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Handle with prayer!
News – ANiC and AEN
Moderator and bishops send Christmas and Advent letter
In his Christmas message to members, Bishop
Donald Harvey said, “Although ANiC membership has expanded considerably… we
still… feel the intimacy of being part of one extended family. It is to this family that is so very
precious to me that I now send these greetings...
“Every member of our ANiC family had to make a choice
which often was painful … It is only when we gaze at the Babe in the manger
with His outstretched Arms that we realize it was all for Him. Just as He came to love and redeem us,
so we, determined to remain true to Him and His Word at all costs, have bound
ourselves together in this way, as we joyfully put our destiny in His Hands,
regardless of the personal cost…For those of us who are worshipping in borrowed
or rented surroundings, or who stand in danger of losing buildings we hold so
dear, we simply turn our gaze to the bare stable of Bethlehem, and realize that
with Jesus there in the midst, nothing else really matters.”
Update: Vancouver-area congregations continue to discern God’s leading
In her letter of December 4, ANiC
Chancellor Cheryl Chang indicated that the four ANiC parishes in the Vancouver
area might make a decision regarding an appeal of the Supreme Court of BC
decision by December 14. However, no decision has been made to date and the congregations
are continuing to pray and confer as they seek God’s leading. With Christmas and statutory holidays,
the expiry of the appeal decision period is December 29.
Many of the parish leaders who
met on December 14 expressed a profound sense of God’s grace and blessing in
the discussions and meetings that continue to take place within the parishes. A
thought-provoking question many are wrestling with is whether God is calling
them to leave the buildings and “get on with the ministry” or whether defending
the right to maintain orthodox Anglican faith in these buildings “is a
ministry” to which God is calling them.
In keeping with an earlier
commitment, St Matthias and St Luke will hold a special vestry meeting on
December 20 and their decision will be brought back to the other parishes’
trustees as they consider together how to proceed.
Please continue to pray for these
congregations, that they will hear God’s voice clearly and maintain unity of
the Spirit in the bond of peace, and that God will be glorified in their
actions.
An article in the New Westminster News Leader reports that “[ANiC Chancellor Cheryl] Chang said there are
clear grounds for an appeal, which can be filed now and discontinued at a later
time. However, if the deadline is
missed there is no other opportunity.”
Clergy retreat speaker confirmed;
mark your calendars!
While retreat details are still
being worked out, the Rev Canon David Roseberry has been confirmed as the
speaker at ANiC’s annual clergy retreat to be held at Cedar
Springs Christian Retreat Center (near Abbotsford, BC) from March 16-18. He is the rector of Christ Church
Plano, an ACNA church which started as a
mission in 1986 and now welcomes 2000 worshipers in six services on an average
weekend. Fr Roseberry will focus
on Bible teaching and church planting.
Bishop Ron Ferris explains his
decision to leave the Anglican Church of Canada
In an excellent article published by the Anglican Planet,
ANiC’s Bishop Ron graciously responds to Dr Philip Turner’s article “Staying
On” which outlines Turner’s reasons for staying in the Episcopal Church despite
the growing apostasy. Saying, “I have chosen a different path,” Bishop Ron goes
on to explain, “In my opinion the General Synod of the Anglican Church of
Canada and the synods of many of its large dioceses have gone contrary to the
teachings of Scripture and the Solemn Declaration and have abrogated the terms
of their own constitutions… If anyone is “departing”, it is those structures that
are wrongfully changing teachings and disciplines contrary to the advice of all
of our Instruments of Unity.”
Bishop Ron identifies the
fundamental differences he has with Dr Turner: what constitutes the Church and
the priority of unity or truth. He says, “In his article Dr. Turner seems to confuse the present corporate
structures with “the Church”. The loyalty Anglicans hold for “the Church” is
much larger than any temporary human institutional expression. In fact the
ultimate loyalty of any Anglican is to God and to his One, Holy Catholic and
Apostolic Church… Because Dr. Turner cannot find a “purer place” he seems to
argue for unity at all costs. But the Reformers who began the Anglican
tradition clearly believed there were truths that took precedence over unity.
They even spelled them out in the 39 Articles. Anglicans of conscience will
differ on when the turning point has been reached, but to argue there is no
turning point goes against our very foundations… A prominent church leader
wrote to me expressing the hope that I would someday return to the church that
I had spent my whole life serving. My answer to him is that I am serving the
same church I have always served -- the Church that the Risen Christ summons
anew in each generation!”
