Interesting Times

We are most certainly living in interesting and unsettled times. Last year at this time we were newly into living with an economic “downturn”, quickly becoming a recession. This year, with the effects of recession still largely with us, we are living with the recent and rapid rise of the second wave of the H1N1 virus. As a Canadian who has lived the nearly five decades of my life largely in peace, security and general well-being, this looks and feels like something different. 911 was said to have changed our world, or at least our view of it; but somehow a pandemic seems to hit much closer to home.

Fear seems to lie like a low grade fever over much of the popular reaction; a low grade fever is often not obvious at first, but rather brings a general uneasiness and sense of dis-ease. For some, in this instance, it is the fear of illness and possibly death, particularly fear for our children. For others, paradoxically, it is a fear of the proffered vaccine – with stories circulating about possible side effects and serious dangers. Just like the “old days” when rumours and gossip spread ignorance and fear through populations, the internet is showing that we are still the same human beings we always were – given to the same behaviours, but with a technological twist.

In the story of the people of Israel preparing to enter the Promised Land, the book Deuteronomy depicts the gathered hosts being told by God that he is setting before them some choices: a blessing or a curse, life and prosperity or death and adversity. Blessing and life come from obedience to the commandments of God. God says, “choose life, that you and your descendants might live.” The choice of life and death may seem like an easy one, but in its context it means far more than simply being alive or being dead. As the choice of blessing and curse also indicates, it is about choosing a life that embraces the source of life and receives God’s blessing, rather than choosing to turn away from the one who created us and living diminished, constricted lives that shrivel our hearts and souls, like branches cut-off from the tree. Much later in Israel’s history, Jesus, in the Gospel of John, says, “I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them, bear much fruit.” Speaking about being the Good Shepherd he says, “I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.”

Fear, it seems to me, diminishes life, sapping it of joy, constricting love and displacing peace. Faith, trust in God, enriches it. Not that faith is a guarantee that what we once feared won’t happen; people with deep faith in God are caught in recessions, die in pandemics and are killed by terrorist bombs. But to live without faith, to live in fear is to be dying before any of these come our way. To live in faith, is to live in love, joy and peace, even in the midst of recessions, bombs and pandemics. As St. Paul says in a slightly different context, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Christian hope is neither “for this life”, nor for a “life after death”, but rather for the life of the Spirit lived in us, both in this life and hereafter.

It is wise, of course, to avail ourselves of the medical advice and help that are offered; I for one will be getting vaccinated – once I’m on the list of the eligible – and will take the advised precautions to avoid causing hurt to myself and others. None of these, however, can offer real life that is unfettered by fear. Only a life grounded in the Source of Life, only trust placed in the One who has conquered death, Jesus Christ, can truly make us alive. When it comes to Life – God’s Spirit is the real air we breathe, and prayer is the breathing of it.

Gregory Kerr-Wilson

Bishop of Qu'Appelle

Lent Fast

We are now one day into Lent and I cannot help but feel a bit behind. Not getting around to prayerfully reflecting on a Lenten discipline for this year is the main culprit. Lent is, ultimately, about grace of course, so best just get on with it. "Now is the acceptable time..." as Paul reminds us in 2Corinthians.

In pondering my chosen course for Lent it has occurred to me (mostly through repeated e-nagging by one of our clergy, Malcolm French - thank you Malcolm) that it would be a good discipline to blog regularly through Lent - especially after a few months of none at all.

It also occurs to me that some comment on fasting as an important discipline might also be worth some reflection.

Of the classic Lenten disciplines of prayer, giving, fasting, study, etc., it is fasting that draws the strongest response. Along the years I've found that people are either fascinated or repelled.

It is the reaction of those repelled which I find most interesting. I've had people tell me that "it isn't good for you", that it's "holier than thou" activity, and even that it's "verging on anorexic behaviour." (Please understand, I'm not talking about starving oneself in order to lose weight - nor the sort of "can do" self-discipline that reinforces the egos great claim to mastery and the inflated pride it brings. I mean the fasting which reminds us of our own hunger and need for God, as well as keeping before us the needs of those in our world who do without food involuntarily. And just for the record I have never been less than 15 lbs overweight in all the years I've engaged in fasting.)

