Turning a new page of the Church calendar
Photo: Charlotte Poolton/General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada
A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW
By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt
ONE OF THE THINGS I look forward to every year is the notice that the Canadian Church Calendar is available for purchase. Quickly looking through the year, it is a great joy to think, ”Oh, I have been there!“, or “I have worshipped there!”, or “I know the person who took that picture!”.
It has often been said that the Church is a very small family. In a different millennium, when backpacking across Europe was a rite of passage for some, putting a Canadian flag on display would initiate a conversation with a stranger who would begin by saying, “You are from Canada? Do you know…?” What started as an innocent question would often lead to some interesting discoveries of links that defied logic as some kind of connection came to light.
Half a century has passed since I graduated from university, but I still recall the simple truth of our Convocation speaker at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton who mused on the concept that Canada is a community of communities. The unique identification which is nurtured by geography, culture and history shapes the interaction of people who choose to live together in a particular setting.
That insight also has much to offer when thinking about our ”Beloved Church”, as former Primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz often referred to the Anglican community of faith of this country. Each element of the Anglican Church of Canada has a unique story and gift to offer. Each congregation, each parish, each Deanery, each Diocese stands on its own, yet at the same time, is connected with a sense of being part of a larger picture.
The Canadian reality offers a distinct contrast to the social construct south of our national border which defines itself as a melting pot, where individuals are expected to blend in to a bigger picture. The image of a Canadian society being depicted as a mosaic reflects an appreciation for the unique value and beauty of each individual tile as it adds to the beauty of the larger picture.
It was not until I began the experience of retirement that I was able to fully grasp the reality that a number of members of congregations which I had served over the years had shared with me. There were those who had driven past several other parishes to worship. Their motivations were unique. Some loved the church building. Others had strong family connections. There were those who were drawn by different elements of the style of worship of that particular community of faith. Others came because of unspoken reasons which reflected the fact that in that place, surrounded by the people of that congregation, motivated by the call to ministry in that setting, they felt that their spirit, their souls and their experience of faith was being nurtured and fed.
In the place which I now call my parish home, Trinity Church, Cambridge, there is a stained-glass window which was given as a memorial and notes a moment in the life of the Anglican Church which I have often referenced. The Anglican Congress of 1963 met in Toronto. As Bishops, Clergy and Laity from around the world gathered in that setting, a key statement of the meeting identified Anglican Christians as those who are called to be ”Mutually Responsible and Interdependent members of the Body of Christ…”.
As Canadians, we are reminded of that identity and that reality whenever there is a gathering of our General Synod. As I attended the opening and closing services of our recent General Synod (you would have found me sitting in the back pew!), it was a distinct joy to greet colleagues in ministry whose paths of ministry have crossed with mine over the years and now they may be found in different locations from coast to coast to coast.
Although I was not a part of the conversations and deliberations of the meetings, it was a joy to be able to share in the worship offered in the renewed physical setting of our Diocesan Cathedral. The experience was a gentle reminder that we do not exist and worship in isolation, but we are all part of a community of faith where we have much to celebrate.
The final Blessing offered by our new Primate, Archbishop Shane Parker captures the sentiments of the moment.
“God has abundantly blessed us with grandeur and beauty; from the waters of the Atlantic to the Pacific; across the Rockies and the Prairies; from the Arctic to the Great Lakes; across the Great Canadian Shield and the Laurentians. May what we share together across our country always unite us; may our faith empower us to faithfulness in all we say and do as the Body of Christ. The blessing of God almighty, Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier be with you this day and always. Amen“
As he followed the Primatial Cross out of the Cathedral our New Primate carried an Eagle’s feather which had been gifted to him during the service by the National Indigenous Archbishop on behalf of the Anglican Council of Indigenous People and the Sacred Circles. It was an offering and a sign of mutual honour and respect for the ministry and witness which we share across this great land.
If you listened very closely, it was possible to hear the rustle of the turning of a new page of the Church Calendar.
Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt has retired from full-time parish ministry but continues to offer priestly ministry in the Diocese.