Vestry Prayer
O Holy One of Blessing, you have guided and strengthened your people for the tasks that have made us “church” together. Thank you for the light and LOVE you have infused into our hearts and the darkest corners of our lives. Guide us and direct us in your WILL and your WAY, giving us a powerful thirst for growth, a healthy desire for new life, a welcoming attitude to new membership and a deeper trust in you. Amen.

Reflection of a Volunteer in the Ministry of Believers in Christ
“Our churches have abiding and essential purposes far beyond those personal ones usually singled out by the scrutiny of individuals. They are public spaces for worship, learning, growing and healing the spirit. By treating each other with kindness, we will become flexible enough to know and practice that we don't all have to think alike in order to live together harmoniously. In this we will experience living faith. Kindness, like grain, increases by sowing and tending. Selah, Amen, Hallelujah. Thanks be to God.”

VISION AND GOALS

a quote from the Earth Charter:
Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new ~ reverence for the mystery of being, gratitude for the gift of life and humility for our human place in nature and the whole

Diocesan Emphasis; our theme is

GOALS FOR NEAR FUTURE

Every-Member Visitation – clergy visits ~ and not only clergy visits! but larger scale pastoral visiting – developing a Pastoral Visiting Team, and seeking permission amongst ourselves to visit with one another and get to know each-other better ~ yes, current friendships are blessed, and yes ~ we can make new friends in our own congregation...

Do we as a fast-paced, active-lifestyle, consumer society remember how to visit with people? Can we take time in our lives to visit in the community?

Visiting elders, those who are shut in and are sick or the young families, those who are living away from extended family and trying to raise small children as single parents or two working parents... These are just a few thoughts and possibilities for Outreach in our community. It may be a simple thing for you to do, or it may be monumental to reach out to others in this way. What is your gift to share with others? What is the talent that is God Given for you to act upon in your life? This is what is on my heart. AS a church family, do we try to do things regularly on our Sundays or holidays that reach out and include others with the love of God?

What is it we bring to the story in our day and for the next generation, the lessons we have learned? Others may listen or they may not. Our task is to tell the story. Share the good news with joy and unity for the community.

It is important to create a space for the people who are not currently in the church, so that they can become an integral part of the faith community. People are beginning to feel an urgent need to return to the structured communities of spiritual nurturing offered by the church, structured communities which envision holistic and healthy faith-in-action lifestyles. Being on the front-line in community awareness programmes and distress-relief aid, as is the mission of the church, I see the church as a primary role-player in the future of our communities: We look currently at Caledon Community Services, & Bethell House Hospice as one small example.

• I would like to see our congregation move towards deepening relationships and spiritual development in small groups – creating communities of support and prayer teams. Meeting together to share our faith, pray together, and share our interests and gifts. I will be looking into this more and sharing it with you as I research and develop a clearer vision for this...

There is under way an integration of the Christian Education Committee – to include Adults, Youth Group, Church School – streamlining focus and efforts to align in all three areas; the youth, including teens and young adults, need special attention. For youth, making Christian ethics and worship a part of their identity is a process that must be entered into with energy and patience... Both in cities and in the suburban areas, where there are often numerous churches with smaller groups of youth, the vision for including youth as an important element of community life may reach to co-operation within the ‘cluster’ churches... that is, a dynamic interaction and sharing of resources to create the best possible environment for youth ministry.

A good resource for our church is the Justice and Advocacy Board in the Diocese. Several items connected to doing social justice as a faith community include the petitions we are invited to look at and sign over to the side here:

1. KAIROS – many of you know about the government cutting funding to this organization that does so much ecumenical justice work – we are petitioning the government to reinstate the funding.
2. AFFORDABLE HOUSING – similar to last year's vestry motion, the Diocese is asking for our church's support through signatures to pressure the government to provide adequate allotments for the housing so desperately needed

   ASIDE: I had a conversation with one of our faithful parishioners with a heart for outreach, sent me this email recently:
   
   Briefly, we talked about homeless people in the Bolton area and how difficult it would be for them to sleep outside during the winter. I had approached Monty Laskin, the executive director of Caledon Community Service and JoAnna Lenz, the manager of community services at the same organization, about starting a project in partnership with the churches that would give overnight shelter to these people. They told me that they have been thinking about the shelter idea and that they have approached Peel Region for some funding. They said that they will continue on with the conversation in the new year.
   