What fascinates me about these responses is that we live in a culture, a society, in which the chief health issues are related to overeating, or overindulging in some manner or other.

But then, perhaps that's why the reaction is often so strong. Fasting breaks the unwritten rule of our culture that every itch should be scratched, every whim indulged, and every apetite appeased.

When done prayerfully and with openness to God's Spirit, fasting reminds us that the only thing, in fact the only one who can fulfill our deepest yearnings, needs, longings and desires is God.

When done prayerfully and with openness to God's Spirit, fasting grows in us the fruit of self-control and that self-awareness that leads us more deeply into a recognition of our dependence on God.

When done prayerfully and with openness to the Holy Spirit, we come to realize that the compulsive, addictive and overindulgent behaviours (including workaholism) that tempt us day by day are in fact the demons we must battle and allow God to banish if we are to come to wholeness as human beings.

And that is what Lent is all about - growing in wholeness/holiness through a deepening relationship and dependence on God.

I should add that if anyone reading this determines to attempt to fast - I highly recommend, and in fact would consider it vitally important, that you confer with someone who has knowledge and experience about fasting - whether giving up something simple (why is chocolate always the target?) or abstaining from meat or not eating anything for extended periods, there are do's and don't's you should know about - especially for people with diet or medical issues.

May God's grace sustain us in keeping a holy Lent.

Finance, politics and the kingdom of God

I was conversing the other day with someone about the current crisis on global economic markets.  The question was asked about what might have caused all the trouble.  Having heard any number of media pieces I might have been tempted to pull some clever analysis out for discussion.  Fortunately it seemed, and seems, clear to me that a straight forward and fairly accurate answer can be given without much economic theory.  The answer is “greed”; or, to move it more explicitly into “religious” language, idolatry. 

 

The uncomfortable truth is that we have been trained, conditioned, or sucked into, thinking that if we want something we should have it (even if we must go into debt to attain it); and, that “security” is defined by the accumulation of wealth (or the accumulation of military weapons). 

 

Interestingly, our political leaders in the midst of a campaign for a general election continue to promote this attitude – promising programs, spending or tax cuts – so that we can continue maintain our standard of living.

 

The implicit or, more usually explicit, question behind all this is “how do I get what I want” – indicating that getting what I want is how I will find happiness or fulfillment in life.  The implicit and explicit answer is by keeping the commandments of free market economics and believing that the “bottom line” actually has something to do with money.

 

The kingdom of God is in direct opposition to this. It begins with recognizing that in God alone we put our trust and it is not about “getting what we want”, but about becoming what God wants us to be; being  formed and shaped by the Spirit in love, peace, faithfulness, generosity, gentleness, and all those things which make for real happiness for creatures in the image of God. 

 

Anything else is idolatry.

 

Gregory Kerr-Wilson

Bishop of Qu'Appelle

 

Back home and looking back

One of the things I find fascinating about returning after being away for conferences is the process of addressing the questions, "did you enjoy yourself" or "so how was it?" The questions are quite understandable, and important. The fascinating part for me is in recognizing the struggle to respond adequately. Simple answers like, "yes I enjoyed it" or "it was good" or even " it was very meaningful" might all apply, but frequently seem inadequate or even shallow.

Returning from Lambeth has brought this on in a very big way. I will say right off that, yes, I enjoyed it, it was good and I found it very meaningful. More, I would say that the experience was deeply formative for me.

It is one thing to talk about being part of the "greater Church", or speaking in traditional terms "the Catholic Church", and even to participate beyond local and regional boundaries, but it is something else entirely to sit in Bible Study day after day with others from very different cultures, geographies, pastoral concerns, besetting challenges and economic realities engaging the texts of scripture together. It is something else entirely to engage in theological discussion and dialogue on critical and even conflicted issues with brothers and sisters in Christ whose daily life is so vastly different and who struggle with challenges well beyond my experience - and yet who, nonetheless, are so obviously and deeply connected to me in faith through our one Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and the indwelling and empowering Holy Spirit.

Living in a church culture that is frequently focused on multi-cultural context and diversity, I cannot help but be deeply struck by how the Gospel, the faith received, proclaimed and lived in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church has found a home in the hearts and minds of people from around the globe, on every continent and island.

