.

I told God I was ready tolisten.

My friend asked Whatdid he say?

My response, Abso-lutely nothing

Then I added, Nowlet me finish. God saidnothing. All was dark. ButI continued to wait, and inthat I became totally hon-est with whatever was outthere . Lying in physicaland spiritual darkness I leteverything go. As I open-ly declared my sense offear, anger, weakness, andhelplessness I realizedthat I was fully acknowl-edging the presence ofsome of these things forthe rst time in my life. Inthat moment, I was over-whelmed by Gods elusivepresence and knew I wascloser to God than everbefore in my life.

Much has been writtenabout these ideas of Lumi-nous Darkness, and DarkNights of the Soul, and Ihave experienced themboth at different timesand at different levels inmy life, but never like this.

It gave birth to a wholenew hope and faith withinme.

Short ly after that

I spoke to my childrencalmly, and with greatpeace letting them knowthat no matter what theoutcome, I was going tobe just ne.

Now, almost fouryears after as I continue

sorting through the col-lateral damage, I am stilldiscovering and learningto articulate what I havecome to call the Gifted-ness of the Darkness.

Cancer changed meforever because I could nolonger ignore the ques-tions or the deep call fromwithin, to integrity andcourage in seeking thetruth. I have come to seethat the questions I haveasked after my catastro-phe are really the sameones I have been askingall along. It has deepenedthe empathy I have forthose who suffer, and hascaused me to place evengreater importance on thevalue of the Church asa community of people,bound in faith and authen-tic love and concern foreach other.

Recently, I was work-ing through a long, dif-

ficult day. Supper timewas near and some familyand friends were gather-ing at our place to sharea meal. When I arrived

at the house two of mygrandkids were alreadythere. I had just a fewhours, before having leavethe rectory and head outagain. In my tiredness Iwished I could settle infor the evening, hang outwith the family, and have

an early night. My wifeplaced my infant grand-son in my arms because,I am getting supper, youhave to go out again, somake the best of it.

I did. Having Tryggerin my arms, and Teghanrunning around demand-ed my full attention. As Iwalked and rocked andgurgled and sang to mygrandson his big blueeyes began to get heavy.It took about an hour, buthe nally fell asleep in myarms. This little meditationemerged from my heart:Long rough days...arebest ended when you rockyour grandson and hefalls asleep in your arms.We pour our hearts outto the world in the hopethat the truest words areheard, and the brokenones are forgiven....whena child trusts you enoughto let go and sleep...eter-nity whispers to you and

says....all will be well.

Thank you Lord.


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Holy Spirit ParishUnit Three news

Submitted by

Sarah Sharpe

Unit Three of theParish of the Holy Spiritis comprised of vechurches that includeSt. Albans in Goose-berry Cove, St. Marysin Hodges Cove, St.Marks in Long Beach,St. Michael and AllAngels in Hillviewand St. Stephens inHatchet Cove.

Another year has

passed and lookingback we see manypositive happeningsin Unit Three. The An-nual General Meet-ings for the churchesand the ACWs haveall taken place. Sev-eral churches havetheir year-end audit-ed statements sub-mitted to the Parish.

Unit Three contin-ues to enjoy month-ly worship serviceswhich take place

the last Sunday of eachmonth. These servicesare very well attended,and are a real joy, notonly for the parishio-ners but for the clergy aswell. There is noth-ing like a full flockto preach to! If youwould like to join us,please call the Rec-tory at 548-2429 forthe dates and timesof services.

Over the past

m o n t h t h e U n i thave been very for-tunate to have theRev. Jim Pollard andhis beautiful wifeRita as leaders inthe church . Theyare such a blessingand welcome addi-tions. Our Rector,the Rev. Allan Fry,is on leave due toillness and will re-quire time to recu-perate. We all wishRev. Fry a speedy

recovery.In November 2013,

the Spiritual Arm group,which is comprised ofMrs. Laura Drover (Hodg-

es Cove), Mrs. Bren-da Smith (Great HeartsEase), Mrs. Victoria Nor-ris (Hillview), and TheRev. Myrna Vey (Long

Beach) organized a ben-et concert to raise fundsfor World Vision to stocka barn with livestock for acommunity in need. Thegroup enlisted the tal-

ents of area and formerresidents of SouthwestArm all of whom did nothesitate to come with

their instruments andtalents in hand. We arehappy to say some youngchildren and people up-wards of 90 years old of-

fered their talents to theconcert. The event wasa beautiful one! Therewas a full slate of en-tertainers and the it waspresented by Mrs. Lau-

ra Drover of HodgesCove, and emceed byMr. Ron Thomas, bothof whom did a splendid

job. Area ACWs donat-ed baked goods for thesale and food items for aChristmas Hamper whichraised additional monies.

At the end of the eveningLaura reported that theyhad raised $1,900.00 forWorld Vision and thatwould go to purchaselivestock to fill a barn

and a half. The Spiritu-al Arm surpassed theirgoal! Congratulations toall, and thanks to all the

volunteers who donatedtheir time and talents tomake this fundraiser thesuccess it was.