   Thanks for your interest in this very practical response to homelessness. Eventually, an overnight shelter should also be a resource point where people can get long term housing and meet other needs in terms of health, income and maybe employment.
   
   Let's not let this slide. There are statistics to indicate there are about 5 homeless people in Bolton, sleeping in surrounding ravines, underneath the night sky. We CAN be involved in this.

3. U.N. Declaration on Rights of Indigenous People – not signed by CANADA

   from Amnesty International's Website
   The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples makes a unique and much needed contribution to global understanding and promotion of human rights through its emphasis on measures that are indispensable to the survival and well-being of some of the world's most marginalized and frequently victimized peoples. Rights affirmed by the Declaration include the right of self-determination, land rights, rights to cultural identity, and protection against genocide and discrimination.
   
   The Declaration was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 13, 2007 by an overwhelming majority vote of 144 to 4.
   
   The adoption of the Declaration was opposed only by Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Australia has since reversed its position and publicly endorsed the Declaration. New Zealand has publicly committed to review its position. Canada and the United States, however, are claiming that the Declaration should not even apply to them. This is the first time that Canada has sought to be exempted from a human rights standard adopted by the General Assembly -- or suggested that any country should be free to pick and chose which UN resolutions they uphold.

ASIDE: I am an Ambassador with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Residential Schools, with the Diocese of Toronto. I whole-heartedly recommend the fantastic sermon on the subject, by a fellow Ambassador Michele Parkin. There is a print copy available today and electronic copy available through the office.

Further, there is an interest voiced by several diverse groups and individuals in the congregation around making connection with a Native community for prayer support and resource support, perhaps even for visiting and sharing stories with...Keep posted for details to come....

Also: Looking at Greening our Sacred Space – looking into how we can save energy and cut heating bills, cut water consumption and make our building as efficient as possible. I have begun this conversation with one parishioner, and would be pleased to hear from others who would be interested in looking into this.

Also: There is also a Third Module of the Diocesan program Fresh Start forthcoming. The title is 'History-Taking/Sharing'. It will likely be after church on a Sunday for a couple of hours. This is a fun and high energy module with lots of participation by both parishioners and Incumbent!

My report would not be complete without A Very Special Thank You to all who have put our church high on their list of priorities over this past year...and especially: THANKS to the Rev Penny Lewis who acted as Interim and primary pastor to Christ Church over the period of transition between Greg and myself.

• THANKS to the Worship Committee team, Lectors, Intercessors and Chancel Guild that have kept the Sunday Roster moving smoothly, delivering the Word and lighting the fire of the Spirit Sunday after Sunday
• Heartfelt Appreciation flows out from me and others, to the Wardens ~ Wilma, Julie, Gary and Pat ~ who have kept things running smoothly and dedicated so much time and energy to our communities
• A big Thank You to Ruth May, our secretary / parish administrator who puts out our weekly bulletins, Duty Rosters, email Newsletters, does the BookKeeping and innumerable other tasks. Hers is the smiling voice at the other end of the office telephone!
• Thanks to the saints who open the church and welcome community in, to those who tidy & clean & keep things sparkling, and to those who decorate to the glory of God: to those tirelessly dedicated to making it possible for us to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!”
• Thanks also to those who minister in gentle and un-obvious ways to neighbour, relative, friend. Being Christlike in action is more valuable than word.

As the year 2009 unfolded there have been joys and sadnesses that weave the sacred pattern of this fragile existence we share in our extended communities ~ births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths.

Some of us have not made time to pray together ~ we can change that. Ministry most often evolves around necessity ~ in responding to crises, we sometimes neglect those who aren't in urgent need. And things change.

