This week, the Sol Cafe will be getting together around 5ish at Cafe Dabar (10816 Whyte Ave) to have a family meeting, led by Winston, one of our regulars. We will be discussing ideas for the future and addressing some of the changes that are in the air.
The readings for this week from the Revised Common Lectionary are:
Genesis 12:1-9
Psalm 33:1-12
Romans 4:13-25
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
One of the motions at the last General Synod which almost flew under the radar was a call to have a thorough revision of liturgical texts for use in the Anglican Church of Canada. Prayer Book traditionalists were concerned that the motion would eliminate the BCP from common use, and replace it with a mishmash of “modern” or “Post modern” liturgies. In the end, the amended resolution which passed called for Faith Worship and Ministry to come up “fresh new expressions” for use in the Anglican Church of Canada. Resolution A226 was amended, so that only “contemporary language rites” would be subject to the proposed revisions. While I applaud the possibility of “fresh new expressions”, I find that, like the case of the rites for the catechumenate, the early drafts of such liturgies (pdf) leave a lot to be desired.
I think that the Anglican Church can certainly benefit from a critical self examination in the area of liturgy, particularly when it comes to such liturgies as a means of sharing the Gospel with a largely "post Christian" culture. However, I think there could is room for improvement:
“Journeying Beyond: A Pilgrimage of Exodus after Confirmation”
Rationale for the Rite:
It is well known in Anglican circles that Confirmation, while a significant milestone in forming a life of discipleship, is too often seen as an exit time for many young people from the community of the Church. Recognizing this to be the case, the Faith Worship and Ministry Committee, following the guidelines of A226 (GS 2007), has developed the following experimental liturgy: “Journeying Beyond: A Pilgrimage of Exodus after Confirmation”. The proposed liturgy would be used with those young people who have undergone Confirmation, but have decided (either at the time of Confirmation or shortly thereafter) to formally disassociate themselves from the Anglican Church of Canada. It seeks to honour their personal seeking in an authentic way, while at the same time giving shape to a form of return. In so doing, the spirit of autonomy inherent in a national church is fostered and nurtured in one of its most important constituent member groups: its youth.
Background and History:
While the theme of Exodus has firm Scriptural roots in terms of an overall progression to the Promised Land (though not in a terms of a permanent contemporary political entity), it is also recognized that this Exodus was a time of “wandering”. Indeed, the concept of wandering is an integral part of a mature faith, for without this constant wandering, we cannot follow, even in a geographic sense, the itinerant nature of Jesus’ own wanderings as articulated in the Synoptic Gospels. Recognizing that, in many cases, late adolescence is a natural time for such wanderings, we seek to encourage young people in their journey away from the Church, trusting that they will return when their own children need baptism, and thus setting in motion the continuous circle of the journey of faith, where both parents and newly baptized can then wander away again, to return at times of infinite transition (eg "funeral").
The Shape of the Rite:
Gathering of the Community:
The Presider should enter from a side door, rather than process via the center aisle. The newly confirmed should enter from whichever direction they choose. A large, broken compass may be placed on the altar.
One: "Not all who wander are lost."
All: "And also with you."One: "The universe expands in all directions."
All: "As does our faith. There are no boundaries, only frontiers!"One: "N., you have been brought to this place through the workings of Mystery. We, as the community in which you have been nurtured, now set you free. As Abram left the home of his ancestors, so we set you free to leave this, the home of your spiritual ancestors. As you grow, you must shed the old skin. There may come a time when you return: we may be here, or we may not. Your journey endures forever."
The Presider then hands the Traveler a broken compass:
"Receive the signpost of our faith. Let no direction dictate your footsteps."The Traveler takes the compass and covers it with a cloth. The colour of the cloth will be determined by the liturgical season.
Traveler: "Everyone who seeks will find. How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again. It’s always been the same, same old story."
Presider: The service continues on page 185.
All stand, as the traveler exits by a side door.
Update: The Diocese of Saskatchewan website has an important press release from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
On Sunday, February 24, the sol cafe will be holding its monthly "service service" where our regular Sunday gathering and worship takes the form of rolling up our sleeves and doing some good. This month we will be meeting at the downtown Salvation Army depot (9618 101A Ave NW) to sort food and do whatever other work needs doing. meeting at 5pm. there will be rides available from cafe dabar 5ish
Just thinking...
On Sunday, September 30, the sol cafe will be meeting for one of our regular "service services", where our Sunday gathering and worship takes the form of some work in the community. This month we will be back at the Salvation Army downtown food sorting depot (9618 101A Avenue), processing donations and doing whatever other work they might need done.
If you can join us, please meet at the depot at 5 pm; you'll need to be relatively prompt because the facility will need to be locked once we're inside. If you've never been before or need a lift, we will also have a couple of volunteers at Cafe Dabar at 5 pm to shuttle people over.
Following up on this post below, I suggest that since the God whom we worship is revealed to us, so we should turn to revelation (Scripture) to inform our worship. Two passages come immediately to mind. First is Paul's statement from Romans - presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, which is our spiritual worship. Second are the images of worship given to us in the book of Revelations. There are more images and references to worship, but I want to begin with these two. It strikes me that Paul is referring, at least in part, to worship as a way of life. And the images of "heavenly" worship we are given at the end of the New Testament are images of the fullness of worship.
Without allowing Scripture to inform and shape our worship, we run the risk of simply ending up worshiping some form of, well, ourselves.
I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
Do children have a ministry beyond making the rest of us feel sentimental during church?
We often talk in our church about the "ministry of the baptized", meaning that we believe every baptized member of the church to have a ministry, a vocation. In the backs of our minds this often becomes "when they grow up and can do real ministry". But what if children have a real ministry, a real vocation, within the body of Christ now?
It is a subject which has been on my mind for a while - the ministry of children and fools. Partly it also comes out of my association with people with intellectual disabilities. I sense that there are two parts to their ministry (as there are two parts to mine). First is the broad ministry of presence: a more complete gathering of the body of Christ. But I find myself, and sometimes others, seeing their ministry as only a ministry of presence - a passive ministry by which they evoke certain responses or reactions in those around them, in those "regular" members of the Church. And perhaps for some that is the ministry to which they are called.
But what if they are called to other, more "active" ministries? The ministry of prayer comes to mind immediately. In our tradition, we have certain "intercessors" lead us in prayer each week, leading the "prayers of the people". What would happen if we discerned and encouraged, say, our children, to lead us publicly in prayer. And not in some sentimental sense of look-isn't-that-cute - now let's have someone pray whom God will really listen to. What if those in our midst with disabilities were encouraged in ministry beyond-evoking-feelings-in-us?
Just a thought. And in case you are wondering who the fools are...
I mean in the good and best sense of the word.
We are hoping that an installation by a local artist might soon be coming to St Tim's. I got the proposal, looked it over, and I think the theme and presentation would be "proclamation" in some good sense of that word.
I hope that the logistics will work out. On one level, we worship God whom we know is a Creator - and ways in which we reflect or encourage that creativity is part of our call. I know that there are churches with "theologians in residence" and such things, but I wonder how many churches have "artists in residence"? Just a thought...
will be found over here. In theory, it will be part of the online presence of St. Timothy's Anglican church, with much inspiring stuff, relevant and up to date information for parishioners & links to the local Anglican community.
Or it might gather dust. We'll see.
prayer
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