A plea for 'duller and lazier' priests!

This work life balance thing is hard to get right. Many of my colleagues are unashamedly workaholic and I wish I could get a better balance of leisure and work in my own life. I seem to live with a strong sense of 'He could do better'. So I felt quite excited to read Anglea Tilby's reflections in the Church Times (15 July 2011) on the life of Barbara Brown Taylor who was one of the most admired priests, pastors and preachers of the Episcopal Church in the United States. After 20 years of ministry at what appeared to be the height of her ministry she decided to leave it all behind; burnt out, washed up, exhausted....on the brink of losing faith.

Angela Tilby expressed a 'kind of irritation at the way in which both community and individual let themselves be seduced by a perfectionist and workaholic model of ministry'. 'The memoir', Tilby concludes, 'made me wonder whether a duller and lazier priest would have produced a more mature and reflective congregation'. YES!

I believe so that I may understand

'Lord, I am not trying to reach your height, for my poor mind could never approach it. But I do want to understand the little of your truth which my heart already believes and loves. I do not seek to understand so that I may believe, but I believe so that I may understand; and further, I believe that unless I believe I shall never understand'.

(Anselm 1033-1109 36th Archbishop of Canterbury)

communityof3@row33.... deeply spiritual thoroughly post modern

The flight home didn't look too promising. Bishop Greg dropped me off at Regina Airport at 6.00am and it was clear that my flight from Chicago to London had been cancelled despite the fact that I had checked in on line the night before. So I was rerouted to add on an extra leg from Chicago to Washington before the Tranatlantic flight. Once again I faced very lengthy and slow queues at Chicago and only just boarded the flight to Washington before the gates were closed.
On the London flight I found I had been allocated a window seat with additional legroom. Next to me was Ronda, who sold software to hospitals and besides her was Brady who designed clothing for the trendy Spyder range of winter sports clothing. Somehow we got chatting, sharing dreams and hopes of transformation. Ronda was heading off for a holiday in Turkey. She spoke of her hope to have a B&B in some Developing Country with 6 rooms which could be left to the community when she died. Brady came alive when he was making sustainable furniture out of wood damaged by the Colorado Beetle. He showed us a picture of an amazing chair he had made.
Ronda doubtless helped the community on row 33 to form by generously buying us each a small bottle of wine to go with our meals. I shared a few insights from my journey of faith and hope and pray that our time together will have helped each of us to move a step closer to becoming fully alive and realising God's dream for each of us.

First Nation Ministry

Revd Dale at the Clergy Diocesan Conference, with the drum she was given recently which was a sign of her being accepted as an Elder in the First Nations Community.








Patty with Vicky Young.

Patty told me; 'I live in two worlds; my traditional Indian world and the modern world. I teach my grandchildren about the circle, the circle of life; to enter from the left and to go right round before entering within the circle. I was given two eagle feathers; they are most special, a sign of goodness'.

Vicky with key members of the Day Star Church Vicki was ordained in 2007 as an ordained Local Minister. She gives her heart and soul in ministry amongst the First Nation people with whom she has worked for many years. She had formerly been a teacher and spoke about the traumatic experiences for First Nation people who were taken away from their families and communities to stay in the the Residential Schools.
I noticed in the Vestry Book at St Luke's, Gordon's First Nation, the following entries:
Jan 6th 2009 'No church, minus 50 degrees with wind chill'
August 24th 2008 'No service. No one came. PowWow'.

Some Ways Forward

St Chads Volunteers: I met with two young people who are seriously interested in coming over to Lichfied on the SCVP: Asha Kerr-Wilson (Regina) who might come in Sept 2012 for at least 6 months and Andrea Wall (Swift Current) who hopes to come for 12 months in June 2013.

Clergy Exchanges: Bishop Greg was particularly keen to provide opportunities for Ordained Local Clergy to gain experience through a placement in Lichfield Diocese. However there are also clearly openings for all stipendiary clergy to do a 'church' swop for say 3 to 6 months.

One-off placements: Rob spoke of how valuable a placement had been in his parish for someone from Lichfield who was exploring / reflecting on his calling. Being in a different though similar context can be positive and healing for such review and reflection.

Sabbaticals: Plenty of scope for arranging these.



St Michael's Retreat House / Shallowford Link: I began to explore possibilities of setting up a link between these two conference / retreat centres. They could be good praying partners.



Parish to Parish Links: I found congregation members of Weyburn (Debbie Hubrick and Kim Lohse) were curious as to why a group from their link parish had not been out to visit them. Many people spoke positively about earlier visits - approx 1994/2001/2204/2008 - including a combined visit to West Malaysia. It is difficult to sustain these but I think such experiences are still valuable even though they may only be sustained in a meaningful way for a 'season'. Several churches asked specifically for a link and I was able to speak with Del, vicar of Big Country parish, about a possible link with All Saints, Wolverhampton.

School to School Links: Gordon's First Nation School would like to establish a link with a school in this Diocese. I took some photos and Rev Vicki Young has details of contacts at the school. The school liason officer has herself been over to Lichfield. The school links would be more possible I gather with First Nation Schools than with the highly secularised national schools.