Let those of us with ears to hear, hear this cry!
We have to do church differently! HOW??? and, importantly...Now!!!

Continue in hope – our God will not fail us.

Romans 5.3-5 ...And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

A Prayer at the back of the church “All Saints, Pavement” in York, England
*discovered on the Rev. Riscylla's pilgrimage 2008

Building Communities of Hope

Our Diocesan theme is

Looking at the first chapter and a half of the Book of Acts, we get a real picture of a community in transition. It was the story of the beginning of the Christian Church. Jesus had just died, and some had seen him resurrected – some hadn't. They were wondering what was next – what new prophet, new seer, what new miracle-worker was coming to town to save them? The world was struggling, looking for things that weren't CHURCH – following fads and trends that seemed to provide instant satisfaction. Rather than overlook the gift of the Holy Spirit, the new church was called to order by Peter, and responded with more, rather than less. “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” says Peter, as he invokes the early church to be strong, and compassionate, faith-full and hope-full.

This example from the history of the early church offers a prototype to us, telling our story, in the Parish of Bolton. The world is struggling – our communities are struggling, looking for things not like what we currently provide ~ we have to learn to be different together, as we work together for the greater good, for the fruition of the reign of God here on earth, as we remember who we are, and aim high for who we want to be... Trends and fads persuade on right and left, with charlatans and power-seekers challenging us to veer from our path. Together, working as a team, a community, a family, we have been empowered both by the larger faith community, and by our geographical community~ to act prophetically on their behalf. Our community trusts us, respects us, looks to us for spiritual fellowship, leadership, connection. What is our story?

With various gifts of leadership, I encourage you all to follow your hearts and be true to your mission as Christ-followers... true to the need to fulfill more-so rather than less-so....Because as church-goers, we are people who have always been actively engaged in society around us, working for the positive, life-bringing transformation of that society.

“Form” is about the recognizable shape, type, frame or configuration of something; while “substance” is about essence or meaning of a shape, tangible basic matter of what a frame contains, value of or reason for a configuration ...

In our ministry, I want to look at substance and not form, because if we are to be a congregation that has Good News to proclaim to the world today, good news comes in a word of substance, not form.

Good News of a spirit of Reverence, Gratitude and Humility blowing through this LAND...

let ours be a time remembered, for the awakening of a new
Reverence for the mystery of being
gratitude for the gift of life
and humility for our human place in nature and the whole

Good News of justice and reconciliation, of peace and honor and wisdom.

Good News of stewardship of our resources in life-bringing fashion, integrity of our consumption with our renewal and replanting and reforestation projects, intentionality in relationships: working & being & praying together ~ women & women, women & men, men & men, child & grown-up, elder & youth...

Good News of our sacred story, the story of our hope and forgiveness and beloved-ness ~ how Jesus teaches us, the Holy Spirit in-fills us, GOD is cradling us in the palm of God's hand each and every moment of our waking and sleeping ~ we live in God's world, and yet we are not alone... what is your story, of Good News? Practice telling your story to yourself, to newcomers, to fellow parishioners who have no idea why You come to church on Sundays...

It is difficult to speak of something, without commenting on its opposite...
* we understand what it is to have our bellies full by experiencing hunger, and we know what it is to be quenched when we first know thirst... Similarly we know happiness from experiencing sadness, and we know what it is to be found only after we have been lost ~

To me, Jesus is the bread of life. In him there is the peace, that settles my anxious heart, a peace that passes all understanding...and believing that isn't always easy – from the Gospel of John, as the people are wrestling with the whole concept, Jesus answers them:
“this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
This is the WORK of God...this is the intention we are to have – to believe in him whom God has sent.

Sometimes we know that we are truly missing something by when we don't go to church...

I know that for me, being in community is grounding – it helps me put down roots in a sometimes topsy-turvy world. I know that in my faith community, I can explore how God has been revealed to me in my daily life and interactions; I can wrestle with the teachings of scripture and perspectives of long-held beliefs and traditions in our Canadian-Anglican way of doing things; and I can be refreshed in sharing fellowship and common interests together.

