Apropos the just received email distro from Ali Symons, here are my wishes.

A Church which unconditionally welcomes all who seek God.  /God judges.

A Church which accords all individuals respect without regard to race, creed or sexual orientation or physical-mental condition, as all are children of God.

A Church which deals with reality.  People are different, always have been.

A Church which is truly Christ centred.  Love and understanding is the quest.

A Church which is community oriented.  Not cliquish, nor fixated on the individual, but balanced since we are social beings.  A church relevant to the secular world is appropriate if outreach and mission is an objective.

A Church which treats the Bible as an imperfect but deeply significant record of human experience with the sacred; one which challenges us to discern the holy life through study, contemplation, discussion and prayer .  Why does the Bible have to be wholly considered as The Word of God?

A Church which celebrates its evolution and provides forms of worship which reflect both our traditions and our continuing discernment.

Those are my personal wishes.  This grandfather believes the current drift of the Church guarantees the disinterest of the younger generations.  But based on my attendance to a number of Synods, there appears to be a considerable gulf between the clergy and laity on the matter.  Dealing with that will be quite a challenge.  By the same token, I suspect that most congregations will not deal with your question in plenary.  Leadership of such a discussion would have to be experienced and respectful.

Best wishes

Prayers for Visioning 2019

O God, Creator of all, we thank you for this Church of St. Andrew, the place we call our church home, where we gather to worship you and to have fellowship with one another.  It is a calm, welcoming, caring place to be, a community of love and hope.  Continue to guide us by your Holy Spirit to be flexible and open to change, accepting of everyone, and sensitive to their needs.  May we continue to grow in your love, and in love for one another through Jesus Christ our Lord.      Amen

Dear Lord, we pray for your Holy Spirit to inspire the hearts of our young people, who are our future.  Guide us in helping them to become all that is your will for them to be.  Grant us the inspiration to be creative in worship, intelligent with programs, and give us wisdom in dealing with each other so that we may be drawn closer in fellowship with you, our Saviour.      Amen

Almighty God, as your church goes forth into the future, may we know your will and purpose for us.  May your church be truly alive in your Holy Spirit with a true and full love of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.  May we walk together on our journey with love, compassion and acceptance of all. Grant us understanding of each other and respect for the opinions of all.  May we go forth to make decisions with open-mindedness and love, guided by you.  May the worship we offer you always be filled with reverence, life and joy so that each heart, young, old, and in between, will be filled to overflowing with love of you.  Then may we take that love out into our world working towards bringing others to you.  This we ask in Jesus’ precious name.     Amen

God, there are so many concerns weighing heavy on our hearts that we now lay at your feet.  Concerns for where our church is going, changes in liturgy, our young people, acceptance and inclusiveness of all, division, money, decision making, outreach, communion practices, and so much more.  But Lord, help us not to forget how many times you have blessed our lives, walked with us, and carried us through.  We thank you Lord, with grateful hearts, for all that you have done, do, and will continue to do for us into the future.  We praise you for your mercy, grace and love.  Thank you for being with us as we work through all our concerns and issues in order to grow in our Christianity.  Help us to remember that nothing is impossible with you in our hearts, minds and souls.  Thank you Heavenly Father for granting us your grace, picking us up and forgiving us when we fall and for sending us forth with your blessing, strengthened by your love.     Amen

Our parish right now is attempting to live out it’s Mission Statement which includes “living out the Christian faith in the Anglican Tradition, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit …. and fostering the values of the Christian faith in our parish and reaching out to the wider community.” We are attempting to be good stewards of our resources and to plan for a sustainable and exciting future in the community. My vision for the wider church, most especially the church at the national level,  is that we will become much more democratic and less hierarchical, less preoccupied with internal issues and more visionary with regard to world and society , a leader in the struggle for full human and civil rights for all, including full inclusion of gay and lesbian people, and others currently marginalized in the church.

Filmed at the recent Council of General Synod meeting in Mississauga, Ont.

I attended the Anglican Church regularly until 12 years ago when the changes became too much to bear. The Church has moved away from the truth of the Bible. I have heard priests preach that the resurrection never happened, that the Nativity was a myth. The Church has evolved into a social club, more concernrd with secular acceptance than Biblical truths. When I left, my family left also. I have many friends who also left the Church. Does the Anglican Cghurch care? Apparently not because my sort did not fit into the new left leaning secular mold the Church wishes to inhabit. It will be interesting to see what is left in 2019. How many more parishes will be extinct? How many more church buildings sold for apartments? The Anglican Church of Canada is collapsing at the base. Soon there will not be enough laity to support the teetering heirarchy. If you want to survive, return to your roots and embrace the Truth of the Gospel. And by the way Archbishop Hiltz, Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, forever. Our Lord never grew from his encounter with the Syrophoenician woman. He taught her and she grew.