Also in Novemberthe ACW at St.Michael and AllAngels at Hillviewheld a bake saleto raise money forthe Philippinesood disaster re-lief. They happilyreported they hadraised $490.00which was giv-

en to the Cana-dian Red Crosswhich would bedoubled whenmatched by theFederal Govern-ment. We con-gratulate thosetwo groups fortheir outreach.

St. AlbansChurch was therecipient of sev-eral gifts this pastyear they includ-ed a beautiful

white parament set inmemory of Mrs. DorisSpurrell, a lectern hang-ing in memory of Mr.Rodney Spurrell, anda grass cutter donat-

ed in memory ofMrs. Mary Spur-rell, and a fron-tal in memory ofour deceasedcongregationalmembers. We re-ally appreciatedthose kind dona-

tions.A welcomevisitor to St. Al-bans this sum-mer was Mr. BobDavis who washere visiting andknew our organ-ist was unavail-able so when hecame to Sundaymorning servicehe pulled up theorgan stool andaccompanied thechoir in a selec-

tion of hymns.Thank you Bob, andplease come back any-time.


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8

Central Newfoundland.You will notice there is a

reply box included. Pleasecomplete the informationrequired and send it alongto me. I will get back to youquickly.

Finally a word of thankyou to the Rectors and layleaders who have embracedthe ministry of planned givingas another way of supportingour Church. Lets also remem-

ber that quote which I haveused before by US steward-ship writer Herb Mather whosuggested that a plannedgift is rarely made without an

invitation:Planned giving rarely

reaps a harvest unless thereare regular, consistent invi-tations. Notes in bulletins,newsletters, support semi-nars, letters and other kindsof reminders so that peopleknow the church is seriousabout helping them with a

planned gift when they areseri ous about making theplanned gift.

Kevin Smith is a planned giv-ing consultant with the Anglican

Church of Canada. He can becontacted at 709 739-5667 or byemail at:[email protected]

Leave a Legacymonth of May

Continued fromPage 1

I want to learn more about

Leave a LegacyPlease send me: A free brochure on writing a will A quote on a Gift Plus Annuity Information on other ways of giving I have already remembered my church in my will

Name _______________________________________Address ___________________________________________________________________________________Postal Code___________Telephone______________

Date of Birth(for annuity quote)If you are Male ________________________________If you are Female _______________________________

Mail to:Kevin Smith

Regional Gift Planning ConsultantAnglican Church of Canada10 Strawberry Marsh Road

St. Johns, NL A1B 2V4

Dr. Grace Laymannot a miserable offender

The late Dr. Grace Layman (1919 - 2014)


The story goes thatGrace Layman confront-ed her parish priest aftera service with the Book ofCommon Prayer and said tohim: You may be but I dontconsider myself a miserableoffender.

Well, Im not sure to what

area Grace was referring butshe surely wasnt a miserableoffender when it came toher will and her support ofthe Church. In fact, she wasvery generous when it came

to the disposal of her estate.Grace passed away in

January after a short periodof illness. She was 94 yearsold.

A number of years ago,Grace, a former residentof Fogo Island, purchasedthree annuities from the An-glican Church of Canada. Agift annuity is dened as anarrangement under which a

donor transfers a certain sumto a charity in exchange forxed, guaranteed paymentsfor the life of the donor. TheAnglican Church of Canadais one of a few charities in

the country that allows forthe purchase of self-insuredgift annuities. The Churchinvests the donated assetsand use the earnings onthe assets, and the capitalif necessary, to make theannuity payments. Whatev-er portion of the donatedassets remains at the deathof the annuitant is used forcharitable purposes.

In Graces case, she des-ignated three areas of sup-port. First, her home parishof St. Philips was named abeneficiary. Secondly, sheestablished a fund with theDiocese to support youthministry in Labrador. And,thirdly, she wanted LavrockCamp and Conference Cen-tre to receive some support.

Interviewed by a newsreporter in 2004 as to why,Grace replied, I wanted togo somewhere and do some-thing good for somebody.

There is no doubt aboutthe authenticity of that state-ment.

Bishop Geoff Peddlewas delighted to learn aboutthese three annuities sayingIt is signicant that two ofthe three are for the supportof youth ministry. This is anarea that is so vitally import-ant for the life of the churchand we are grateful for MsLaymans generosity.

LEAVE A LEGACY is a national public awareness pro-

gram designed to encourage people to leave a giftthrough their will or any other gift planning instrumentto a charity or non-prot organization of their choice.LEAVE A LEGACY is a donor-oriented education cam-paign to raise awareness of the importance of includinga charitable gift in the estate planning process. LEAVE ALEGACY is a program of the Canadian Association ofGift Planners (CAGP-ACPDP).