Parish news
St Chad’s (Toronto) – Bishop Doc Loomis, of the Anglican Mission in the Americas, worshiped
with the people of St Chad’s on Sunday, December 13 following the ACNA’s House
of Bishop’s and Provincial Council meetings in Toronto. He encouraged “the remnant” in their
witness for the Gospel by recounting the “Christian miracle” taking place in Rwanda in the wake of the horrific 1994 genocide.
Ottawa parishes – The Anglican
Gathering of Ottawa (AGO) was formed half a decade ago to “build strong local biblically-faithful
Anglican churches throughout the Ottawa region and beyond”. Its newsletter, AGO Fellowship Call!, facilitates communications between Ottawa-area projects and parishes, however
the stories and experiences shared in this newsletter may encourage and bless
others as well.
St George's (Ottawa) is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2010 and capping the celebrations, ANiC will hold its third
synod in Ottawa November 3-6. The
keynote speaker at the event will be Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, recently retired
Bishop of Rochester, England.
Anglican Planet covers ANiC synod
and consecration service
An article in the December Anglican Planet,
reporter Sue Careless provides a nice overview of the ordination and
consecration of our three new bishops. She explains the need for the
consecration, saying, “Five active bishops may seem top-heavy for a church of
only 4,000 members, but the next year will be one of transition. Bishop Malcolm
Harding retired last June. The moderator, Bishop Don Harvey, has announced his
retirement after Synod 2010. The third former ACC bishop, Ron Ferris, is
focused primarily on church planting in the lower mainland of BC.”
Reporting
on synod, the article states, “…church planting
was the synod’s major theme. [Archbishop Bob] Duncan has challenged his
Province, the Anglican Church in North America, to which ANiC belongs, to plant
a thousand new churches in five years across the continent… In the past ANiC
only went to a community if it was invited. Now they plan to move from passive
to active mission, and advertise their presence in various cities. Eventually
they hope to have an ANIC congregation “within a 20-minute drive of 90 percent
of the Canadian population.”
Deadline for ordering consecration photo album
extended to January 3
You can order
online a beautiful photo album featuring the historic November 13
consecration service for Bishops Charlie, Stephen and Trevor. This bound book
will feature 40 pages of professional photos from the consecration service. To
get a sense of the quality and appearance of the book, you can check out some example
(proof) pages on our website. The book can be ordered in hard cover
for $60 or soft cover for $45. (Prices include shipping and taxes.) The deadline for pre-ordering is January 3. We hope to have the
books printed and shipped by the end of January.
Closed for Christmas; last
newsletter for several weeks
The ANiC office will
be closed from December 24 (Thursday) through January 3 (Sunday). The next
newsletter will out in three weeks.
Calendar of upcoming events
– for your interest and prayer support
Dec 24 – Jan 3 – ANiC
office closed
Dec 25 – Merry Christmas!Jan 7 – St
Aidan’s Ministries meeting in Chatham, ON to discuss a church plant
Jan 12 – Meeting of ANiC
Examining Chaplains in Toronto
Jan 13 – Meeting of
Archdeacons and Bishops in Toronto
Jan 13 – St
Aidan’s Ministries meeting in Belle River, ON to discuss a church
plant Jan 14 – Meeting of Bishops
in Toronto
Mar 16 -18 – Annual ANiC clergy
retreat at Cedar Springs (near Abbotsford, BC)
Mar 18 – Ministry leadership seminar at Heritage Seminary, Cambridge ON
Apr 7-9 – reFocus Canada – a preaching and theology
conference for pastors and seminarians
ANiC in the news
Abbotsford
News – Dec 16 2009 – Letter to the editor: Resolution for all
News shorts – ACNA ACNA
House of Bishops and Provincial Council meeting communiqué
Following their meeting in Toronto last week, ACNA’s House of Bishops
and Provincial Council issued a communiqué which:
| • |
embraced the 1000
Churches Proclamation and committed to church planting [See below] |
| • |
welcomed a new
diocese into ACNA – the Diocese of the Gulf Atlantic |
| • |
urged all ACNA
clergy and laity to sign the Manhattan Declaration |
| • |
expressed support
for the Church of Uganda which is unfairly embroiled in controversy due to
proposed government legislation imposing harsh penalties for homosexual
activity |
| • |
urged all ACNA congregations “to make a special effort
to reach out [this Christmas] with the transforming love of Jesus Christ,
especially to those in their surrounding communities who face economic
hardship, or other challenges that lead to their marginalization.” |
A discussion
on the Stand Firm in Faith blog regarding this communiqué begins
with skepticism regarding the “1000 church plants” target but then some commenters begin sharing inspiring “testimonies” of God’s
blessing on ACNA church planting endeavors.