Art: With the artistic gifts of the Archdeacon Rob and Rev Kim Salo there would be a good starting point for some creative arts focus. Also worth noting are the four paintings inspired by First Nations Art done by Brian Covington from Lichfield Diocese following a visit he made. One of the paintings is hanging in St Luke's First Nation Church on Gordon's Reserve.




First Nation Awareness: I would like to see visits which could lead to friendships through the sharing of experiences and stories, which would enable marginalised groups within our Diocese to learn from and share in solidarity with the First Nations People in Qu'Appelle Diocese.

Book of Alternative Services

I found a number of clergy very attached to the Book of Common Prayer (1928) including Claude at St Mary's which is experiencing considerable growth in the congregation. These words from the introduction to the Book of Alternative Services (1985) were revealing:

Liturgical change is sometimes treated as a phenomenon unique to
the twentieth century, a counter-current in the flow of Anglican piety.
The truth is that the distinctive ethos of Anglicanism emerged in a
period of reformation which was characterized by even greater
liturgical change than our own. This comparison of the present day
with the Reformation era is important for an understanding of the
contemporary liturgical scene. The spirit of reformation is neither
anarchic nor destructive, but is rooted in the conviction that in times
of great insecurity and change the centre cannot be held by a blind
preservation of the forms in which tradition has been received, but
only through diligent and passionate search for fresh expressions and
evocations of the tradition. The wonder is not that so many twentieth
century Christians are open to change but that the experiments of the
Reformation era appeared to be treated as definitive for nearly four
centuries. The gospel always has a reforming, reinterpreting edge to
it, and the gospel is always the proper subject of the liturgy.

I do like this prayer with its reference to the golden fields of wheat:

Celebrant Creator of all,
you gave us golden fields of wheat,
whose many grains we have gathered
and made into this one bread.
All So may your Church be gathered
from the ends of the earth
into your kingdom.

Eucharistic Prayer 4 has an impressive environmental focus. All the prayers are available on line. (see http://www.anglican.ca/resources/liturgicaltextsonline/)

I came across some incorporation of First Nation Spirituality in two of the services I attended, notably through the burning of sweetgrass at the beginning in the context of blessing. I didn't find any clear references in the Book of Alternative Services.

Clergy Conference

I arrived at St Michael's Retreat House mid afternoon and headed off for a short walk. I found a board with St Francis' prayer to Brother Sun and a bench nearby on which I lay down and soaked in the warm late afternoon rays. It felt good to be there and I was looking forward to the three days ahead of the Diocesan Clergy Conference.

The atmosphere was relaxing, prayerful and friendly. I enjoyed talking with and getting to know the clergy. Dean, recently ordained in the Diocese, spoke on Luke/Acts and inspired us to reflect on parallels between the two, on Paul's conversion, Peter's conversion and our own and on being in missional mode. Nich Brotherwood from St Stephen's, Montreal (a congregation depleted by 80% in fallout over same sex blessing issue) and Fresh Expressions, Canada, urged us to 'Put out into deep water and let down the nets' and for us to engage in some eye rolling discipleship and to do so 'only because you say so even though we know it's a waste of time'.I met Catherine who used to be priest at Weyburn who is now based at St Michael's and we talked about a possible link with Shallowford House in the Lichfield Diocese.

The chapel is circular and in the centre of the building - good symbolism - though I could have wished for some natural light. We followed the offices though one evening prayer for healing was offered instead of Compline. I took the chance to be prayed for and asked for fresh resourcing.

The last night I sat out with Jonathan and Del waiting for the Northern Lights to appear - as they had evidently the previous night. Some time after midnight I went to bed having seen little more than a vague lightening of the lower skies. Then I awoke two hours later and it looked to me as though there was a good bit of light outside.

St Aidan's Moose Jaw

This church is the amalgamation of four parishes and not surprisingly this has not been without its problems. Alan and Denise Diorksen, (brother of the famous composer of ‘Come now is the time’ and other global worship songs) had been there for 5 years or so but had recently left to take on a parish in the now divided Diocese of New Westminster. On arrival we were welcomed by Ross who shared about the theological insights of the novels by Marilynne Robinson, and recommended me to read 'Gilead'. The church has had a seriously impressive reordering in recent years – with the help of Del as Carpenter now priest of Big Country Parish. St Aidan’s attracts significant numbers from the Pentecostal Bible College at Caranport. This has brought life, youth and fresh energy as they have become involved and have taken on leadership. These discoverers of the Canterbury Way seem to appreciate the structure and shape of the liturgy which the Anglican church offers. After the service there is a shared lunch and a 'Ministry Fair' which provides an opportunity for people to see all that goes on and a chance to sign up and use new gifts.

