anglicanlife

OCTOBER 2014

A Section of the Anglican Journal

OCTOBER 2014

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

Bonanza in Bonavista
Garden Party Fun at the Church Street Festival

Who wants some ice cream? Horace Russell making home-made

ice-cream. Photo by Herman Callahan.

Swing your partner. Square-dancing fun at the Church Street Festival. Photo by Herman Callahan.

I cant drive this thing!! John Russell is given a push on a go-cart by some young friends. Photo by
Crystal Sexton.
Submitted by
Rev. Shaun OConnor

It was a relatively cool

day amongst the scorching heat of July that the
Parish of Bonavista held
a Garden Party as part of
the Church Street Festival.
It was intended as a gift of
Christian love to the community and part of being
a good corporate citizen. Besides, given that
the annual Festival takes
place on Church Street,
the churches should be
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involved!
We offered old favourites such as lawn-bowling,
tug-o-war and potato sack
racing. We also offered
parachute games, road
hockey, go-cart races,
balls, sidewalk chalk, skipping ropes and bubbles.
For those preferring a
more leisurely pace there
was bingo and prizes. Accordion, fiddle and guitar
provided background music and accompaniment
to square-dancing and
waltzing.

The white picket fence

along the Street was decorated with huge bright-coloured flowers and trees
from our Vacation Bible
School held earlier in the
month. Everyone could
see and join in. Everything
was free, including the
home-made ice-cream,
cookies, popcorn, lemonade and tea. Over 120
people attended, both
parishioners and passersby. It was truly a blessing
to us all.
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inside this issue

Young Missionary Amy Short - Page 2

Education for Ministry - Page 3

Bishop Davids half glass of water - Page 4

The Boys of Summer - Page 6

Codroy Church turns 100 - Page 7

Cartwright stained glass - Page 10

Anglican Life Appeal - Page 12

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Miss Myras ministry

Myra Langdon-Smith reflects on the Girls Sanctuary Guild
Submitted by
Sarah Sharpe

Earlier in July, I made a visit to

a dear friend Myra Langdon-Smith
of Hodges Cove. My purpose was
purely selfish. I had heard Miss Myra
tell stories about the Girls Guild and
wondered what it was?
We sat at the dining room table
and I asked, When were you born
and who were your parents?
Myra replied, I was born
on 23 July 1929, and my father
was James Langdon ,and my
mother was Mariah Smith. I
married Norman Smith of Island Cove and we had one son
Ron who lives in Toronto.
Now tell me about the
Girls Guild? I asked.
Myra began, I was twelve
year old when I joined St. Mary
the Virgin Girls Guild on 4
February 1941. Meetings were
held at the local school on
Thursday of each week. Each
sister was responsible for
bringing the fire in turn. Meetings always opened and closed
with a prayer which, of course, was
led by the Minister. The weekly fee
was 5 cents. The money was given
to the treasurer, and your name was
recorded in the book as being paid.
At her first meeting as per her
Minute Book it states that $1,300.00
was cash on hand. There was $5.00
paid for church fees and $100.50
paid for lamps. The page is signed
by Incumbent, The Rev. James Pike,
and Secretary Nellie Peddle. The
old red faded book with its words
fading off the pages has a special
place in Myras heart! She tells me
that, Sometimes when I am going
to bed I will find the book and have a
read; sometimes I get such a chuckle
out of it. It beings back many a good
memory.
Maybe it is the names of her
friends or the things they did together, or perhaps it could be the times
they shared. Myra goes on and lists
the name of the membership from 4
February 1941 until January 1949.
There was, she says, Marjorie
Peddle, Delilah Smith, Myra Peddle,
Ella Thomas, Minnie Drover, Minnie
Peddle, Flossie Butt, Alice Peddle,
Blanche Peddle, Annie Boone, Myra
Langdon...Oops! Thats me! Laura
Smith, Mary Hiscock, Kathleen Drover, Winnie Spurrell, Jean Peddle,
Nellie Peddle, Albina Drover, and
Frances Butt.
Myra looks up at me and
says,Sadly they are all gone now,
all but four members: Albina Drover-Bursey, Winnie Cooper, Nellie
Peddle-Martin, and me.
I asked her, What did you have
to do to become a member of the
Girls Guild?
Myra replied, Well now, the
correct name was the Girls Sanctuary

Guild, and one had to be a communicant and attend church on a regular

basis. As Rev. Pike stated: is was
an honourable role to work on the
Sanctuary area.
She recalls Rev. Pike teaching the girls how the altar clothes
should be folded in order to avoid
any creases. Taking the altar cloth
in hand, he spread it out on the altar
and began to roll it. Then he showed

Myra Langdon-Smith
it to the girls telling them this is how
you fold the clothes. Myra gave a
chuckle, The cloth was not folded
at all! It was rolled and laid in the
storage closet.
With that evenings lesson over,
the meeting adjourned with prayer
and a hymn.
Another entry was around
the issue of lamp oil, Myra says,
There was no oil for the lamps
for the meeting ,so me and Nellie
Martin-Peddle wanting to save the
evening meeting, went along to Mrs.
Andrew Peddles home out the road,
and asked her for a drop of oil. Aunt
Vertue Peddle gave us a pint of oil
and told us, Mind you have to bring
the oil back to me, and if you dont
; you will have to pay me 5 cents to
replace it. We agreed, and off we
went back to the school, lit the lamps
and continued on with the meeting.
At another meeting in December 1941 Rev. Pike suggested that
the Treasurer give him the money
to purchase 2 lbs. of sugar and a
half pound of tea for our use while
at meetings. Mr. Pike also required
some money to purchase silks so we
could finish our needle work.
At another meeting, Myra
stated, We noticed we were out
of Brasso, so I was asked to walk
to J. Frosts Store in Long Beach to
pick up two tins of Brasso. The Brasso cost 10 cents a tin, I was given
20 cents to make the purchase.
In December 1943, with the
arrival of Rev. Batten, Myra was
once again informed what being
a member of the Girls Sanctuary
Guild meant, and was told by Rev.
Batten that, being a member of the
Guild was a privilege and an opportunity to serve. Servers in the Guild