Planting 1000 ACNA churches
Archbishop
Bob Duncan has challenged ACNA members to establish 1000 new churches in five
years. To help achieve this
challenge, an ACNA church planting movement, called Anglican 1000 Movement, has
formed with a
website and a proclamation – which calls for new
models of ministry and the deployment of lay evangelists, catechists and
missionaries. Now an Anglican 1000
church planting conference is planned for February 22-23 in Plano, TX. You can register here.
Anglican
Fourth Day movement announces meeting
ACNA’s version of Cursillo,
Anglican Fourth Day (A4D), has announced plans for a province-wide meeting in
Bedford, Texas, August 12-15. Everyone is invited to the event, called an Ultreya,
which will feature celebration, worship, prayer, friendship and learning. For more information on A4D and its
handbook, see www.anglican4thday.com.
News shorts – Canada
Anglican Communion Alliance outlines its ministryIn a letter sent to members of the Anglican
Communion Alliance (formerly Anglican Essentials Federation) and Anglican
Essentials Canada, ACA Chair the Rev Canon Dr Brett Cane outlines the focus of ACA’s activities: political action at the Anglican
Church of Canada’s General Synod, networking across Canada, and working with
like-minded Anglicans in Canada and globally.
ACA outlines plans to sponsor a cross-Canada tour, May 21 – June 2, immediately prior to synod, featuring the
Rev Canon George Kovoor, Principal of Trinity College
in Bristol (UK) and originally from North India.
Bishop of Ottawa ordains a man in
a same-sex marriage
The Anglican Planet reports that earlier this
fall Bishop John Chapman ordained a man to the transitional diaconate who was
known to be in a same-sex marriage.
Canadian Anglican news
Church of England Newspaper – Dec 4
2009 – Church in Quebec is ‘dying’
News shorts – United States
US legal update The LA Times reports that St Luke’s (La Crescenta, California) is
appealing a California court ruling to the US Supreme Court. Earlier
the state Supreme Court had refused to hear their appeal. The hope that the “US Supreme Court
will establish a uniform approach for state laws to follow in church property
disputes.”
In its news release, St Luke’s says its appeal is “…asking
the Court to decide whether California courts violated the United States
Constitution by conferring on The Episcopal Church and its Diocese in Los
Angeles a special power – not available to nonreligious persons or
nondenominational churches – to seize its property and take over its corporation
based on its religious affiliation… Even though St. Luke’s owned its property
“free of any trust” for decades, and is a California nonprofit religious
corporation governed by a board of directors and its members, the decision of
the California courts has forced the St. Luke’s congregation off their property
when they exercised their religious freedom and conscience to affiliate with
another branch of the Anglican church… Under longstanding law, no one can
unilaterally impose a trust over someone else’s property without their permission.Some California courts have ruled
that certain denominations – those that claim to be a “superior religious
body or general church” – can unilaterally impose a trust on the property
of spiritually affiliated but separately incorporated local churches, resulting
in the local church forfeiting its property if it ever chooses to leave the
denomination.St. Luke’s will argue before the U.S. Supreme Court that
this preferential treatment for certain denominations violates the U.S.
Constitution.”
South Carolina church votes to realign
Despite
orthodox Bishop Mark Lawrence’s efforts to distance the Diocese of South
Carolina from the Episcopal Church, the largest parish in the diocese has voted 93 percent to join the Anglican
Church in North America. The ‘straw’
vote at St Andrew’s (Mt Pleasant, S Carolina), which followed a 40 day discernment process, was 838 to 58. It now rests with church leadership to
decide in the New Year how to proceed.
Salvation Army boycott
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that
homosexual lobbyists are pushing a boycott of the Salvation Army because of
that charity’s stand on moral issues. The Salvation Army is the largest charity
in the US and consistently provides services to those in need regardless of
sexual orientation. Donations are
already down nationally 8-10 per cent due to the economy and the negative
publicity.