The LEAVE A LEGACYprogram goal is to raise aware-ness of the importance of thoughtful, well-planned,tax-preferred gifts and their impact on the quality of life

for everyone in our communities.

Why your Will is ImportantYour will or testament guarantees that your property and assetswill be regulated according to your desires. Without a Will, thereis no mechanism in place to make a bequest. Below are somesteps you should take to ensure that your wishes are granted: Make a detailed list of your assets (nancial, real estate, vehi-

cles, jewelery, collectibles, musical instruments, etc.) Make a list of organizations or causes you would like to sup-

port including your church. Set up an appointment with your professional advisor (i.e.

nancial analyst, attorney, or planned giving ofcer) to dis-cuss your options. Your professional advisor can help you de-cide which option(s) will work best for you and your family.


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Legacy Givingalive and well in Corner Brook


The Cathedral of St Johnthe Evangelist is located inthe heart of Corner Brooksdowntown. The imposingtraditional Gothic structurehouses a congregation thatenvisions a bright future.Much of this optimism hasbeen kindled by the congre-gations understanding of itsown need to be mission-ori-ented and by an infusion ofmajor gifts.

The current Dean, theVery Rev. Baxter Park, who

arrived in October 2012says it all began with onevery generous parishioner.Shortly after my arrival I wasapproached by a man whowanted to do something

signicant to remember hislate wife.

That couples faith jour-ney had been enhanced bythe beautiful music at thecathedral and he wanted toaugment the music by givingus an outright gift of $35,000to purchase a grand piano.

In early 2013, the con-gregation at their AnnualMeeting, inspired by that gift,decided to explore the possi-bility of installing an elevator.For an aging congregation, a$200,000 project may haveseemed a little lofty. Still, inSept we decided to moveahead and we deliberatelychose to not consider fund-raising. By December, aid-ed by 4 major gifts totaling$101,000, we were able toraise $170,000. Our expec-tation is that the elevator willbe installed and paid for byEaster.

In the case of the majorgifts, two were memorialsremembering former parish-ioners and two were outrightgifts. The other money camefrom parishioners who gaveas they could. All of thesegifts, great and small, havecontributed to our success.They remind us that we arecapable of great things whenwe work together.

There have been many

other grace moments andwonderful gifts. One family,remembering a former or-ganist of the Cathedral, gavea wonderful Belgian cope. Adiscussion about taking bet-ter advantage of our primelocation at the intersection ofMain and West resulted in anindividual giving us $10,000to purchase a new digitalsign. For the congregationthe most exciting news cameat the annual meeting whenwe were able to announcethat in the midst of all thisgenerosity our regular giv-ings had also grown by over12%. As the Dean said in his

annual report, God is bless-ing us so that we can be ablessing to others.

On the first Sunday ofLent, Dean Park said, Toomany churches seem moreconcerned about survivalthan mission. We have gotto stop being afraid. If Godis in it how can the result beanything but victory? The EvilOne has planted his seed ofdoubt again. We are invited

to practice the theology ofGods abundance rather thanhuman scarcity.

With this in mind ourchurch continues a rich min-istry of hospitality. Every Sum-mer we sponsor and staff acamp at beautiful Killdevil forfamilies living in some of thepoorer neighbourhoods inCorner Brook. Most recent-ly we are working with theother Anglican parishes ofthe Deanery to begin a oncea week free lunch program.We are trying to practice thatgreat Christian truth that it isonly in giving that we trulyreceive.

So whats next at the Ca-thedral? Inspired by a recentbequest from a deceasedparishioner we know thatwe need to do a plannedgiving campaign. This won-derful women has left us over$80,000. She wanted our vitalministry to continue beyondher lifetime. There are otherslike her and we need to affordthem the opportunity to con-tinue to be a blessing as well.

A Love StorySubmitted by

The Rev. David Burrows

At the Parish of the As-cension in Mount Pearl, amid

monthly pastoral visits, HolyCommunion, conversationand a lunch, the lives of Dougand Lillian were revealed. Asimple question was asked.Doug, Lillian, share with meyour life, how you love, andwhy the Ascension is so mucha part of your l ife. Doug tooka breath, and shared,

Let me tell you a lovestory.

On a train from St. Johnsto Cupids, during the SecondWorld War, packed with USTroops, a conductor guideda young lady to her seat. Shewas guided to an empty seat

next to a soldier of the RoyalNewfoundland Regiment.He was asleep. Sit up youngman, there is a lady sitting be-side you, said the conductor.

Her eyes were beautiful,her smile so inviting. We talk-ed all the way to Cupids. Therewas an excitement, some-thing special was happening.Before she got off the train,I asked her, Where are youstaying in St. Johns?

I am staying in a board-ing house on Prescott Street,Was her response.

Two weeks later a knockcame at the door of Lilliansroom. When she opened thedoor, there stood a soldier infull uniform.

I wish you would havetold me you lived at the top ofPrescott Street. I started at thebottom as soon as I got backin town. I have been knockingon doors every time I had afree bit of time.