should be regular communicants, attend church regularly, and pay ones

dues which was 5 cents per week.
In March 1946, the Incumbent
was M.C.M. Jones, and some new
members joined the Guild. Those
were: Mary Hiscock, Kathleen Drover, Minnie Spurrell, Jean Peddle,
and Mable Peddle. Officers for the
upcoming years were: Nellie Peddle, President; Blanche Peddle, Vice
President; Mable Peddle, Secretary; Kathleen Drover, Treasurer, and Mrs. Jones Honorary
President. Each member was
tasked with the job of cleaning
the church or lighting lamps,
bringing wood for the fire and
lighting it. These positions
rotated on a regular basis.
The year 1949 was a sad
one for the Girls Sanctuary
Guild, because it had to be
closed due to so many sisters
of the Guild moving out of the
area.
Myra recalls, We were
informed that the altar would
be looked after by the C. E. W.
A. with Mrs. Jones as superintendent. The remaining money on
hand, $94.98 would be used to purchase carpet for the Chancel. There
had been a leak on the spiritual
prayer cards, and they were no longer
useful. Meeting closed.
This is the last entry in the book
, and I can only surmise that the
women left behind were devastated
for their loss, because it was at those
meetings where the social activities,
fund-raisers, and having a time was
made . It was there the women did
their works, made their crafts, and
prepared for the upcoming events, It
was there where they shared an hour
or two and a cup of tea.
In 1961 Myra Langdon-Smith
joined St. Mary the Virgin ACW under
the guidance of Mrs. Ethridge. Myra
served in many roles during her
tenure, but it was in fundraising
she found her niche . Myra had two
women she worked with throughout
the years. One was Mrs. Effie Peddle
and the other was Mrs. Ivy Baird. It
was Myra and her partners who were
given a letter by the Incumbent of the
day , granting them the right to represent St. Marys Church in any current
Fundraising Business at that time.
Myra is an amazing woman she
has always put her Church and others
ahead of herself. However, she has
had to overcome two battles of breast
cancer and continues to be a survivor
of that dreaded disease. Today she is
still an active member of the Hodges
Cove ACW and continues to support it
as best she can. Her age and arthritis
no longer permit her body to work
the way it once did but she continues
to help out wherever and whenever
she can.

anglicanlife

OCTOBER 2014

Young missionary
Amy Short of Clarenville

Submitted by
June Holloway

Amy Short of Clarenville, pictured here (centre),

with her grandparents, Rev.
Robert (left) and Fannie
Oldford (right), Rector of
the Parish of Smith Sound,
had a wish for her grade
12 graduation. That was to
serve with a Mission Team
Overseas.
Amy left in July to serve
with a Medical Special Program with Projects Abroad
in a Childrens Cancer Hospital, an Orphanage and a
HIV Clinic in Tanzania, South
Africa.
The ladies of St. Aidans
Port Blandford ACW and

other members of the congregation and Amys family donated items for Amy
to bring with her for the
children in these hospitals. The items of clothing,
blankets, personal items,
books, colouring books and
crayons, caps for cancer
patients, were brought into
St. Aidans Sunday morning
worship on July 6th and
blessed and dedicated by
her grandparents.
The church wishes Amy
a safe and blessed trip and
pray for the children whose
lives she will touch and for
those who will touch Amys
life as well.

Diocese issues statement

concerning former Rector

Submitted by
Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland & Labrador

The Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and

Labrador acknowledges
the plea of guilty by Mr.
John Dinn to two criminal charges of fraud and
one criminal charge of
theft in relation to funds
to which he had access
in the Parish of St. John
the Evangelist in Topsail
in which he held the position of Rector.
Mr. Dinns license to
practice ordained ministry in the Diocese has
now been revoked and

he is no longer eligible
to hold any position in
the Diocese requiring
such a license.
Mr. Dinn had been on
a leave of absence pending the investigation of
financial irregularities
in the parish which resulted in these criminal
charges. This leave of
absence is now at an end
and he is no longer employed in any capacity
by the Diocese.

OCTOBER 2014

Education for Ministry

New graduates complete course

EFM graduates. Nath Larkin (left) of Port-au-Choix and Marie Smith (right) of Port Saunders received
their EFM Certificates from Rev. Canon Paulette Bugden (centre) at St. John Divine Anglican Church
in Port Saunders in June of this year. Photo by Sylvia Payne-Gould.
Submitted by
Sylvia Payne-Gould

Education for Ministry (EFM) is a program

of theological education by extension for
lay people.
There are four years
of study , but participants commit for one
year at a time meeting
in a small group with
a trained mentor. The
program combines academic study with integrative components to
help participants take
what they learn about
the scripture, church
history, theology and

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ethics into their own

lives and hearts, supporting them in living
out a vibrant baptismal
ministry in the church
and in the world. Students who meet in a
weekly group thats
led by a trained mentor share their faith
journey and reflect on
issues from their daily
lives and their studies.
The only out of class
work is reading and
there are no papers or
exams, just discussion.
EFM on the Northern Peninsula is currently accepting new

students and this

course is open to everyone regardless of
your church affiliation.
Two students have currently completed this
four year program,
Nath Larkin of Port-auChoix and Marie Smith
of Port Saunders, and
was awarded their certificates at St. John Divine Anglican Church
in Port Saunders.
For more information please call Rev.
Canon Paulette Bugden at 709-248-5351.