US church in the news
Fresno Bee – Dec 12 2009 – Valley properties contested after Episcopal Church
split
Charleston Post and Courier – Dec 19 2009 – Parish looks to leave
World Magazine – Dec 18 2009 – Rising from the ashes
News shorts – International
Fourth “Anglican Global South to South Encounter”
announced
The
Global South Anglican Primates Steering Committee has announced plans for a fourth
“encounter” to build on the last encounter held in Egypt in 2005. This meeting
will take place in Singapore, April 19-23. Their announcement indicates that the Global South primates
will proceed with affirming the Anglican Covenant and will, through their
invitations to the meeting, clearly identify which other provinces and dioceses
are in communion with them.
The
announcement says, “We will explore how we may relate to one another in
covenantal and communion autonomy with accountability in matters of faith and
order; partnerships and networks in existing and new mission fields; and mutual
capacity building for increased self-reliance for greater service.“
We aim
to affirm the Anglican Covenant as the basis in intensifying the ecclesial life
between churches in the Communion, and explore ways churches should stand firm
side by side in one spirit and with one mind for the faith of the Gospel of
Lord Jesus Christ. The Steering Committee emphasised that provincial and
invited participants should be unequivocally committed to uphold the spirit and
intent of the 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10 and the proposed Anglican Covenant
(full Ridley Draft). Participation
will be on provincial basis…. Associate participants from non-Global South
Anglican provinces/dioceses will be on an invitational basis.”
Commentary on Jerusalem Declaration now available
Forty
Anglican theologians from 14 countries in Africa, Asia, the UK, the US, and
Oceania, have joined forces to prepare and release a commentary on the
Jerusalem Declaration. Entitled, “Being Faithful: The Shape of Historic
Anglicanism Today” this commentary explores the full meaning of the declaration
and how it relates to scripture, Anglican formularies and historic
Anglicanism.
The
Jerusalem Declaration was written and released by the 1200 Anglican leaders,
bishops, clergy and lay people from 27 provinces of the Anglican Communion who
had gathered in Jerusalem in June 2008 for the Global Anglican Future
Conference (GAFCon). It is proving
to be a landmark document for orthodox Anglicans and forms the basis of the
Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, a growing global movement of orthodox
believers.
The
General Secretary of the GAFCon Primates Council, Archbishop Dr Peter Jensen
called the “Being Faithful” commentary “an important study of the theology at
the heart of the GAFCON/FCA movement. It is a theologically-driven movement which
calls us to historic belief and the great truths of the gospel that will strengthen
and grow our communion. The latest
developments in the United States only heighten the need for a book such as
this.
”“Being
Faithful” is available from Amazon.ca (for those in Canada) or Amazon.com (for those in the US). It serves as a resource and study-guide
for churches seeking to affirm their Anglican identity.
Anglican
Covenant sent to Provinces for approval
The final text of the full, four-section Covenant was sent December 18 to all Provinces in the Communion for formal approval. Following the Anglican Consultative
Council (ACC) debacle in May, the Section 4 of the Covenant, which deals with
discipline of Churches violating the terms of the Covenant, was sent for
revision to a committee appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury – a
group comprised of representatives from predominately western churches and
including Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori. This committee then submitted their revisions to the 15-member
Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion.
In a commentary on the revised Section 4, the
Standing Committee points out changes designed to allow only those Provinces
currently recognized by the Anglican Consultative Council to officially sign on
to the Covenant. Although it notes
that any group (such as dioceses) can commit to the Covenant, such "adoption
of this covenant does not confer any right of recognition by, or membership of,
the instruments of communion, which shall be decided by those instruments
themselves." Although the
Instruments of Communion may invite additional Churches to adopt the Covenant, these
invitations must follow the ACC’s multi-year process.
The revised Covenant names the
Standing Committee as the guardian of the Covenant and the arbiter of disputes
and violations of its terms. It
also specifies that only representatives of Provinces which have adopted the
Covenant, or are in the process of adoption, can participate “…in the decision
making of the Standing Committee or of the Instruments of Communion…”
Changes to Section 4 are noted here. In a video message, the Archbishop of
Canterbury indicates that Provinces have three years to consider the
Covenant. The Secretary General of
the Anglican Communion, Canon Kenneth Kearon believes the Covenant is too weak
to unify the Communion. Responding to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s statement in the video that the Covenant is
not going to be a constitution for the Communion, Bishop Rodgers says, “We do
have a constitution in the Gospel and Apostolic Faith as we Anglicans have
received it, and any Communion Covenant should celebrate and confess it
authoritatively, clearly and thankfully. Nothing less will do.”