Thus began the journey oflove as experienced betweenDoug and Lillian. With eachvisit, there was a deep lovereected in their life together.This was a love that pervad-ed their life, through theiractions, prayers, their homelife, their love for children and

grandchildren, their love forchurch and for the world.

Doug and Lillian weredeeply devoted to each other.They loved deeply; they loved

God deeply.Let me tell you another

love story:Doug and Lillian were for-

ever surrounded by the pres-ence of Gods love. They rec-ognized that God loves, caresfor his creation, and lamentswhen there is brokenness andhurt in the world. Doug in hisfaithfulness, served as a par-ish warden, sang in the choir,and provided faithful prayer,counsel and support to theAscension parish family. Lillianserved as an ACW member,taught many the ins and outsof the Altar Guild, and wrotea number of small bookletsabout prayer.

They believed profound-ly that God came, born ofa woman, to live and die asone of us. They believed thatChrist served to redeem usand offer us life eternal. Thisis the faith to which theyclung; this is the faith in whichDoug and Lillian believed sostrongly.

Because of this belief, Lil-lian and Doug translated thisinto prayer, reection, and ac-tion in the world. Their actionsreected their faith, reectedalso their great generosity.They knew that the life of faithwas rooted in practical living.Their prayers were alwayspartnered with generosity oftheir resources. They gaveknowing that others in theparish had not been blessedwith the same wealth.

Four years ago they madea decision to give beyondtheir lives, so that the Parishof the Ascension would ben-et long after they had beenunited with their Saviour - theypurchased an annuity with theAnglican Church of Canada.This annuity provided themwith a life income while theywere alive and upon theirpassing, the remainder ofthe principal would be their

legacy gift to the Parish of theAscension.

That principal is about tobe received by the Parish ofthe Ascension.

Lillian and Doug Burry


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I was lonelyand you visited me

Ron Clarke

ColumnistThe Childrens Fun Hour in the Parish of Marystown decided to go sliding onthe hill next to St. Marys Church. A total of thirty three children, parents and

grandparents joined in the fun. After sliding for an hour or so we sat on thechurch steps and enjoyed hot chocolate and chocolate chip and rice crispycookies. Submitted by Mary Legge.

Parish of Marystownimages of ministry

You cant imaginehow much your visit meansto me an old friend saidto me last week. He is overninety years old, in prettygood physical condition,but blind, and confinedto bed in a seniors institu-tion. The dark days are solong he continued. Ourdiscussions about Godslove ll me with joy andnew hope.

Today there are somany people ill, physical-ly, mentally, and spiritual-ly. They spend their longhours in seniors complex-es, in hospitals, or evenin their own homes. Afriendly visit would delightthem. Far too many waitin vain.

Many of us do visit,regularly. But, using somuch of our time canbring comfort to only arelative few.

Visiting the sick, thelonely, the elderly, meanssome sacrifice for the

visitor. We use hours wecould spend relaxing,amusing ourselves, walk-ing for exercise, for ex-ample. Visiting can cost

us money, especially inplaces like St. Johns withits gas-guzzling trafc.

So, whats in it for thefriendly visitor???

Physically, we can walkmiles- not along beautifultrails perhaps- but alonglong corridors. Try climb-ing the seven-oor stairsat St. Clares Hospital, ifyou need exercise.

Spiritually? Nothingcan bring you greaterpleasure then bringing asmile to a lonely patientfrom a faraway outport.And, how about remind-

ing a sick, frightened suf-ferer, awaiting tomorrowssurgery, of the wonderfulhealing power of JesusChrist? I have often leftmy warm comfortablehome on a cold or wetafternoon, practicall ydragging my feet- only tocome back two hours lateralmost walking on air, witha peace that passes allunderstanding.

Hundreds of goodpeople visit the sick andneedy, but there are REALNEEDS for hundredsmore!

I am writing this inVolunteers Week, in thelast week of March, a timewhen visitors are thankedfor their great service. Ac-tually, every week shouldbe Volunteers week. Per-haps then we could sig-nificantly increase thenumbers.

Jesus said that whenwe care for the sick andneedy we visit and care

for Him.If we REALLY believein Jesus, how can we notvisit Him in the Homes andHospitals?

On February 7, St. Michael and All Angels ACW held their third annual Out-reach Gospel Concert. This year the concert was in support of Stand AgainstDrugs on the Burin Peninsula. Approximately 120 people came out to supportthe cause and was blessed with music, singing and great Christian fellowship.Submitted by Mary Legge.

Happy 90thOn February 15th, 2014, Betty Lemoine celebrat-ed her 90th birthday with an open house (picturedright) at St. Davids Anglican Church in Pasadena.

