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Rector's
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2009
Sabbatical
Sabbatical
leave is a joint program of our diocese and the continuing education plan
of the Anglican Church of Canada. The purpose of a sabbatical is
continuing education and professional development. I am on an eight week
sabbatical from mid June to early August (followed by holidays). I will be
researching and writing in the area of biblical stories as presented in
Christian art and the general culture. The support of St. James Parish,
Bishop Moxley, and the National Church Continuing Education Plan is
gratefully acknowledged. The Bishop's letter of support is posted on the
narthex bulletin boards. I will keep St. James in my prayers during my
time away. Circumstances permitting, I hope to send some posts from the
first part of the sabbatical to our website. I look forward to seeing
everyone in September. read more
2009
Easter Sunday
Every
art form tries to exploit its strongest suit in order to get an audience,
convey a message, entertain and thrill those who come to the show. One of
the strong suits of the motion picture business is the use of special
effects. Increasingly sophisticated these days, using cutting edge
technology, making use of the big screen, it's one of the reasons many of
us continue to prefer to see movies in the theatre. Biblical stories are
often good candidates as movie subject matter, because special effects can
be used to depict the supernatural events described in the stories. It's
an old film, but in it's day the Movie The Ten Commandments was the
special effects talk of the town. The people of Israel cross the Red Sea
flanked by two huge raging columns of water as the sea separated. However,
I try and stay away from watching religious movies at this time of year,
even though they tend to run and re-run on television during holidays.
Special effects are part of the reason. They tend to focus in on the
supernatural element while glossing over everything else that the story
has to offer us. Whether it's drama like Jesus of Nazareth or
documentaries about The Shroud of Turin, they focus on how the "
supernatural trick" was done --to the detriment of the over all
message of the story itself. There is one movie, with a religious theme,
that I think is actually a wonderful exception. It's the Canadian and
French Movie Jesus of Montreal. This award winning film was made in 1989.
The plot is very interesting. A local pastor hires a group of actors to
make a passion play about Jesus. They do this, and in a kind of
revolutionary way, end up making a statement about religion and the church
that outrages their patrons. What is most interesting about this movie is
the parallel and similarities drawn between Jesus and the lead actor
Daniel who is hired to play the part of Jesus in the passion play. The
movie explores the way in which religious themes impact people, and
especially how people are either changed by spirituality or simply dig
their heels in and oppose it. The movie has a particularly interesting
ending-which I won't spoil for you in case you would like to rent it and
watch it sometime. The emphasis is not on supernatural conjuring tricks
but on the transformation of people and their lives. read
more
2009
Easter
There
is a certain level of risk involved when men write about the birth of
their children. It is the mother, after all, who does all of the heavy
lifting of labor and birth. However, the births of each of our children
are my most indelible memories. Our first child was born on Good Friday at
5:13 in the morning. Labor began the day before, Maundy Thursday. I was a
student and a newly ordained deacon at the time. The new arrival took
priority. A colleague of mine conducted what were to have been my first
Holy Week services as an ordained person. The weeks of Lent had been
passed in anticipation of the baby's arrival. Easter took on a very
special feel that year. Resurrection was celebrated through the experience
of having a new born. More than three decades have elapsed since that Holy
Week and Easter; but I have a lasting appreciation for a metaphor Jesus
uses in anticipation of his passion and resurrection. According to John,
as the time for Jesus' passion draws near, he speaks with his disciples in
a parable drawn from birthing. read
more
2008
Annual report
Each
of us has our own particular role to play, in concert with others, as
members of the Body of Christ in our parish. In the midst of all the
activity here at St. James, I try and be mindful of my particular role as
pastor and priest. My calling is to proclaim the Gospel, celebrate the
sacraments of redemption, provide leadership for the parish as a caring
community, and be a mentor to other members of the whole people of God in
this place. Each of these things allow me to contribute to the stated
mission of the Parish as a person in an order of ministry. read
more 2008
Advent and Christmas As
I drove into the church parking lot I encountered a gentleman equipped
with a camera and tripod. He appeared to be taking pictures of the rectory
and church hall. I ventured over to ask him what he was doing. “That's
Venus and Jupiter”, he said. Gesturing to the toward the sky, he
continued with an unmistakable enthusiasm, “I'm taking pictures of Venus
and Jupiter.” Just minutes earlier, on the drive home, a radio announcer
was describing the lovely sunset in the western sky. The light from the
sun, now below the horizon, gave the first sky of the evening a wonderful
blue tint. Venus and Jupiter were on the rise alongside the moon. It was a
perfect Advent evening. read
more 2008
Thanksgiving Biblical
scholars often refer to Jesus as an itinerant preacher. It means that
Jesus walked a lot--from one end of Palestine to another. As he traveled
he preached about the kingdom of God. In his travels, during the several
harvest seasons of Palestine, Jesus would pass by fields rich with grapes,
olives, grains and the like. Ancient Palestine had only the most basic
tools for harvesting. Harvest time was labor intensive. It was important
to get the crop out of the field as quickly as possible. A shortage of
workers meant a slow harvest with an increased risk to the valuable crop.