I believe that at Lambeth I came to know in a deep and significant way, that the particular ministry to which I have been called as a bishop is not a solo affair, nor is it simply a sharing of episcopal oversight in a local or national setting, but a corporate reality shared with bishops around the world.

Having said that, I recognize that the direction of the questions I mentioned at the beginning, and/or the attempts to respond end up focusing on the personal aspects of an experience. While significant, these often miss the much more important piece, which is that participation in conferences or Synods is not primarily about the privileged opportunity of an individual, but about the ongoing life, work and witness of the Church.

On that central piece I believe that Lambeth 2008 was a very important moment in the life of the Anglican Communion - and, I would suggest, for the rest of the One Church beyond our denominational boundaries.

I hope to reflect on that some more in the days ahead.

Closing of Lambeth

Today marked the end of Lambeth Conference 2008.

We spent the first part of the day in our last Bible Study and Indaba Sessions.

Our passage for study today was John 20:19-31 - "as the Father sent me, so I send you...". Our discussion focused first on the way that Jesus brings life (Jn 20:31) during the course of the Gospel of John. We followed up with a discussion of what it means to be "sent" in each of our contexts. Once again, the various responses to this were interesting. Some spoke of being sent into the secular sphere as representative of the Church, others of being sent as being empowered, still others of the connection to the connection to the one who sends - and therefor that we are witnesses. There was also the comment that sometimes just showing up fits the bill. A final bit of reflection focused on the fact that Jesus, in this passage of scripture, is risen in glory, but also carries the wounds of crucifixion - which was the prompt for a discussion on how we carry out our ministries both bearing the glory and the woundedness of Christ.

I couldn't help but reflect on how nearly three weeks of daily Bible study with the same group of nine folk is deeply formative for community and faith. I think the farewell to our group time together revealed just how connected we have become and how much we will miss each other. Perhaps email will keep us connected some - but nothing will or can replace the face to face sharing of our faith and ourselves.

Our final Indaba group was a time for sharing with one another the things that we thought we would take away from the conference. It turned out to be quite moving as we heard folk share about the way their thoughts and hearts had been changed over the time of our discussion together.

For myself, I come away with a deep sense of what it means to be part of Christ's one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church - throughout the world. I have always believed that and held to it strongly, but this is a kind of knowing that transcends ideas and theologies. I am also profoundly touched and I think changed by knowing the circumstances in which others serve our Lord - with amazing sacrifice and courage.

In the afternoon we had our final Plenary session, in which many folk were thanked for the tremendous amount of energy, planning and plain work that was done in putting the conference together. We heard two ecumenical partners give some observations on our proceedings - and then Rowan Williams gave us the final Presidential Address.

I will admit that I was very much wondering what Rowan might say - perhaps even a little concerned given some of the murmuring about needing a clear decision and direction. I think he did brilliantly. He put before us the great value of the time we have spent - not simply building relationships in the usual human sense, but in drawing nearer to Christ in prayer and study, and through that, growing nearer to each other. He called us clearly to continued and deeper faithfulness to Jesus Christ and also gave some clear direction. This was not as some form of command or attempt to dictate, but by way of a clear word of where we really need to go if we are to be faithful to the life of our Communion - in Christ and as Anglicans.

After the final plenary, we headed down to Canterbury Cathedral once more for the closing service. The occasion was less "solemn" in the old fashioned sense. Bishops dressed in cassocks and sat with their spouses instead of rochet and chimere. The Archbishop of Canterbury preached, while the Archbishop of Melanesia presided. The reflections of the conference were recieved at the altar and the seven Melanesian Brothers (monks) who had been killed during the uprising in the Solomon Islands in 2003 had their names placed on the roll in the Chapel of Martyrs. (For a narrative of this event see www.anglican.org.nz/.../Other%20Liturgical%20Resources/FATSweb/Melanesian%20update%20k%20booth.rtf)

This last bit was particularly moving - and I will admit to having been close to tears. The names were read out by ABp Rowan, and then representatives of the Melanesian Religious orders sang a litany of the saints and martyrs of Melanesia as they processed the document up to the Chapel altar. Some of the brothers present, as I understand it, were friends of those who had been killed. And there was something about their singing - simple, clear and joyous - as they ascended the steps, first into the Quire, and then further off up past the high altar, fading in the distance (it is a large cathedral) as they entered the far chapel.

