Report of 170th Synod of the Diocese of Huron

Synod Report June 17/12

         We sometimes forget that in our Anglican system, we are organized and governed as Dioceses, not individual congregations.

         I am appointed as priest by the Bishop in consultation with the congregation I serve, and there wasn’t even always consultation.

         I can remember a time when clergy were appointed to congregations without any consultation by the Bishop. In our Episcopal system Bishops work not only with their fellow Bishops, but with a Synod structure.

         To those who haven’t been to a synod, there might be an assumption Synods spend their time debating motions and acting as sort of a parliament.

         Not so. Worship and Bible study are a central part of our synod experience. In our opening service we had an inspiring variety of music, liturgy, and the Bishop’s Charge, which sets the tone for synod.

         This year’s charge didn’t sugar coat the challenges the Anglican Church faces in the Diocese of Huron.

         Bishop Bob Bennett called the 170^th synod the hinge point in the life of the church.

         “We continue to build on the faithfulness of the past by struggling with our present, so that we will journey to a place where God wills us to be.”

         Bishop Bob, who works closely with Bishop Terry,  said the church now in 2012 no longer exists in the same way as it did at the time of his baptism in the mid-20^th century.

         “Absolutely guaranteed that the future will be unanticipated and in many ways unrecognizable.”

         Guiding us into the future will be the five Marks of Mission developed by the worldwide Anglican communion. “Feel the strength of the verbs that energize those five marks: proclaim, teach, baptize, nurture, respond, seek, transform, strive, safeguard, sustain and renew.”

         Bible studies offered clergy and lay delegates a chance to engage in small group scripture study after hearing presentations on passages by Bishop Terry, Canon Steve Harnadek of All saints, and Canon Todd Townshend.

         Lyle Moran, who was our lay delegate will focus on two of the efforts to lay groundwork for change in the Diocese: the first changes to the canons and constitution in more than two decades, and the Renew Campaign to raise funding for parish, Diocesan and national church programs.

         Another primary activity as Synod is a chance for 60 Diocesan Committees and ministries to connect with clergy and lay delegates and report back, both through plenary sessions and displays outside in the corridors.

         For me this was different kind of synod because I am retiring from full-time ministry. At the synod banquet on Monday night, the only formal meal of synod, tributes are made to the retirees. And we all get a chance to say a few words of thanks and have our photo taken with the Bishops.

         It was an honour to retire from Huron, although I’ve only spent almost two years here. I was reminded by how connected we are in the Anglican Church when I retired at the same time as the Rev’d Canon Don Ford who is at St. John the Evangelist London. I met Don in the early 70’s when he was in Divinity and I was an undergraduate arts student at Trinity College.

         We didn’t meet again until going on the clergy trip to Italy this past fall.

         Bishop Bennett closed his charge by reminding us, clergy and laity, that if what happens in Synod stays in Synod, if what happens in the Cathedral stays in the cathedral, if what happens in our hearts, stays in our hearts, then we are like the disciples locked in the upper room in fear before being anointed by the Holy Spirit.

         “We are God’s spirit-filled, and God’s sent community,” said Bishop Bob. And that is the message of Pentecost—the day Huron Synod began this year.

         

An Anniversary, A Diamond Jubilee and the Trinity

Homily June 3, 2012

This is one of those Sundays where it is hard to know where to begin as preacher. We are celebrating our 86th anniversary as a parish, yet our future is uncertain.

We are also marking Trinity Sunday, named after a doctrine which is difficult to come to grips with, and has confounded even theologians for centuries.

And third, as Anglicans who are part of a worldwide communion which began with the English Reformation and the creation of the Church of England, independent of the Pope in Rome, we are celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the second.

And while all of these alone could be a subject for a preacher, I feel called to tackle all three, with your patience.

In reverse order….When we sing God save the Queen, we sing not only the Royal Anthem, we honour a remarkable woman who has served with distinction in a position which no longer has practical political power, but serves as a focus of unity not only for the United Kingdom but for the British Commonwealth.

Having never lived under another monarch because I was born the year of her accession to the throne, it seems remarkable to me that while presidents and prime ministers have come and gone, Elizabeth has remained in her symbolic but still important position as long as she has.

Her gracious and wise reign, which we pray for in the Book of Common Prayer service, has turned even her critics into admirers.

She is at the same time one of the world’s most recognizable public figures, and yet also leads a very private existence away from the cameras.

So we feel we know her. Yet there is much we don’t know about her…unlike some of the younger Royals who have allowed themselves to become tabloid fodder for their indiscrete behaviour.

Next…the Trinity. We may feel we know the Trinity after all the Trinitarian formula—Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a regular part of our worship.

But how easy it is to skip over the words without thinking of the monumental importance of thinking of God as one God, with three persons.

It is a mystery which many books have been written on. It is simple yet profound.

We believe in God who created the universe, who is transcendent—that is over all creation.

Yet that same God is also immanent, or close to us, because he sent his Son Jesus to be among us, to assume human form, to lay down his life.

And the same God sent the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the advocate, the breath of God, to reach out and touch us, now and always wherever we are.

The challenging part is explaining how we can have one God, but three different persons within an “undivided Godhead.”

People from other monotheistic religions would say we are trying to have it both ways---follow the one true God, but see God in three different manifestations.

That is where faith comes in. This is not something we can prove, like a science experiment. We believe God is ultimately beyond our human understanding. That is where both mystery and faith come in.

We have to use our best efforts to understand God, and how He is revealed in scripture, and how he is revealing Himself in the present, and into the future.

That task never ends. It is part of our Christian journey.

And that ties into my final task, the 86th anniversary. Last year we had a remarkable gathering for the 85th anniversary—a full church, people of all ages who have had some association with the parish.

It was a wonderful celebration of how much Canon Davis has meant to many people throughout the years from its beginning as a Sunday school mission for north Sarnia in 1925.

We celebrate that story again today, the many thousands of people who have worshipped here, been baptized and confirmed here, married here, buried here.

We celebrate the life of the parish community here—musical concerts, cubs, scouts, guides, brownies, suppers, dramatic presentations, youth groups, couples clubs. Womens’ groups, mens’ groups, Bible studies.

We also celebrate the relationships many of us have found through the parish—lifelong friends.

The celebration this year is somewhat bittersweet because when I finish in July there will no longer be full-time priestly ministry here at Canon Davis.

The future of the parish, at least as it is constituted now, is uncertain because of declining numbers and limited resources.

The task now is to discern how you the people of Canon Davis can continue to worship together.

The church is not just about buildings. If the building becomes a millstone, which is hard to afford, then it is time to look for other alternatives--- in terms of ministry, parish structure, and worship location.

So as we celebrate another anniversary, let us pray for wisdom is discerning our future together, and in this place, and pray for those who are working with Archdeacon Millward in addressing these challenges.