Thank you to all who helped organize, brought foodand came out to help her celebrate! Submitted byColleen Harris


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Our Anglican HistoryThe Rev. Edward Langmanpart one

David Davis

ColumnistEdward Langman was

ordained a priest in approxi-mately 1739, he had studiedat Balliol College, OxfordUniversity. He was a curatein the County of Devon, En-gland before he came toNewfoundland in 1752. Foryoung men in the churchthere was always a problemof moving beyond the rankof curate, unless there werefamily or social connectionsbetween the young curate

and the ruling families of thearea in which their parish waslocated. Many young curatesfor this reason looked to thecolonies for advancement intheir calling.

Mr Langman arrived at StJohns on October 31, 1754.He was supported(50 perannum) by the Society forthe Propagation of the Gos-pel in Foreign Pasts(SPG),the missionary branch of theChurch of England...That yearhe recorded 100 families inSt Johns of these 40 wereChurch of England, 8 Dissent-

ing Protestant and more than52 families Roman Catholic.At this time the only other

SPG priest in Newfoundlandwas Mr Lindsay in Trinity. Thisparish shares its importancewith Bonavista and St Johnsin being the earliest missionsin Newfoundland.

In the 1754-55 year thereoccurred a celebrated mur-der/assassination in St Johns.William Keen a merchantand Justice of the Peace,originally from America, waskilled in his bed by a groupof servants and others. The

result of this event was that

Mr Langman was appointedto fill Keens place on thelist of Justices of the Peace.He hoped to use his newappointment to propagatethe gospel.

In the latter part of the1750s there were roughly1000 persons in St Johnsincluding the soldiers in thegarrison. He attempted towork with all the groups:Church of England, dissent-ers and Irish Roman Cath-

olics.In 1759 Mr Langman

went to Placentia, the formerFrench capital of Newfound-land which had been taken

over by Irish shermen, but

the future was to show that itwas much too late to look forconverts in this area. Howev-er, Mr Langman stayed therefor a month in the summer.In 1760 he visited many ofthe harbours to the south ofSt Johns beside Placentia.He also distributed biblesand asked the SPG for more.The request for more bibleswas continuous in frontiersettlements in those days asthe few literate people in the

communities could be usedas lay readers in churcheswithout priests or more like-ly, to do readings in privatehouses which is where the

church existed on the frontier.

In 1769 he visited theSouthern Shore which atthat time was still nominallyChurch of England althoughas correspondence from latermissionaries noted, the Prot-estant population was verymeager mainly from the lackof clergy. He visited Renouse,Fermouse and Ferryland fora month preaching and ad-ministering the sacraments.In that period he baptizedabout 50 children, buried 30,

and had 30 communicants.In 1761 he comments

that he tried to visit the peo-ple to the south of St Johnsand intends to visit the places

to the north of St Johns thenext year. A new church wasalmost nished in St Johns,and he did get to visit BayBulls and Witless Bay for 10days.

To demonstrate the feel-ing in those days betweenthe various religious de-nominations see the follow-ing quotation for that yearsreport ..., as they(RomanCatholics) are in the rest ofthe Harbors and Bays of thisIsland, where the few Protes-tants here, are in Danger oftheir lives; so that, were they

not somewhat restrained bythe Fear of the Civil Power,there would be no tolerableliving in the Island. Thesesentiments were carried over

from the British Isles and be-

came xed in Newfoundlandfor a very long time.In 1762-63, Newfound-

land suffered an invasion byFrench forces. St Johns andthe garrison was captured.Mr Langman and everyoneelse were made prisonersof war. These unfortunateswere sent away to New En-gland but St Johns was re-captured soon after by theEnglish. But as in all warsgreat distress was caused in ashort time. Mr Langman losteverything he had, his wifedied in childbirth, and Lang-

man had a ux. This was theexcessive ow of uids fromthe body such as dysentery.Because of the ux, Mr Lang-man was not sent away withthe other prisoners of war.

His religious duties weretaken over by 3 French priestsand an Irish one which addedto his woes.

In 1764 Mr Langmanvisited Trinity Bay and on thereturn voyage to St Johnshe intended to visit HarbourGrace as he had promisedbut the winds were againsthis ship so he had to carry

on to St Johns. At the timehe remarked: The peopleof Harbour Grace and Car-bonear and some othershave raised a subscriptionfor a new church at HarbourGrace and are nishing it.Does this mean that therewas an earlier (before c.1764)church in Harbour Grace?Did they have any cleric orother person to lead the peo-ple? Mr Langman is beingasked to ll in if he can byvisiting Harbour Grace in themean time.

1765-66 the population

of St Johns, not counting thetroops in the garrison, was1059 (136 families). English445, Irish 614. 20 childrencould repeat their catechismin the church in summer.

In 1767-68 there was asevere decline in trade, adepression. Mr Coughlanwho had just become themissionary in Harbour Graceand Carbonear said that ifthe economy did not improveby next year Newfoundlandwould be deserted.

In 1768 Mr Langman wasburnt out: his house and fur-

nishings and in addition thecommunion plate which wasstored in his residence waslost. Mr Langmans house wasnot rebuilt until 1772.