Unfolding programme

Rob speaks of beginning to learn to go with the flow – Greg’s influence? – and he was clearly more than a bit thrown as the Moosamin programme which was due to kick in after a brief appearance at Diocesan Council failed to materialise because of lift difficulties. However that worked out very well and though sorry to miss seeing Michael Last’s last parish it meant I was able to stay for the whole Council (!), attend Diane’s farewell event which was not exactly a farewell as the person appointed to follow her as Diocesan Treasurer proved not to be suitable. Then on Sunday morning I was able to accompany Bishop Greg to Moose Jaw, experience his inspiring intuitive improvisatory sermon delivery - (it's not that he is not prepared, rather that he does not use notes and had a varity of options he could take, like a good jazz musician). I was then able to attend the first Pub Church at the Tap in Regina where the beer flowed and Nachos were consumed as we responded to a thought provoking talk on why people outside the church do spiritual but not religious. Then it was off to St Paul's Cathedral to represent Lichfield Diocese at Michael Sinclair’s installation as Dean of the Cathedral. I guess a Dean's post can be quite demanding so it was good to be theer and to pray for Mike and his young family.

Rob; archdeacon, artist, administrator, archangel....

Rob Hardwick as Executive Archdeacon is a dream archdeacon and makes a dream team with Bishop Greg. He is thoroughly well planned, strategically shrewd and efficient; open, self-aware, humble and possessing humour and turns of phrase worthy of a man from Nottingham way. He sees the spiritual basis of his work and prays accordingly. He organised a wonderful programme for me and I was glad to be able to share several journeys with him driving me to Weyburn, to Swift Current. He shared about his six valve heart bypass, his vision for the Qu’Appelle School of Mission and Ministry, his call to Swift Current, the welcome he and Lorraine received on their arrival and in the following years.... He took up art and dispelled demons of old which had taken root following a teacher saying he couldn’t draw. Boy does he draw but what I really liked was his large painting of a grain elevator which is in St Cuthbert’s House.

Happy in our own skin?

I don’t think I have ever met someone who seems so happy in their own skin as does Bishop Greg. Not only does he look like Jesus he behaves like him. Perhaps I have been overly influenced by the bearded laughing Jesus from the ‘Jesus We Share’ series. During the installation of Michael Sinclair as Dean at St Paul’s Cathedral there was a particular moment when I looked up and saw Greg and Mike sharing a joke; big grins on their faces. Here is a man who is alive, who laughs, who loves, who is himself. ‘Fully human, fully alive’…..why do we find it so difficult to be happy in our own skins?

Breaking News at Leaderpost.com / Regina, Sakatchewan

‘Regina expected to host 2013 Grey Cup’.
This is big news for Regina. I now have the ‘Roughriders’ shirt to show my commitment to the mysterious game of football which so grips this nation. As we were eating dinner yesterday I had a phone call; ‘Hi, this is Gordon here. Your breakfast buddy. I’ve got something I want to drop off for you’. That was very kind. He was very generous about how I’d helped giving out the sausages at the Cathedral breakfast for the local homeless and needy.

‘SIGA’ chair Goodtrack ousted again’.
The chair of the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority has been caught up in scandal following concerns over the ballooning board size and cost, the millions in administrative costs for the community development funds and other matters which have brought SIGA into disrepute. Morley, my host when I stayed at Gordon’s First Nation Reserve, spoke of how First Nation ‘delegates’ were taking vast sums in ‘per diem’ allowances. Such things seem to play into the hands of those who are critical of the financial arrangements made with First Nation peoples and who are quick to generalise about their dependence on social security.

Climate Change could cost Canada.
Underneath a photograph of a polar bear the caption reads: ‘Canada could spend as much as 43 billion dollars annually by 2050 because of climate change; a new report says’. This comprehensive study, titled ‘Paying the Price’ is the first of its kind to analyse Canadian trends in the growth of green-house emissions, population and the economy in the context of climate-change science. Reference is made to ground breaking Stern Report from Britain which concluded that climate change could provoke the greatest market failure ever in the global economy. However despite a commitment by the government to reduce green-house gas emissions to 1990 in about 10-15 years no plan has been introduced to meet its target and stop the growth of pollution. Enough said.

Canadians gotta have faith: report.
Under the heading of Religion which is in at the back of the ‘Arts and Life’ section, Misty Harris begins by saying ‘You could call it religion’s hallelujah’. She highlights that though certain faiths remain in dire straits, the Catholics and Evangelicals (Baptists, Mennonites, Pentecostals, Alliance and Nazarenes…) are actually flourishing in the light of recent immigration patterns. According to research for ‘Beyond the Gods and Back’, sociologist Reginald Bibby reveals that 4 in 10 Canadians don’t value religion, whilst 3 in 10 are ‘ambivalent but receptive’ practicing their spirituality a la carte, whilst the remaining 3 in 10 continue to strongly value faith. The United and Anglican churches are struggling; ‘close to being on life support’. The proportion of Anglicans has dropped to 6% from 16%. This makes the current missional focus I observed not only desirable but essential. But where what will the Anglican church look like in 20 years’ time? Very different certainly; so we need the visionary spiritual leadership of Bishop Greg as he inspires priests and congregations to be imaginary and missional.