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Little children

The Kingdom belongs to them

When Jesus saw this,

he was indignant. He said
to them, Let the little children come to me, and do
not hinder them, for the
kingdom of God belongs
to such as these. Mark
10:14 (NIV)
There are families
where the parents make
the effort to get everyone
fed, dressed and out the
door on Sunday morning,
doing what they feel in
their hearts to be the right
thing. And as many of us
know, that is not always
an easy thing, especially
if Sunday morning is one
of the only down times
during a hectic week of
school, work and activities.
These families arrive
for church, sometimes
already feeling frustrated
and frazzled, and some of
the children dont settle
down, for whatever reason. But because of the
tradition of the Church
as we know it, this stands
out as somehow being
unacceptable. And unfortunately, sometimes these
families are subjected to
the disapproving looks
and comments of other
parishioners.
I understand the need
to be reverent and respectful in Gods presence, but I have a feeling
that Jesus did not hang
out with people who always sat quietly and hung
on His every word, especially when children were
present.
Children need to know
that they are accepted
by Jesus and the Church
exactly as they are. And
we need to bear in mind
that we are the Church.
It is we who have to welcome them among us as
we worship and show our
love for God.
Jesus did not attach
any conditions to the com-

Stella Walsh

Columnist

mand to let the children

come to Him. He did not
say, but keep them home
if they cant sit up in their
seat quietly for an hour
or more; and keep them
home if they struggle with
a condition such as ADHD;
and keep them home if
they might get tired, hungry or just plain cranky;
and keep them home if
they want to stretch their
legs; and keep them home
until they can act like miniature adults, and not genuine little children.
On a couple of occasions over the years, I
have witnessed the hurt
expression on a parents
face when they have encountered disapproval
of their children from
another member of the
congregation. Does that
encourage them to make
the effort the next Sunday? We must reach out
and support families who
make the effort to get to
church on Sunday morning. Frustrated parents
of active children, who
are growing up in todays
hyper-active world, do not
need our judgement. They
need our understanding
and open arms. When we
do that, we too draw a
little nearer to Jesus.

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anglicanlife
NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

ANGLICAN LIFE in Newfoundland and Labrador is the newspaper

of the Anglican Church in the Province of Newfoundland and
Labrador. A co-operative effort of the three Dioceses in
Newfoundland and Labrador, it is publishes ten issues each
calendar year with an independent editorial policy.
Anglican Life is a section of the Anglican Journal
Editor:
The Revd Canon Sam Rose
8 Croydon Street
Paradise, NL
A1L 1P7
Email: samrose@nl.rogers.com
Advertising Rates and other information may be obtained from:
Bishop Donald Young
34 Fraser Road, Gander, NL, A1V 2E8
Phone: (709) 256-7701
Email: jointcommittee@nfld.net

Paid Subscription Rates:
Newfoundland and Labrador: $15.00
Outside the province: $20.00
International: $25.00
New subscriptions, cancellations, & changes of address should
be sent to:
Circulation
The Anglican Journal (attn. Bev Murphy)
80 Hayden Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 3G2
(416) 924-9192 (O) (416) 925-8811 (fax)
Email: circulation@national.anglican.ca

OCTOBER 2014

A half glass of water

Bishop David reflects on a life-altering experience

Just after being elected
bishop in 2005, I had the
experience, along with a
number of then, recently,
elected bishops, of spending some time at Canterbury for a Bishops School.
Surrounded by the intellectual riches of the wise,
the magnificent architecture
of the cathedral, the beauty
of the liturgy and music,
the Holy Spirit spoke most
memorably to me, surprisingly, in the cafeteria, over
a half glass of water. When
the bishops from the Sudan
sat to eat and poured their
water they never poured
more than half a glass and
never left a drop in their
glass when they left the
table. In speaking with one
of them, I discovered that
for him it was not the history
or architecture, or the wise
counsel of Canterbury, but
the abundance of water
which spoke to him. It was
a continuing shock to him
that in some parts of the
world there was enough
water that people wasted it
without thought.

Each parish is responsible for maintaining its own subscription

list - please notify your parish office of any changes. Changes
sent to parish offices may take months to take effect. Please
also send your updated information to Circulation at the
Anglican Journal (above) or to Don Young at 34 Fraser Road,
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Articles and photographs: Send to the Editor (above)
Letters to the Editor:
Send to the Editor, Sam Rose (address as above). All letters
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For me, this experience

put the cathedral, and the
Church into a different focus; I realized and continue
to realize that I find too
much of the fabric of the
church too appealing and
feel myself in constant tension; pulled between the
siren call and imagined
peaceful orthodoxy of the
past and the allure and
imagined success of a new
and innovative future. There
is part of me that wants to
believe that the right decision, the right theology, the
right ethic; will lead to the
right answer.
It is, of course, a foolishness which comes from
placing my faith and hope
in the fabric of the church.
It comes from living in a
church and a community
that is so rich in the abundance of the Holy Spirit
that we waste it without
thought, in endless disputes
with ourselves, using God
as God can best be used
to serve our own purposes.
So often, I think of that
half glass of water; cher-

The Rt. Rev. David Torraville

Bishop

Central Newfoundland

ished, and drunk to its last

drop and pray that as a
church we can learn not to
waste the abundance of the
Holy Spirit by seeking to
impose our will, disguised
as Gods.
I pray not for what we
have done in the past, nor
what we might do in the
future but for the ever present now that we may be the
Spirits bidding.