Church of England Cathedral, St. Johns, 1871 (drawing)Image published in Canadian Illustrated News, April 1, 1871. From Charles de Volpi,

Newfoundland: a Pictorial Record (Sherbrooke, Quebec: Longman Canada Limited, 1972) 117.


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The Truthshall set us free

Cynthia Haines-Turner

ColumnistAs I write this, the nalhearing of the Truth andReconciliation Commissionis taking place in Edmon-ton. It is on the news - TV,print and online - and onsocial media and availablein live streaming on thecomputer. So much atten-tion, but to what end?

Justice Murray Sinclair,chair of the Commissionasks the question, what isreconciliation? - a ques-tion that will be addressed

by the Primates Commis-sion on Discovery, Recon-ciliation and Justice anda question that is asked toeach of us individually. Ind myself having difcul-ty addressing that ques-tion. Im not even sure it isa question for me, because,truth be told, I was not forc-ibly taken from my homeand placed in a schoolhundreds or thousandsof kilometres away frommy family, where I wasntallowed to speak my own

language or know anythingabout my own culture. Iwas not separated from mysiblings and put in a settingwhere I did not understandthe language or where Iwas not shown affection oreven worse, where I facedabuse in many forms, as ifthe forcible removal frommy home were not abuseenough. Nor did I havethe experience of havingmy children taken from meto go through all that. Sowhat reconciliation means

to me seems a little irrel-evant.Which leads me to

wonder if perhaps thequestion isnt rather Why

does reconciliation matterto me? I know it doesmatter. It matters to methat the Truth and Reconcil-iation Hearings have beentaking place for nearly fouryears; that our Church hasbeen a participant in thosehearings ofcially as partof the Residential Schoolsagreement and in otherways as well; that I saw, onsocial media, pictures ofour Primate, ArchbishopFred Hiltz, Esther Wesleyand Bishop Jane Alexanderof Edmonton participatingin the Anglican Expression

of Reconciliation in Edmon-ton; that faithful Anglicanshave been present to hearand witness to the storiesof residential schools sur-vivors and that Anglicansacross this country haveupheld, and continue touphold, the journey of rec-onciliation in prayer. Andit matters to me that thehearings are not the end ofthe journey but merely partof it. Why? Why when theresidential schools wereoperated kilometres away

from where I live and inanother time?

The answer is foundpartly in scripture - If onemember suffers, all suffertogether with it - and alsofound in the fact that, whilethe residential schools arenow closed and the policyof assimilation a thing ofthe past, their shamefullegacy lives on.

So while I dont feel Iknow what reconciliationis, I do know that 2014marks the twentieth anni-

versary of the IndigenousCovenant, something I willcelebrate as I continue tobe grateful that, in spite ofhistory and past wrongs, in-digenous people still wantto be part of a self-deter-mining community withinThe Anglican Church ofCanada. And maybe thatswhat reconciliation doeslook like.

Many Yearsof music ministry

On February 2, 2014, there was a special service held at St. James Church,Pools Island in recognition of Nina Burry who has been playing the organ for50 years. She began playing at the age of 14 at a baptismal service on Febru-ary 2, 1964. She has been very faithful since that time and has missed very few

services. Thanks Nina for being such a vital part of our church. She was present-ed with many gifts and a potluck supper was served after the service. BishopDavid Torraville presided at the service. Submitted by Lloyd and Emma Gale.


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Godand suffering

The Rev. Greg Mercer

Columnist

When Bad ThingsHappen to Good Peopleis a 1978 book by HaroldKushner, a Jewish rabbi.Kushner addresses in thebook one of the principalproblems of why a good,all loving, all powerful Godwould allow suffering, painand evil. It is the same ques-tion Job and his friends de-bated over 3000 years agoand continue to be a topicof profound heartache tothis day. People want to bebelieve in an all loving, allpowerful God but are un-able to reconcile that whenthings go wrong. Where isGod when it hurts? Whereis God in my suffering? Itis the nagging conundrum,why? Why is there so muchevil in the world?

According to PhilipYancy many older bookson this subject and writtenby people like Aquinas,Luther, Augustine, and oth-ers, ungrudgingly acceptpain and suffering as Godsagents. These authors donot question God actions;

they merely try to justifythem. However, it is never,ever that simple.

For those who have ex-perienced tragedy or anykind of immense pain andsuffering of sorts, this kindof rational thought aboutGod is not enough. As aresult people sometimesrene their thoughts aboutGods love and power. Thatis to say, God is either oneor the other but cannotbe both. Justify yourselfGod, they shout out in

anger. In my own personalexperience I have discov-ered that logic does not cutit. Reading and research-ing this topic have satisedsome of my questions butby far I just end up withmore questions. As a priestand pastor ministering topeople in difcult times isnever easy, especially whena young person looks atyou with teary eyes, angryand fearful, and says, Idont want to die! Why isGod doing this to me?