Once the liturgy was done we were treated to a reception in one of the Cathedral Precinct buildings (rain had forced it indoors). There was decent food, strawberries and cream, local "Bishop's Finger Strong Ale" and a big band playing some great music. It was a wonderful way to end our time.

Penultimate Lambeth

Today was the second last day of Lambeth. We have a full day again tomorrow, but today was the last day for "hearings" and "conversations" and self-select groups on things like human sexuality, the Windsor Process and the Anglican Covenant.

The last two days have both focused on the Anglican Covenant in the Indaba groups - and since there have been regular "hearings" to discuss the reflection document that is being accumulated out of our conversations, much or our energy and focus has been in that direction.

But first to Bible Study. Yesterday's passage was John 15:1 - 17, "I am the vine...". The guide questions directed us toward discussing the way we are "pruned" by God in the course of our lives and ministries, and on what the fruit is that God intends to grown in us. This was a very fruitful discussion (sorry about the pun) and tended to focus on our particular and individual experiences.

Today's Bible study looked at John 18:1 - 18 which covers Judas' betrayal of Jesus and Peter's Denial. The scene in the garden in John's telling is quite remarkable. The "I am" is often translated "I am he" in modern translations, but the "I am" motif already established is very clear. We were asked why we thought this would be Jesus' final use of that "I am" phrase in the gospel. My own thinking tends to see that throughout the Gospel the "I am" statements are connected with wonderful and powerful images of miracle (Cana), healing, feeding the many, being the light - but now the "I am" signals a transition. Now Jesus will stand and suffer. The I am's are not just about glory in the human sense - but redefine glory in the supreme love of Jesus giving his life for his friends. This is were the trial of Jesus begins, but the "I am" of God in Christ, paradoxically comse alive and human characters (Herod, Pilate, Soldiers, etc.) all judge themselves as wanting in the face of Jesus' amazing sacrifice.

The Indaba groups over these days have very much focused on the Anglican covenant. There has been much debat, back and forth, but in our group as in many, there was a clear and unabiguous sense that moving ahead with the covenant was important and necessary.

One way of looking at it would be to recognize that we are not developing anything new or radical in this exercise. The Anglican Communion has always been shaped by covenant - after all, "This is my blood of the new covenant" stands pretty close to the heart of almost everyone's understanding of communion. The difference is that we have always generally assumed it's presence rather than spelling it out. Thus, we are really trying to restore something, not create it new.

Our particular Indaba came to a fairly powerful conclusion - very nearly a concensus - that the covenant would be important and necessary, and that the shape and content, as the most recent draft suggests, are very good .

With apologies I will make this short. Chronic lack of sleep coupled with continuous conversation and analysis make focusing difficult late in the evening.

The Truth

Today's topic for our Indaba was Listening to God and Each Other: The Bishop and Human Sexuality. Given the current contentions in the Anglican communion you might well imagine that hearts were filled with trepidation as the day dawned. There may have been some of that, but my own sense has been, both in myself and from conversations with others, that most of us have wanted to get into this, and hoped for some significant interchange, dialogue and mutual understanding.

Our group decided not to follow the small group exercise laid out, but to simply arrange ourselves in one large circle and give everyone a chance to speak their mind. The conversation was respectful, mostly gentle, frank and, in my view helpful.

My sense is that there is a good deal of common ground that could be affirmed on all sides of the issue - even when some end up in significantly different places in the end. I do hope we are able to capture some of that commonality and affirm it publicly. It would be taking some significant steps toward discerning the mind of Christ for us in the current difficulties.

As I've pondered our deliberations I've been reminded of the well known oath about telling "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth - so help me God". The whole truth is very important, as parts of the truth, though true in themselves can paradoxically lead to what is effectively false. The tricky bit is that none of us has the whole truth in ourselves. Sometimes we are so passionate about our particular bit that we are unable to receive insight or critique from others. We need our brothers and sisters to share thoughts and insights and weigh them alongside our own.

Today's scripture study was John 13:31 - 14:14 which includes "I am the way, and the truth, and the life...". An all important reminder that we will only come to the truth when we have opened ourselves to the Truth - the risen Christ in our midst; when we have received the Living Word through the written word in scripture and allowed his Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.

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