OCTOBER 2014

Can you identify

this Church?

Submitted by
The Rev. Irving Letto

A R E YO U A B L E
TO IDENTIFY THIS
CHURCH?
The Rev. Irving Letto is researching the
life and work of the
clergy who served in
Northern Newfoundland and the Labrador Coast in the 19th
century.
The above picture
of a church is a copy
of a glass slide that
belonged to the Rev.
H e n r y Le g g o w h o
served in the Mission
of Flowers Cove from

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1900-1903. He also
served in the Parish of
Spaniards Bay from
1903-1907 before
studying in England.
After returning from
England he served in
the Parish of Badgers
Quay before moving
to the Diocese of Nova
Scotia, where he died
in 1922.
Rev. Leggo was a
very good photographer. Unfortunately
only a few of his pictures exist. This picture of the church was
coloured at a photo
studio, probably in
St. Johns, before be-

ing made into a glass

slide. The picture was
taken about 1900.
Rev. Letto hopes
that readers of Anglican Life will recall
seeing a picture of
this church in one of
their old photographs.
Anyone thinking they
know the location of
the church is asked to
contact Rev. Letto at
709-771-1623 or by
email at irvingletto@
bellaliant.net.

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Discipleship

Counting the cost

When Christ calls a
man [sic], He bids him
come and die.
This is a quotation from
The Cost of Discipleship
by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It
was published in 1937
when the rise of Hitler and
the Nazi regime was underway in Germany and it
is against this background
that Bonhoeffer spells out
what it means to follow
Christ. He relates the cost
of discipleship to the difference between cheap
and costly grace.
Cheap grace means
grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means
forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth,
the love of God taught as
the Christian conception
of God.
Cheap grace is the
preaching of forgiveness
without requiring repentance, baptism without
church discipline, Communion without confession,
absolution without personal confession.
Cheap grace is grace
without discipleship, grace
without the cross, grace
without Jesus Christ, living
and incarnate.. . It is to
offer ourselves to Jesus
but on our own terms. It is
the grace we bestow upon
ourselves, following him on
our own terms.
Cheap grace is the
d ea d l y e n e m y o f t h e
Church. We are fighting
today for costly grace.
Costly grace is the
treasure in the field ; for the
sake of it a man will gladly
go and sell all that he has. . .
It is the kingly rule of Christ
. . . it is the call of Jesus
Christ at which the disciple
leaves his nets and follows
him. It is costly because
it calls us to submit to the
cross of Christ.
Costly grace is the
good news which must be
sought again and again,
the gift which must be
asked for, the door at which
one must knock.
Such grace is costly
because it calls us to follow,
and it is grace because
it calls us to follow Jesus
Christ. It is costly because
it costs a man his life, and it
is grace because it gives us
the only true life. Above all,

The Rev. Everett Hobbs

Columnist

it is costly because it cost

God the life of his Son.
Kierkegaard distinguished between Christians as admirers (cheap
grace) or as followers (costly grace).It is the difference
between spectators watching a game and the players
taking part. It reflects the
words of Jesus that many
will call him Lord but fail to
do the will of the Father. It
is a confession of faith but
no real obedience. Put another way, you can worship
Christ, but still not follow
Jesus, or you can accept
Jesus as Saviour but not
follow him as Lord.
Bonhoeffer contends
that as Christianity spread,
and the Church became
secularized the understanding of the costliness
of grace gradually faded. The world was Christianized , and grace became its common property to be had at low cost,
which is still the case today,
whenever the Church conforms to the world and
colludes with the state.
The Churches in Germany either supported
Hitler or did not speak
out. Bonhoeffer and others
of the same mind formed
themselves into the Confessing Church to protest
as Christians against the
evil. In March 1943 Bonhoeffer was arrested and
imprisoned for his resistance. On April 9, 1945,
he was taken from his cell
and hung. His death by
execution for witnessing
to Jesus Christ came about
because he had already
given his life for Him, answering the call to come
and die.
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The Boys of Summer

OCTOBER 2014

Church boys camp fun at Mint Brook

Photos by
James Spencer &
Pamela Gosse

Theres an elephant in the room...

Literally! At Mint Brook
Boys Camp 2014 we went
on Safari to explore the wild
side of Gods love. A lifesized elephant model stood
proudly against a Serengeti
backdrop at the front of the
conference room. From the
flag-raising in the morning
to chapel and campfire
in the evening, we were
re m i n d e d
that God
cares for us.
In between,
lots of wild
activities
took place.
We learned
new skills
and interacted with
one another in retro
fresh ways
no electronics!
T h i s
year saw a
great mix
of returning and
first-time
campers. Four new counselors-in-training joined us,
and did an exemplary job
of leading and learning.
One taught techniques for
making survival bracelets
and fire starters wonderful
skills that the campers and
leaders enjoyed learning.
We rode the rapids or rath-

er meandered with the current, made animal inspired

prayer beads, re-enacted
Bible stories, shared our
talents, ate, ate, ate, canoed,
had marshmallow fights,
led worship, sang, wrote
Christmas cards for Canadian peace keepers serving
in Africa, launched rockets, made fires, swam, and,
of course,
did chores.
From
a Kenyan boy
named
Richard
Tu r e r e ,
who invented
L i o n
Lights, we
learned
that Gods
gifts to us
enable us
to help
others.
His story is both
inspiring
and empowering. From a world
away, he taught us that
God is the giver of all good
things. Our fondest hope
is that we leave camp with
a greater desire to know,
love, talk to, talk about and
work for God.
Submitted by
Sandra OConnor