"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few..."
Abundance in the field might be compromised by a scarcity of workers.
Jesus used this serious situation as a metaphor for mission. There are so
many opportunities to bring in the kingdom of God. Will too few disciples
compromise the abundance of God's kingdom? read more
2008
Stewardship The
theme of my thanksgiving letter is
"scarcity and abundance". These days Anglicans in our part of
the world find themselves with an abundance of church buildings. Many
of our buildings, their size and construction, are built for the needs of
a previous era. This situation presents the church as a whole with a
number of stewardship challenges that have both financial and moral
components. However, it is not a question of simply moving from too many
buildings to no buildings. The buildings at St. James require some age
related refitting. However, St. James' buildings are in an excellent
location and are of comparatively recent construction. They have been well
maintained over the years. While it is true that services may be held in
just about any location, the sacred space offered by our churches provides
us with a rich environment for prayer, reflection and community praise.
The environment provided by churches is to a large degree unique. In some
cases, the church is sought after as a location for cultural events. The
loss of churches from our communities would be as unfortunate as the loss
of museums, parks, libraries or concert halls. Church hall houses
activities and programs for both the congregation and the wider community.
They are a resource for building up the congregation. They are used for
both fellowship and outreach. In this respect, there is no essential
distinction between sacred and secular. Like any resource, the church
buildings require good Christian stewardship to maintain and operate.
read more
2008
Easter There
was never any mortal danger if you fell in; but the challenge was to cross
over without slipping and getting wet feet. Near my childhood neighborhood
there was a stream. There was one set of stepping stones that provided the
only place to cross. Springtime provided the most skill testing
opportunity to ford the brook. The water was slightly deeper and much
colder during Spring. It was an incentive to remain sure-footed. The skill
lay in making careful strides across the gaps with firm footing on the
stepping stones. There were just enough stepping stones, well placed and
well anchored, to keep the intrepid from splashing in the cold
stream. read more
2008
Lent The
Lenten sermon series is based on The Millennium Goals. The Eight vigil
candles burning near the font symbolize the relationship between our faith
and our role in the world community. A Millennium Goals static display is
located in the narthex. read
more Mar
9 - Creative writers often make skillful use of foreshadowing. Through
the use of foreshadowing an event or development becomes an indicator or
portent of something to come. Foreshadowing is a way to enhance meaning
and broaden perspective with an economy of words. read
more Mar
2 - Entertainers sometimes talk about coming to their audiences by way
of the miracle of radio or the miracle of television. The term miracle is
often used in the purely metaphorical sense. We use it to describe
something that amazes us, but something that we can manage or manipulate
notwithstanding. What is most interesting about the miracles recorded in
scripture is that they have a strong relationship component. They go
beyond manipulating things and circumstances in order to manifest Divine
love to the people whom God loves. The miracles of Jesus have this strong
undeniable relational character about them. Jesus performs miracles that
connect people to God, reconnect people to their communities. The miracles
of Jesus require both recipient and bystander to make choices about how
they will relate to God, to Jesus the Christ, and to one another. read
more Feb
24 - St. John the Evangelist, had he lived in another time, could have
been a great play-right or screenwriter. Any number of biblical
commentators have written about the rich scenes, dialogue, speeches and
characters that give life to his telling of the good news. read
more Feb
17 - What gives a painting its power? An impressionist painting
communicates differently than a photograph. In some regards it shows me
more. The colors, the perspectives, the subject matter, all contribute to
the power of the painting. The Gospel readings for the next four Sundays,
from St. John, function in a similar way. John tells of encounters between
Jesus and others. The conversation in each encounter has an edge -a sharp
edge in some instances. The images that inform the conversations give
these stories their power. read
more Feb
10 - "The Barrens" in Nova Scotia are beautiful but formidable.