Suffering puts a lot ofthings into perspective. Forstarters it teaches humilityand patience. Sufferinghelps distinguish between

necessities and luxuries.People who suffer knowtheir priorities. Moreover,those who suffer quicklydiscover how lonely it canbe and how much we needand depend on each other.Suffering accelerates spiri-tual maturity, it is the greatequalizer, i.e., it brings us toa point where we may real-ize our urgent need for re-demption; to be at peace.And for the dying, it is the

moment when they realizehow much they need Godeven if God seems beyondreason.

The seemingly un-bridgeable chasm be-tween a loving God andthe evidential problemof evil is far beyond thescope of this short essay.Suffice it to say for nowthat what started with Joband his friends, and theirquest for answers to Jobssuffering in the contextof a loving and just God,

ended with Jesus Christ.It was at Calvary that Godsuffered a part of himselffor the sake of humanity.The Christians nal hope,the Resurrection and itsvictory over death broughta decisive new word to thevocabulary of pain andsuffering: TEMPORARY.Whatever anguish we feelnow will not last.

If there was ever anydoubt in an all loving, allpowerful God we need notlook any further than the

Cross of Calvary.

St. Giles Church

On March 4 2014 The St. Giles Anglican Church in Garnish, Parish of Marystownheld their annual Shrove Tuesday pancake, bean and mustard salad supper.The weather was poor during the day but did not stop the faithful from attend-ing. Their was about sixty in attendance plus 15 take-outs to the communityand shut-ins. A big thank you to all who supported the ACW and to all the ACWmembers for their hard work. Submitted by Robyn Toal

Fox Roost kids

The congregation was treated to a beautiful service and performance by theSunday School Children in Fox Roost. A big thank you to Maggie Seymourwho did a wonderful job with the children (Front to back - left side): Emma

Osmond, Emma Stone,Tanner Billard & KatelynDominie. (Middle row):

Ashley Ingram and Ty-son Meade. (Front toback - right side): MiaBaird, Sophie Vauti-

er, Sarah Sweet, AbbyTobin, Devon Hodder.Submitted by Karen Si-mon.


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Confrmationnot graduation

Allison Billard

ColumnistSpring always feels like

the end of something. Ithink the feeling comesfrom all the years spentin the education system.Spring meant that classeswould soon be done forthe summer, it was a time ofpreparation for papers andexams, and then later forgraduation and good byes.

All the time that I havespent in the church, work-ing with youth, as a youthmyself, I always get to think-

ing about confirmation.While many parishes donot have confirmation inthe spring, I have alwayshad the association. Myown conrmation was earlyin June the year I nishedsixth grade. Then, as now,many looked on confir-mation the same way, asgraduation. It was a com-pletion of some kind. Wewere graduating from theSunday school programonce and for all. For manythat meant that they would

no longer be obligated(by their parents? by God?I never really understoodthat) to go to church everyweek.

I probably felt the sameway, I dont really remem-ber. What I do know, is that

my mother certainly neverfelt that after conrmationI was free from the need toattend church. I may havehad the option of goingor not, perhaps we had anunspoken agreement thatas I got older (and Saturdaynights got a little more ex-citing) I could elect to stayhome on Sunday morning,particularly if she was goingto the 8:30 service. But nev-er was I done with churchand worship.

And I thank her for that.For we are never done.Christian formation does

not end with conrmation.In reality it is just the be-ginning. It is an importantstep for every Christian, tocome before their bishopand commit themselves toChrist. It demonstrates amature commitment. Butwe must always work togrow in faith, to learn fromScripture and to live as Je-sus would have us live.

As Christians, as mem-bers of a particular con-gregation, we owe it tothose being conrmed tocontinue to demonstrateour commitment to them,to each other, and most im-portantly to God. We mustshow them that we are nev-er done with worship, thatwe always need to love andsupport each other, that we,as a community, continueto need each other just asmuch as we need God. Weneed to dispel the associ-ation that conrmation isgraduation from church.We need to continue to nd

ways for everyone to be anactive part of our Christianministry.

As my mother did forme I hope to do for others.Will you join me?

Fortune Servers

Servers from All Saints Church in Fortune gathered to enjoy pizza and training. Wehave ten servers, ages 12 to 19, who started serving after their Conrmation, andthere are two adult servers. Ten of which attended the supper and training at Fortunein February. It was a wonderful time of fun and fellowship that was enjoyed by all.The training was a success and the practice encouraged the youth to have con-dence in their rst-rate serving abilities. Over the past ve years we have had several

servers who have graduated and moved for college or university. We prepare twotraining sessions a year and give them an opportunity to attend the Servers camp atMint Brook Camp in the Spring or Fall. Submitted by Beverly Buffett.