anglicanlife

OCTOBER 2014

Holy Trinity Church, Codroy One door shuts

Celebrating 100 years of continuous ministry

God opens another

Submitted by
Louise Smith

Submitted by
Linda Kendell

Holy Trinity Church in

Codroy,NL, celebrated
its 100th Anniversary on
August 20, 2014.
Construction on
t h e f i r s t H o l y Tr i n i ty Church was started in
1904 with completion of
the belfry in December
1906. On January 9, 1912
a wind storm blew it down.
The foundation for the
present day church was
laid on August 18,1913.
The first worship service
was held on August 16,
1914 at 8:30 a.m. presided over by the Rev. J.
H. Reid. The present day
church was built by free

labour with men cutting

and sawing by hand. Many
additions have taken place
over the years including
a new bathroom, kitchen
and meeting room.
On August 20, 2014
the congregation celebrated with a church service at
3p.m. in which many former clergy attended. This
was followed by a supper
at the Codroy Valley Fire
Hall. Attendance for both
the church and supper was
over 200 people.
Special guests included: Bishop Percy Coffin,
Bishop Leonard Whitten,
Archdeacon John Meade,
Archdeacon Ed King, Rev.
Tom Moulton, Rev. Evelyn
Smith, Rev. William Bel-

lamy, Rev. David Hewitt,

Rev. Duncan Granter, Rev.
George Critchell, Rev.
Dawn Barrett, Rev. Clayton
Billiard, Rev. Stephen Maki
(present day clergy). Also
attending was visiting clergy Rev. Gerald Giles and
Rev. Maryrose Colbourne.
The MC for the evening was the Rev. Evelyn
Smith. The anniversary
cake was cut by John Tom
and Alma Hilliard.
As Holy Trinity celebrates the past history of
faith, they now make history going forth to serve
and praise the Lord in all
that they do.

When I was a young

girl growing up within the
warmth and security of our
family home, I often heard
my mother use the term,
When one door shuts
another opens. I believe
it was her favourite saying. But it takes many life
experiences to fully comprehend the significant
message that this quote
conveys; not least among
them, our evening assembly at church on July 6, of
this year.
It was on that day that
the Old Heritage Church of
St. John the Evangelist in
Topsail opened its doors
once again, to commence
the 7 oclock Sunday evening worship for July and
August, preceded by a
guided tour of its historical
environs.
This practice had become a tradition, not only
for our parish family, but
also for the many visitors
who have faithfully come
to participate in our liturgy
and fellowship over the
years. However, at our first
service on July 6, one very
familiar face was missing,
because since our last time
together, we were shocked
and saddened by the sudden passing of Howard
Brown, a devoted and very
active member of our parish family. When it came to
matters of the old church,
whether it was ringing the
bell, greeting at the door,
distributing information,
reading scripture or guiding tours, Howard was the
nucleus around which the
rest of us gravitated.
But like everything in
life, we are often thrown a
curve ball, which challenges us, often reluctantly, to

embrace change.
At the same time, Lisa
Cox, a theology student
in a BA program through
Glyndwr university in the
UK, had just received her
designation and license
to assume the role of Lay
Reader. So as Rev. Parsons
prepared to go on vacation, he appropriately assigned Lisa to facilitate the
opening and subsequent
service at the old church
in his absence. Lisa and
Howard had worked very
closely together as members of the Old Church
committee that he chaired
, and to whom he passed
the torch. And since we all
knew that this would be an
emotional time, it felt and
looked very fitting to see
and hear Lisa addressing
the congregation from the
altar.
Prior to the order of
Evening Prayer and Song,
a calming message was
presented together with
a tribute and a moment of
silence.
As the service concluded, the congregation
was slowly ushered out
amidst the peel of the organ; though most of them
paused to view a framed
picture of Howard erected
in the foyer in memory of
his presence in both the
old church and the new.
So in acceptance of
the fragility of life, we are
reminded that just as each
Shakespearean tragedy is
followed by a rebirth or
renewal of life, so does
Lisas acceptance to chair
the Old Church committee arise from Howards
sudden and untimely departure.
When one door shuts,
another opens.

100 glorious years! Retired Bishop Leonard Whitten (centre) along with over 200 people enjoy the
celebrations in Codroy. Photo by Linda Kendell.
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anglicanlife.blogspot.ca

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Thanks Dad!

Ron Clarke

Columnist

All my life I was especially blessed by two

wonderful parents. Our
relationship lasted many
years. Dad lived till I was
46; mother till I was 75!
I loved my parents
dearly, perhaps even
too dearly, if thats possible. And they both
literally treasured me,
partly because I was
an only child, and even
more because I became
handicapped at age 9,
and nearly died at age
10.
Dad was especially
close to me, and to me
he was my indestructible hero. We did everything together, and I was
his somewhat clumsy
helper.
Nobody was more
generous than dad, and
hed give the shirt off
his back, not only to his
family, but to anyone or
everyone he considered
in need.
Dad gave, expecting
nothing in return, but he
loved gratitude. Grateful people usually gave
him sincere thanks and
his face displayed his
pleasure.
Sometimes individuals were not grateful, expecting or demanding
more. Father would be

disappointed, but hed

give again and again
when necessary. Dad
loved the ungrateful, excusing their ingratitude.
God is our Heavenly
Father. God gives us ALL
we have, even life itself.
How often do we stop to
count our blessings?
Our Heavenly Father,
like our earthly, expects
gratitude. Surely God is
pleased when we give
him genuine thanks and
praise.
October is our month
when we should/must
give our loving Heavenly Father thanks and
praise.
Often when God
gives us blessings we
attribute them to good
luck. How lucky was I
we say. Obviously God
is disappointed when
his gifts are regarded as
lucky breaks.
This October let us
all make a special effort to be thankful. Lets
spend some time listing
the many blessings that
are ours in this good
land in which we live.
And lets show real
gratitude to God: by
prayer, by attending all
the worship we can, and
in our gratitude lets try
to focus our attention,
and our giving, on Gods
starving, homeless children, in so many parts of
our worldly home.
Happy Thanksgiving
everybody!