Whether one looks over the barrens at West Dover near Peggy's Cove, or the
Barrens in the Cape Breton Highlands, you are struck by the stark wonder
they possess. They are not dwelling places for the unprepared. The Barrens
in the North Highlands contain emergency shelters for those who may become
caught there unprepared. A Nova Scotia government website describes the
ecosystem of our barrens as follows: "Barrens are essentially
impoverished habitats, with low nutrient availability and low floral
diversity, offering a comparatively small number of niches." read
more 2007
Advent Stuart
McLean is one of Canada's most popular and entertaining storytellers. His
Christmas recording Vinyl Cafe: A Christmas Collection contains some
wonderful stories, including "Dave Cooks the Turkey". Dave
volunteers to look after Christmas dinner at his house, in order that his
wife Morley and their children may volunteer at the foodbank on Christmas
day. Only late on Christmas Eve does Dave discover that looking after the
turkey means looking after all aspects of the meal. He has overlooked one
crucial piece of preparation. The story is hilarious, and provides some
interesting insight about holiday preparation and celebration. read
more
2007
Thanksgiving There
is a short time just after sunrise when the sun hovers huge, brilliant and
spectacular over the water. It's a miraculous event-even for someone like
me who is not normally an early "morning person". When I lived
on the northeastern tip of Cape Breton Island, the fishing boats steamed
out in the pre-dawn. They were at work and beautifully backlit during
sunrise. At the end of the day, not all that far away on the other side of
the island, there is a similar miracle. read
more
2007
Easter
Part
of the fun of "Antiques Road Show" is watching a person discover
they have come into the possession of something of great value in an
unexpected way. It's not just "hidden treasure" that turns up in
unexpected places. Imagine finding a letter or post card from an old
friend buried under all that clutter you are cleaning out of your basement
or attic. Who wouldn't stop what they are doing, sit down on the floor,
read the letter and re-live the memories it delivers. Consider a walk in
the woods. There unexpectedly near the path is a beautiful
"wild" flower. It is as lovely as a flower cultivated in a
garden. read
more
2006
Annual report
A
mission statement is best evaluated, not by words alone but by the lived
reality of those whom it inspires. We adopted our Parish Mission Statement
several years ago. It is printed almost weekly in the parish leaflet. It
is important we monitor how we live it out. read
more 2006
Advent and Christmas Describing
a piece of music to someone who has not yet heard it is difficult. This
past several weeks I've been listening to an instrumental piece entitled
On The Way to Bethlehem, from a collection entitled Pilgrim Songs. I wish
I could explain more clearly how much of a strong sense of the season this
music elicits. It captures the imagination in a way that familiar holiday
music does not. read more 2006
Thanksgiving Very
early the week following the Labour Day, we were driving east through
Quebec and northern New Brunswick. We were on our way back home to Nova
Scotia. It is a drive familiar to a great many people. Wendy and I have
made this trip a number of times. In fact, we made the trip at a more
leisurely pace, several weeks prior, during summer holidays. The beautiful
scenery of the St. Lawrence and northern New Brunswick was much the same
in September as it had been in July. read
more 2006
Easter Clergy
are frequently asked for their take on movies with religious subject
matter or themes. I've already been asked whether or not I plan to see the
soon to be released "The Da Vinci Code". The movie is based on
the book of the same name by Dan Brown. "The Da Vinci Code" is
something of a publishing phenomenon. There is actually a web site where a
number of clergy who have read the book respond to the question: Do you
plan to see "The Da Vinci Code"? read
more 2005
Annual report The
Annual Report is an attempt to document the tasks, undertakings, and
achievements of in a parish after year’s end. Documentation requires a
referencing to funds, buildings, programs, organizations, and activities.
Documentation also records something of the invaluable contribution which
the faithful of the parish make as they seek to give concrete expression
to their Christian faith grounded in the setting of an Anglican parish
community. read more 2005
Advent and Christmas The
wind wanted to shoo us along home after school; but the cold was no
competition for the displays of the season. The main street of our town
was strung with Christmas lights. Store windows displayed toys, seasonal
merchandise, and festive decorations including, of course, the Christmas
tree. No matter how cold the weather, Commercial Street at Christmas time
was a routine detour on the way home from school. read
more
2005
Thanksgiving The
first parish I served, as rector, was Neil's Harbour in northern Cape
Breton. Members of the Fishermen's Cooperative in the parish donated part
of the value of their annual lobster catch to their church. The manner by
which they did so was known as 'The Lord's Acre'. Each year, each
participating fisher gave the proceeds from a particular set of traps to
the parish. read
more
2005
Stained glass windows St.
Paul tells us that in Christ we are a new creation. It is wonderfully
appropriate that the ten east windows were installed in time for Easter
Day. It is anticipated that the ten west windows will be installed about
the end of April. Once all twenty windows are installed, St. James will
provide parishioners and visitors alike with an inspiring mural on the
theme of creation. read
more
2005
Easter Meetings
seem to be an inescapable part of church life. The church, like many other
organizations, requires that people meet together from time to time to
advance the work that must be done. For over a decade I was a member of a
diocesan body that employed a training consultant for its members. Our
consultant once commented that, in his place of work, he tried to attend
only those meetings that are life giving. At first I thought his approach
unrealistic. read
more
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