Moratoria
reaffirmed
In light of the recent election by
the Diocese of Los Angeles of a partnered lesbian bishop, the Standing
Committee of the Anglican Communion has reiterated the three moratoria on
same-sex blessings, active homosexual bishops, and cross-border activity and
called for “gracious restraint”.
Where does the Archbishop of Canterbury stand?
Charles Raven of the UK’s Society for the
Propagation of Reformed Evangelical Anglican Doctrine (SPREAD) writes
about the vehement public attacks on the Archbishop of Canterbury by
theological liberals since he signaled his disapproval of the election of a
self-declared partnered lesbian as suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles.
The Rev Raven considers this
hostility a tactical error on the part of the revisionists. He says, “By running
ahead and disowning their erstwhile champion, they have made it much less
likely that the majority of the Communion’s Primates can be brought round. They
have made it plain that they are no longer interested in his tortuous process
of dialogue and debate when it no longer seems to serve their purposes.”
However, Raven continues it would
be an equal mistake to view the Archbishop of Canterbury’s position as
supportive of those holding to traditional Anglican teaching. Rather, the Archbishop’s thinking is Hegelian; “He
sees truth merging as opposite ideas are held together in tension in the hope
that a ‘higher truth’ will emerge. On this basis, it is perfectly logical that
he should respect the current mind of the Communion without having to renounce
his personal views. Unfortunately, this process becomes manipulative and
frustrating where fundamental theological convictions, especially about
Scriptural authority, are no longer held in common… The agonizingly slow
progress of the Covenant process over which Rowan Williams presides is the
practical outworking of his Hegelianism.“
Applied to the struggle over sexuality in the
Communion… Rowan Williams has not been given sufficient credit by his liberal
critics for the way in which he has managed to institutionalise through much of
the Communion a ‘listening’ or ‘indaba’ process…With patience, it is not
impossible to conceive that in the long run a sufficient number of the orthodox
leaders in the Communion could be sufficiently desensitized by this process to
enable a widespread acceptance of homosexual practice throughout much of the
Communion, especially as this would be given constant encouraging by the
prevailing assumptions about sexual rights and expression in the wealthier and
historically dominant provinces of the Communion.”
News from around the Communion
Rwanda – LifeSiteNews reports that “The Rwandan Parliament is now considering legislation that would amend the
country's penal code to criminalize homosexual acts, and would impose prison
sentences and heavy fines on individuals convicted of engaging in or promoting
homosexual behavior.” While the
proposed legislation is not as harsh as that in Uganda, the Church of Rwanda
may come under pressure from homosexual lobbyists as
has the Church of Uganda. Canon Dr
Chris Sugden, writing in Evangelicals Now,
discusses the attempts by liberal westerners to impose their sexual ethics on
traditional African and Asian societies.
West Africa – The Liberian
Daily Observer reports that the bishop of the Diocese of Liberia, in
the Church of the Province of West Africa, has invited the US Episcopal Church
Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori for a weeklong visit beginning
January 2.
International media coverage
Guardian – Dec11 2009
– Church of England issues cash call to the faithful
Religious Intelligence –
Dec 18 2009 – Konunga launches Christmas offensive
Church of England Newspaper
– Dec 11 2009 – Liberals
are playing dirty
Telegraph – Dec 16 2009
– Just half of Britons now call themselves Christian
after a ‘sharp decline’ in faith over the past 15 years
Religious Intelligence –
Dec 17 2009 – Sudan ‘on brink of civil war’
Soul food
Just for fun
Copyright Gospel Communications International, Inc - www.reverendfun.com
Out of the mouths of babes
The
minister was preparing to launch into his painstakingly prepared sermon, but as
was his custom, began with prayer.“Dear Lord,” he reverently intoned, armsextended heavenward, face
upturned, 'withoutyou, we are but dust...” Pausing briefly for full effect,
he was about to continue when a small child’s clearly audible voice filled the
silence: “Mommy, what’s ‘butt dust’?”
Worth reading
In a National Post article, Charles Lewis, talks
about the plight of the homeless and marginalized at Christmas and how God’s
Son was born also into desperate poverty. As a man, Christ became the friend of
social outcasts who, like many of the marginalized today, “…had to go
somewhere else for food, compassion and love. They had to find someone who
would listen and not turn away in disgust. They ran into the arms of God.”
Resources
Canon Dr J I Packer is interviewed by the principle of Oak Hill College
on the crucial importance of theological training. The three-part online video on the interview “unpacks what he believes it means to be a pastoral theologian [and
is] highly relevant for those answering the call to pastoral ministry today”.