Parish Life in Focus

OCTOBER 2014

Gods Garden. This year, the Parish of Upper Island Cove decided to support their
faith commitments by planting a flower garden in front of St. Peters Church. We hope
to invite future classes to add to it. It is just one way to watch our faith grow. Submitted
by Revd Bill Strong.

Vacation Bible School. Another successful year at All Saints, Parish, Foxtrap, Conception Bay South. The theme for 2014 was Jungle Safari, where children explored the
nature of God. It was well attended with approximately 90 children and 50 leaders,
mostly teenage leaders. Children and leaders attended a week-long session from
9am - 12 noon which started on July 7-13. The oldest child was Rachel Fagan and the
youngest being a twin, Hunter & Carson Holmes. An awesome decorating job on
the church was done and it looked like a jungle for the 10:00 a.m. service which was
the closing service for Vacation Bible School. The children enjoyed it so much, they
wanted to continue throughout the summer and the support from the parents was
phenomenal. Submitted by Sandra Taylor.

anglicanlife

OCTOBER 2014

Parish Life in Focus

Seniors Luncheon. The Outreach Committee of All Saints Church in Corner Brook provided a Soup and Sandwich Luncheon to 65 seniors on May 3. After lunch, a singsong
was held with music provided by Jim and Ethel Simms. Pictured in the photo are: (left
to right) Shirley Balsom, Outreach Committee Chairperson, Rev. Tanya White, Rector,
Elsa Carpenter and Harold Pafford. Submitted by All Saints Parish.

Navigating the Storms of Life

Submitted by
Rev. Jacintha Penney

If I take the wings of the

morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there
your hand will lead me and your
right hand hold me fast, states
the writer of Psalm 139. Sometimes it is helpful for us to reflect
on scripture passages where
God interacts with water or the
waters to aid our understanding
of divine involvement in times of
hardship and heartache. Indeed,
the varying character of the sea
can be appreciated as a metaphor
for life. Sometimes all is calm. At
other times, storms can rage and
wreak havoc on our existence
as we know it. Certainly, we can
identify with the psalmist who
composed Psalm 69:1 when the
author cries, Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to
my neck.
However, those of us who
respect the power of the deep
further comprehend the importance of learning how to swim.
Just as powerful waves change
our coastline, the waves of grief
and sadness force us to re-shape
our lives. How, then, do we best
navigate through rough seas? The
image of an anchor holding firm
is a useful way to illustrate our
unbreakable link with our Creator.
On the other hand, a careful read
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of certain passages suggests that

we do better in times of upheaval
when we are able to roll with
the waves and hold firm to the
knowledge that Gods presence
travels with us. Isaiah 43:2 in
which the author asserts, When
you pass through the waters, I
will be with you; and through the
rivers, they shall not overwhelm
you, are words which capture our
imaginations and help us appreciate the sustaining presence of
God and Gods son, Jesus.
Consequently, its interesting
to tweak the imagery we use to
convey a sense of the reality of
God in the midst of lifes figurative storms. During a vacation to
Hawaii, I tried surfing. For some
of us, the light, but strong ankle
link keeping us attached to our
surfboards serves as a powerful
metaphor for the indissoluble
link we have with God our Creator.
We never lose our surfboards,
regardless of how many times we
crash into the water! Holding fast
to our surfboards keeps us afloat
when we are fatigued and need
to rest. When we are ready to do
so, the surfboard is ever-present
as we paddle out into the deep
once again to attempt to ride the
waves of life.
At times, we feel like were
going to sink. Family illness.
Employment difficulties. Relationship conflict. Death of loved ones.

These are the stormy seas of our

lives. Indeed, the Bible contains
numerous messages of hope
to storm-battered humankind.
Romans 8:12-25, for example,
reiterates that suffering is not forever. Besides reassuring people
that hardship is not permanent,
this portion of Scripture emphasizes that creation will one day
be renewed. In other words, God
may appear to go below deck,
but He never abandons ship. Although God may have a different
sense of time, Gods promise to
faithfully journey with us through
each generation signifies Gods
interest in humanity as a whole.
Of course, the greatest sign of
Gods engagement with us is the
fact that he sent his son, Jesus.
Jesus words to his disciples in
Mark 6:50, Take heart, it is I; do
not be afraid, are encouraging.
Winds can howl and storms can
rage but Jesus journeys with us.
The God of Israel is also the God
of Newfoundland Labrador. Jesus
is a continual source of love, comfort, and strength on whom we
can always depend. His care and
concern for us remain constant.
As we chart our course
through various situations and
life events, may we remain open
to accessing the sustaining presence of Jesus. May we keep our
focus on Him. And may God grant
us the courage to do so.
anglicanlife.blogspot.ca