Gander Quilt

The ladies of the St. Martins Cathedral Sewing Circle have lovingly made quilts andblankets to be donated to Cara Transition House in Gander, in the near future. This thir-teen bed shelter was opened in 1991 as a safe haven for women and children who areeeing violence. Along with many other charities and causes, the ladies of St. Martinshave made several donations to Cara House over the years. These women spend manyhours cheerfully using their talent and often their own resources to create beautifulitems to bless those in need, both locally and globally. The congregation of St. Mar-tins and people of Gander often make donations of materials to help them with their

faithful work. They truly arethe hands and feet of Christand they give endlesslywith cheerful hearts. 2 Cor-inthians 9:7 (NIV) Each ofyou should give what youhave decided in your heartto give, not reluctantly orunder compulsion, for Godloves a cheerful giver. Sub-mitted by Stella Walsh


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Recoveringhidden headstones

Keeping Lentafter Lent ends

The Rev. Gerald Westcott

Columnist

St. Benedict tells us in

his Rule for communitiesthat the life of a brotheror sister ought always tobe a Lenten observance.Lenten spiritual practicesare life giving disciplinesthat should not end whenthe liturgical season of Lentends.

On the rst Sunday ofLent, and every day of ourlives as we sit in silence toencounter the Living God,we follow Jesus into ourown inner wilderness andknow that there is more to

who we are than our smalland shallow egos. Our egoconsciousness is actuallyour false self. Our truestself, made in the image ofGod, is so much larger andspacious than our egos, andis just beneath the surfaceof ego consciousness. Togo deeper and discoverour true self should be adaily journey into our innerwilderness.

On the second Sundayof Lent, and every day ofour lives, we are called tofollow Jesus up the Mountof Transguration. Like theinner wilderness, this spir-itual mountain is also with-in us. As we mature andmake progress in this innerjourney, we come to realizethat all scriptures are ful-lled in Jesus. We see Jesusas he truly is: Christ who isRisen and Alive. This realiza-tion changes us. We sharein Christs suffering, but wealso share in Christs Risen

life. Daily changed on thisholy mountain, we comedown to serve the worldthat is hurting and sufferingall around us.

On the third Sunday ofLent, and every day of ourlives, we meet Jesus and thewoman of Samaria at thewell. Christ offers Living Wa-ter to all people, regardlessof gender, religion, culture,language, your past, yourpresent. As we are changedin the Lenten pilgrimage,dying to our ego self, andsurrendering to the larger,deeper Well of Life that iswithin all human beings, wewill nd ourselves becom-ing more compassionateand accepting of ourselves,and with others who alsostruggle and suffer. Thislife giving water is a DivineSpring that is again withinus to discover and live outof.

On the fourth Sunday ofLent, and every day of ourlives, we meet the blind man

who wants to see. He knowsthere is more life beyondhis blindness. We need tocome to that empty andshallow place in our journeywhere we say to ourselvesthere has to be more to lifethan this! We are on a jour-ney from spiritual blindnessto spiritual sight. And likethe blind man, the more weencounter the living Christdeep within us, the moreclearly we will see Life in allits fullness.

In Lent, and every day of

our lives, the Church leadsus on a journey deeper intoChrist. Christ who, when weget our little ego out of theway, rises from within.

Submitted byEileen Matthews

A group of volunteers

organized by the HeritageNew Perlican committeeand St. Augustines ChurchVestry worked on the old-est known Anglican cem-etery called St. Marks onScotts Hill, New Perlican ona beautiful morning, June22nd, 2013. They came withtheir whipper snippers,chain saws and rakes toclean up and then searchfor headstones which havebeen grown over for manyyears. Unfortunately thishas happened to the ceme-tery due to the lack of fundsand a declining Anglicancongregation. It was a sur-prising day for all 12 peo-ple who showed up as weuncovered 14 headstonesand the plan is to go backagain in the fall and hope-fully uncover more. Thiscemetery was designateda Municipal Heritage sitein July, 2013 by the Heri-tage Committee and thetown in agreement with St.Augustines Church Ves-

try. Heritage New Perlicanplans to erect a Post/Chainfence around 2 or 3 sidesof the cemetery once the

headstone project is fin-ished and eventually whenfunds allow, they will erect asign there with the name ofthose buried there. Thereare many people buriedthere without headstones

as you can easily see therocks used to denote thehead and foot of gravesin rows.

The group of volun-teers were Lorraine LaFitte,Felix St. George, DavidMacDonald, Ruth Walker,Lorraine and Max Warren,Paul Stockham, Melanie& Randy Tucker, Sheila

Piercey, Gail Snook andEileen Matthews. We werefortunate to have Lisa Wil-son with us from Heritage

Foundation N & L and Mel-anie Tucker who workswith The Rooms and hasa summer place here andher roots are based in thiscommunity. Lisa Wilsonis heavily involved withthis type of work with theHeritage Foundation ofNewfoundland and Labra-dor and had been out ona previous occasion givingus advice on how to handlethe old headstones in thatcemetery.

Lisa Wilson, who hasbeen involved with ceme-tery work such as this withHeritage Foundation ofNewfoundland & Labrador,commented that this isonly the second cemeterywhere she has seen foot-stones. The group wentback in the fall and contin-ued clean up and hopes tostart again this spring.


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