Welcome to week two of our Advent Calendar! This week we’ll continue to examine those delightful gems of the Anglican church as we count down throughout our Advent journey.
SUNDAY 09 Dec.: Bishops
Our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ who get to wear those beautiful purple clergy shirts, not to mention the funkiest hats around. They also wear the responsibility of being the chief pastor to their diocese (or area); they are chosen as guardian or overseer to their charge. The episcopate is an office which dates back to the very early church, and while the specific roles and duties may vary by region and circumstance, these folks remain faithful clergy who shepherd their flock. Bishops are called upon to represent their diocese or area, to reflect prayerfully on God’s call to the wider church, to consider many angles to any situation prior to responding. The Anglican tradition is a rich place that has been made richer through the presence of our bishops.
MONDAY
10 Dec.: The Book of Alternative Services
Released
for use in the church in1985, this liturgical resource has become the primary
worship book in many places. Never intended to replace the beloved BCP, the BAS
was developed to provide worshiping communities service alternatives in
contemporary and more inclusive language.
TUESDAY
11 Dec.: The Anglican Communion
The
Anglican Church of Canada is one of 38 members within the worldwide Anglican
Communion. These member churches “share several things in common including
doctrine, ways of worshipping, mission, and a focus of unity in the Archbishop
of Canterbury. Formal mechanisms for meeting include the Lambeth Conference,
the Anglican Consultative Council, and the Primates’
Meeting, together known as the Instruments of Communion.” (see: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/resources/acis/index.cfm)
The Anglican Communion office, based in London (UK), houses departments that
cover administration, finances, mission, unity faith and order, the Anglican
Alliance (relief and development), theological education, communications, and
the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations.
Being
part of this communion is being part of a global family. WEDNESDAY 12 Dec.: The
Anglican Foundation
A
gem of a foundation “who raise funds and distribute bursaries, grants and loans
with the objective of supporting the mission and ministry of Anglicans across
the country including
construction, maintenance
and renovation of church buildings, parish halls and rectories
installation of
accessibility ramps, lifts and elevators
supporting music, the arts,
liturgical initiatives, choir schools
greening parish churches –
audits and retrofits of church buildings
ministry in Canada’s
North
theological education &
graduate studies; inter-faith partnerships
Bishop for Canada’s
service men and women
youth ministry of all kinds
See
more at http://www.anglicanfoundation.org/
THURSDAY
13 Dec.: Wardens
Churchwardens
are those people who work with the priest in a parish to ensure smooth running
of a parish. One warden is appointed by the incumbent priest; one warden is
elected by the people at the Annual General Meeting; some parishes also have
deputy wardens. They all work together to provide leadership. Wardens’ duties
do not vary based on whether they are people’s warden or rector’s warden; this
simply denotes how they were chosen for this position. Wardens are members of
parish council or vestry; they work with the treasurer to present financial
statements and budgets; they assist with records and statistics and parish
communications; they are responsible for communications with the bishop in the
absence of a clergy.
As
any clergy will assure you, a good warden is a true gem!
FRIDAY
14 Dec.: Sunday School Teachers and Youth Ministers
On
this day, as we are all shocked and grieved by the horrors and devastation
towards young people, I hold up the Anglican men and women who work with young
people. They give up their time and energy to plan lessons and events, try to
coordinate with the scriptures, sing silly songs and know 108 crafts to make
with pipecleaners. They often miss out on parts of the worship service
themselves to be teaching the younger folks; they can feel underappreciated as
budgets are cut, they stumble through awkward and difficult questions while
trying to make a lasting impression.
And
impressions they make, and impressive they are. They welcome all, they love
all, they help to plant seeds of faith in all – for as long or as short a time
as they are able.
SATURDAY
15 Dec.: Indigenous Ministries
Our
beloved church is blessed to recognise and celebrate indigenous ministry as a
gem.The Anglican Church has been in partnership with indigenous Canadians since
1753, and now at the end of 2012 we enjoy the ministry of the Rt. Rev. Mark
MacDonald, National Indigenous Anglican Bishop, the Sacred Circle national
events, the ongoing work of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, the New
Agape and Covenant foundational documents, the ongoing healing work of the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to name just a few pieces of work under
this heading. Learn more about these ministries at http://www.anglican.ca/im/
No comments:
Post a Comment