From praise
to service
Like most of us I was
nurtured in the Anglican
Tradition in which the Sunday morning service began
by the people standing
and singing a metrical version (commonly known as
Plainsong) of the Ninety
Fifth Psalm (The Venite).
O Come, let us sing unto
the Lord:/ let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our
salvation (BCP version).
Later, with the introduction
of the Book of Alternative
Services, we had the option
of saying the Venite or the
One Hundredth Psalm (The
Jubilate). Be joyful in the
Lord all you lands;* serve
the Lord with gladness and
come before his presence
with a song (BAS version).
Both psalms are liturgically appropriate since they
are both entrance psalms,
composed to be said (or
sung) in order to bring the
believer into the presence
of God with a heart full of
praise and thanksgiving.
That is to say, they introduce the congregation to
the praise of the Lord. It
led the people through
words that, had they ears
to hear what they were
saying, constituted them
as what they should be
and led to their doing what
they should do. Then at
the end of the service at
least in the small town
where I grew up the people were often dismissed
with these words: Grant,
O Lord, that what we have
said with our lips, we may
believe in our hearts, and
what we believe in our
hearts, we may PRACTICE
and show forth in our daily
lives, through Jesus Christ,
our Lord. AMEN. It was
a fitting end to a service
that began in praise and
thanksgiving to God and
then reminded the people
at the end, through prayer,
that they have now been
equipped for the work of
ministry; to go and SERVE
the Lord.
October month is that
time of the year when we
Canadians celebrate Harvest Thanksgiving. No
doubt many of our church
buildings will be decorated
with local produce (vegetables, pumpkins, salt fish,
and the like), and our worship will be built around
the theme of thanksgiving. Some churches I have

The Rev. Greg Mercer

Columnist

known will continue the

celebration with a fundraiser or parish fellowship.
And chances are many
families will come together
that day for a feast of their
own. They will all gather
around a well stuffed turkey with all the trimmings
and probably a little wine
to top it off. All is well and
good. But for those of
us who are religious, and
who frequently worship,
our liturgy reminds us that
thanksgiving has little to
do with roasted fowl and
mashed potato. However,
it does have a lot to say
about who we are as the
people of God.
If someone were to ask
you, What does it mean to
be an Anglican? The best
answer you can give them
is to simply say, Come and
see or Come and worship
with us. Why? Because
our liturgy defines who we
are and what we ought to
be. It is through the repetition of psalms like The
Venite and The Jubilate
that we BECOME people
whose lives are lived in
gratitude to God day in
and day out. Not just on a
Sunday morning or some
annual feast day. For those
who have ears to hear, the
psalms mold us into what
we should BE and lead us
into how we should live.
Isaiah 12:4-5, Give
thanks to the Lord, call on
his name; make known his
deeds among the nations...
Sing praises to the Lord,
for he has done gloriously;
let this be known in all the
earth.
Happy Thanksgiving!

twitter - @anglicanlife

OCTOBER 2014

10

Faithful supporter Cartwright stained glass

Claudine Samson, 1918-2014

Donors daughter sees gift for the first time

Submitted by
Rev. Jeffrey Petten

Kevin Smith

Columnist

St. Martins Cathedral

has lost another faithful
parishioner. Claudine Samson passed away recently
at the Caribou Memorial
Veterans Pavilion. She was
96 years old.
Claudine was originally
from Flat Island, Bonavista
Bay and has had a remarkable background. She was
a teacher for several years
and taught school in Tacks
Beach, Curling and Pouch
Cove prior to enlisting in
the Canadian Air Force
during World War Two.
She served in Ottawa and
acquired the trade of accounting. After the War,
she worked as an accountant for the Department of
Transportation in Gander
until her retirement.
In his homily, the Rev.
John Watton warmly remembered Claudine as a
faithful supporter of the
parish and a wonderful
human being. He said she
was incredibly tolerant
of some of his antics to
generate more interest in
the ministry life of St. Martins. He also joked about
receiving some frozen
grapes from her- a sign
that she really liked him.
I first met Claudine in
2005 when she called me
and asked about a gift plus
annuity for St. Martins. She
called me again in 2007
and wanted to donate another one. A gift plus annuity is a wonderful way for
senior Anglicans to make
a gift now and receive in-

creased after-tax income.

A part of the donation
goes directly to the church
(usually 25-30%) and the
rest is used to buy an annuity from a major insurance
company which will pay
the donor an income for
life. Because both annuities were guaranteed for
ten years, the residue of
the annuities will now be
paid to the parish.
At one point, I asked
Claudine why she was
making these generous
donations, she responded
by saying she had three
reasons:
1. She heard Rev. John
preaching about the needs
of St. Martin.
2. She had read my articles in Anglican Life.
3. And finally, she said
she would rather give her
money to God than the
government.
What better reasons!
I visited with her on
a number of occasions
in Gander and here in St.
Johns and it always a joy
to be in her company. She
had so many stories to tell.
By the way, when I saw
her in her home in Gander,
she always offered me frozen grapes as well.
Claudine will be
missed.
Kevin Smith is the gift
planning consultant for the
Anglican Church of Canada. He can be contacted at
709 739-5667 or by email:
kevinsmith709@gmail.com