Made in
God’s image, marred by sin
Homosexuality – LifeSiteNews carries an interview with
Michael Glatze, a former activist and founder of a
leading gay youth magazine, in which he recounts how God changed his heart and
continues to change his desires – and the intense opposition he has
encountered since leaving the gay lifestyle. Glatze says, “The fury that comes
from 'gay' people against people like me can be vicious and vile, and it can
hurt… There are countless individuals who have successfully left the homosexual
lifestyle, have gotten away from the habits of homosexual sin, and who have
happy and healthy lives... "Heterosexuality
is normal human sexuality, while homosexuality is a deviation. These are obvious
things. What is so ground-breaking is how successful
activists have been at clouding out reality… I think as the angry media
continues to perpetuate the myth that homosexuality can't be cured... I want to
continue to send the message of truth in opposition to that lie, supported by
the fact that I have just continued to be happier, more confident, and much,
much more healthy – and much less, less ‘gay’..."
Euthanasia – A December 12 National Post article discusses the
Euthanasia bill before Parliament and clarifies misconceptions about this
bill. Many support the bill
mistakenly thinking it is simply about stopping medical intervention to allow a
natural death – an option that already exists. However what “…the bill proposes to do is allow
active euthanasia which requires a planned and purposeful act such as a doctor
giving a patient a lethal injection. In the United States lethal injection has
been challenged in court as a cruel and unusual punishment for death row
inmates, here in Canada we have banned the death penalty as inhumane, too
fraught with mistakes. Now Parliament is considering allowing the sick to be
given what we find unacceptable for criminals… Canada does need a full and
frank discussion on dying with dignity but I fail to see what is dignified
about dying by lethal injection at the hands of a doctor sworn promote and
sustain life, not take it.”
Abortion and maternal mortality – A Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute report citing global statistics on maternal mortality, has found that countries with the greatest
legal restrictions on abortion generally have much lower maternal mortality
than countries with the laxest abortion laws. This finding refutes abortion advocates’ claim that
restrictive abortion laws force women to seek unsafe abortions, leading to higher
maternal mortality.
Please
pray...
For our ANiC
projects, church plants, parishes, bishops and rectors. Especially pray for meeting of our
bishops and leaders, January 12-14. Also pray for St Aidan’s Ministries’ church plant organizational
meetings in Chatham (Jan 7) and Belle River (Jan 13).
For the
ministry of ANiC congregations to our communities during Christmas –
especially the mission planned by St John’s Richmond and the Artizo interns in
the community of Richmond, BC.
That we would share the Good News with those around us who need to meet our Lord & Saviour.
For the legal cases
| • |
For the four Vancouver area ANiC
parishes and their lawyers who are reviewing the decision issued by Mr Justice
Stephen Kelleher and seeking God’s clear leading. May God grant clarity and unity as they discern whether or
not to appeal the decision. Pray especially for the
December 20 special vestry meeting of St Matthias and St Luke as they vote on
this issue. |
| • |
For the Windsor case (involving
St Aidan’s) which is being dealt with in London, Ontario. |
| • |
For all the congregations involved in court proceedings and disputes. Pray for peace for the wardens and trustees who are on the
front lines and bear the burden of risk and responsibility. Pray for a
continued focus on, and blessing upon, their ministry in the midst of this
turmoil. |
| • |
For sufficient contributions to the Legal Defence Fund so that legal
costs can be covered and the churchwardens and trustees are not at personal
financial risk. The Ontario parishes, in particular, need greater financial
support at this time. |
| • |
For the leaders and parishioners of the dioceses pursuing eviction of
and damages against ANiC congregations and wardens in court. |
| • |
That God will be glorified in all court proceedings and may people who
would not otherwise attend a church hear the good news and turn to Jesus. |
Praise God for the
interim negotiated agreement with the Diocese of Niagara providing stability
for St George’s, St Hilda’s and Good Shepherd.
And now a word from our sponsor
Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated
on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,
“Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its
seals?”
And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth
was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly
because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one
of the elders said to me,
“Weep
no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has
conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
And between the throne and the four living
creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been
slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God
sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right
hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the
four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb,
each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of
the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its
seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from
every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a
kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.
”Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and
the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads
of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power
and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be
blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the
elders fell down and worshiped.
Revelation
5
Merry Christmas!
May the wonder of God’s great Gift fill you with joy.
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