The sacred story is one that I need to hear over and over again, in different ways, to learn it and to feel like I am a part of it: going to church is an opportunity, without need to explain or be defensive, it is an opportunity to take my place in the unfolding of that sacred story in my own life experience, in real time! And being in that unfolding-experience, in community, we all have a part, a role, a contribution...and we are missed when we aren't there.

I feel called to participate in the Christian principles of non-violence and working for peace; to acting out Jesus' call to justice and right-relationships among all people; and to sacrificial living – working to be life-bringing in all facets of daily living– a continuing, daily, hourly project that requires my attention and frequent reminders and lots of encouragement...

A passage from scripture that I always find tremendously reassuring, for it's recognition of our human limitations, is from Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 12:

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit... To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
To one is given through the Spirit ... wisdom,
and to another ...knowledge...
to another faith...
to another gifts of healing...
to another the working of miracles,
to another prophecy,
to another the discernment of spirits,
to another various kinds of languages,
to another the interpretation of languages.
All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

You are each investing in the congregation with your own form, bringing your individual gifts to the table, but the substance is the same.

Our relative diversity is becoming vast diversity in this day and age of folks who are building communities of hope, and faith and compassion, with cultural and economic diversity ... those who have lived here for many years, watching their children grow up in this community, those who have made this area their home more recently...those who work in the area and those who commute to Toronto or Brampton or Ottawa ~ some who are newly- retired & well-retired; young working families, stay-at-home parents (who work full- time!) and those in our midst, the under-employed, the unemployed and the downtrodden...

Communities of Hope are enlarging rather than narrowing. They are open and welcoming, rather than tightly knit and closed in.

With the years of working together looming ahead, the prospect of change causes anxiety, and even fear, but we as followers of Jesus must break out of that fear and engage the world where the world is...right here in our front-yards and side-streets...and recognize that handling change with grace is the best defense...

Let me paint a picture: for the earth is spinning on its axis – thanks be to God! and with that spinning, comes movement. And in the flux of seasons and passage of time, comes the rising of the blue moon and the setting of the golden -life sustaining fiery orb we call the sun...and with all this activity comes action ~ change ~ inspiration ~ development ~ progression in the direction of sustainability, vitality, becoming more and more fully alive in our very core of being ~ in our interconnectedness, and in our interdependence.

Another picture:In the web of life, we depend on the strands connecting us, to hold us up. We learn gratitude for those connections, and reverence for our Creator ~ and humility for our human place in all this...

We sometimes pretend to ourselves that we are holding up a deeper truth or a permanent way of life. And I say ‘pretend’ advisedly. Because indeed we do have a story to tell ~ deeper truth, a deeper reality, a permanent way of life that is truly life-giving. But we often end up supporting the form rather than the substance.

Again from scripture: “We have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us...”

We are a people of hope. We are an imperfect people, we have an imperfect way of doing things ~ that is some of the Story in the Bible ~ who we were, who we trampled in our fears and determination ~ who we ignored and shut down and made less-than-human in our very human perspective...

Yet, imperfect as we are, we are still vessels that are adequate to be bearers of hope. Our form may fail, but our substance remains. Hear again the story: that God is Love ~ that we are created and BeLoved by GOD, that we are blessed ~ and our task, our responsibility, our God-given mission is to bless...

We are hopeful people who therefore can be inspired and energized, with a sense of purpose and direction. Because that’s what hopeful people do. So finally, in the words of Paul to the Thessalonians: we urge you, beloved, to respect those who labour among you...be at peace among yourselves, admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them...See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all....

Let us pray:
Lord our God, look with love on the people of this community, and keep them safe in your service.
Guide the members of this Parish, and help them work together for the good of all. Bless their plans and deliberations, and bring them to success. Gracious God, we ask this grace through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

* The Bishop's Charge to Synod for this past decade has addressed this theme “Building Communities of Hope”, and I so thoroughly appreciate its timeliness and appropriateness that I adapted it to my message to you this year ~ let us continue to build together in Christ's name, with Christ's peace!