In 1957, when the current St. Peters Anglican

Church in Cartwright was
consecrated the parish
was given the beautiful
gift of two stained glass
windows. One window depicts the crucifixion. A European Jesus on the cross
with Labrador natives
standing at the foot of the
cross. There is snow at the
foot of the cross with footprints left by those who
have been there before yet
room for more footprints.
For the most part in Cartwright, when the Queen
of Festivals is observed,
there is still snow on the
ground and the harbour
is still frozen. The other
window depicts the Ascension. Ascension is the
coming on of spring, thus
the same people standing
at the feet of the risen and
ascended Lord are in the
dress of the season. There
is no ice in the harbour
and such vegetation as
the ever popular bakeapple and Labrador tea
are so ever evident. These
windows were given by
Mr and Mrs Lawrence and
Norah Pilkington. They
served with the Grenfell
Mission during the years
of the Great Depression
(1932-1934).
On 6 August The
Feast of the Transfiguration Isobel Henniger,
daughter of Lawrence and
Norah Pilkington, visited
Cartwright and for the first
time and the first one of
her family, saw the stained
glass windows that her
parents donated to the
church. In talking with
Isabel, I learned that her
mother was from Ontario.
After completing her training to become a teacher,
Norah had encountered
trouble in acquiring employment as a teacher. After a while she did find employment with the Grenfell
Mission and for two years
was the principal of the
Lockwood School the
residential school that saw
children from the communities of the Sandwich Bay
and surrounding coastal
communities. Lawrence
Pilkington was a WOP
(worker without pay) for

anglicanlife

The Crucifixion Window. Isobel Henniger, daughter of the donors

of the stained glass windows of Cartwright finally sees her parents gift after 57 years. Photo by Olive Davis.
the Grenfell Mission. They
met while they were here
in Cartwright, fell in love
and the rest is history. In
gratitude for their time in
Cartwright they gave the
windows that people have
looked upon and meditated since 1957.
The windows were
designed and made by
British Stained Glass Artist
Rhoda Dawson. Dawson
also had a connection
with the Grenfell Missions.
According to the Summer
1992 issue of the Canadian Parliamentary Review,
Dawson, an English artist, came out to Newfoundland to work for the
mission which had been
founded in the country
by Sir Wilfred Grenfell in
1892.
These windows have

been the back drop of

numerous weddings, funerals, baptisms, celebrations of the Holy Eucharist
and numerous liturgies
of morning and evening
prayer since they have
been part of the fabric of
the church building. Not
only have they been part
of the fabric of a worshipping community but they
were pictured in post cards
which are in the church
as well as; also they were
part of the book written by
the late Venerable Francis
G. Buckle, The Anglican
Church in Labrador: 18481998.
May these windows
be appreciated by all who
have seen them, those
who currently see them
and those who will see
them.

OCTOBER 2014

Parish Life in Focus

Exploring The Circle of The Church Year. On Sunday June 8th, The Anglican Parish of Labrador West joined together with Carol United Church for a joint family service. Archdeacon
Sandra Tilley was with us for our service and despite a planned power outage we had a wonderful attendance. This year the Anglican and United Church in Labrador West joined together
to bring Godly Play to our churches and have seen great success with this program to date.
During our joint service the church was decorated with balloons as Rev. Jolene lead the children around the church telling the Godly Play Story the circle of the church year By using
coloured balloons the children explored the seasons of the churches year, what the colours
they see in church mean and what the great times of our church year are. This special service
was enjoyed by all who gathered. Submitted by Rev. Jolene Peters.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

I was glad to read the

article about St. Marys
the Virgin Church, Clarenville receiving an AED
(Automatic External Defibrillator).
I am now the Parish Nurse at St. Peters
Church, Cobourg, Ontario. We, too, have one
given by our Mens Club.
Education has played a

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part in everyone becoming more comfortable

with it. This equipment
is very user-friendly. It
tells the rescuer exactly
when to initiate it and
is designed to never
discharge at the wrong
time. It is meant to fire
only when the person is
in a fatal rhythm (ventricular fibrillation).
An AED is one of
those things you pur-

chase and hope to never

use.
I hope more AEDs
will be available in more
parishes.

Blessings,
Karen Li
Cobourg, ON

anglicanlife.blogspot.ca

Equal pay

11

for all people

Peter wanted to know
what reward would be
given to those who give
up everything to follow
Jesus. Jesus told him the
parable of the workers in
the vineyard (Matthew
20:1-16). The landowner
in the parable finds his
first set of men at about
6 a.m. and agrees to pay
each worker the normal
wage for a day labourer.
He goes out to hire more
workers throughout the
day at different times.
The first group had a contract. There is no word of
contract for those who
were hired later. At the
end of the day, all the
workers received the
same pay.
The point of this parable is not finding enough
workers earlier in the day
at the marketplace. It is
not that those who work
just an hour do as much
as those who work all
day. It is not that Gentiles
are the latecomers in
contrast to the Jews. It is
not to promote the idea
of equal pay for unequal
work. It is not that all in
the kingdom of God will
receive the same reward.
Then, what is the
meaning of this parable? The landowner represents God. He goes to
where the day labourers
gather to invite them to
work. God is the One

The Rev. Michael Li

Columnist

to invite. At the end of

the day, every worker receives the same pay. The
first group got exactly
what they bargained for,
but the others got more
than they deserved. To
receive what we deserve
is not Good News. Nobody deserves to go to
heaven when he dies.
God does not operate
on the basis of what we
deserve. Instead, Gods
ways are full of grace. We
want legalism or justice,
but grace is so much
better. God wants His
grace to be experienced
equally.
The parable is followed by a statement:
So the last will be first,
and the first will be last
(Matthew 20:16). This
statement means that if
we are striving to be first,
we will not make it. We
should work for the joy of
serving God. That is why
the last will be first and
the first will be last. We
are to serve God faithfully
and let Him worry about
the reward. We should
serve God because we
love Him, not because of
what we can get Him to
do for us.
Nobody deserves
a n y t h i n g f ro m G o d .
Whatever we receive
from Him we receive
only because He is gracious. Gods gifts are
not earned. God is just.
God is sovereign. God
is generous. The day of
judgment will be full of
surprises.
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OCTOBER 2014

12

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