Breakaway Anglicans to share parish churches
Feb 24, 2008 04:30 AM
Stuart Laidlaw
Faith and Ethics Reporter
The Anglican Church of Canada and a breakaway conservative Anglican group plan to take turns today holding services at two parishes that voted last weekend to split from the national church.
"They are going to worship after us," says Michael Patterson, archdeacon for the Niagara diocese. "I think it's good news."
read more from the Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/306407
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Mark 3:20-35: Snowball Fight
On a quiet winter day somewhere here in northern Saskatchewan, there is this fellow – John. Now John has just finished a long tiring day of work and he is quite happy to be home. He comes in and sits down on his chair and picks up his newspaper.
Now John has a wife, Janet, and when she sees John sitting nicely in his easy chair there, she asks him what he is planning to do before dinner.“Well, I’m planning to read my paper,” John answers, but from the look on Janet’s face he can tell immediately that he has actually gotten the answer wrong. That isn’t what he is planning to do.
He looks at her in that searching way, trying to discern what the right answer to her question could be: what is he planning to do? …Is he planning to - pick something up at the store? …Is he planning to …pick up the kids from somewhere? …Is he planning to…John didn’t know.
“Shovel Mrs McMillan’s driveway,” says Janet. “You’re planning to shovel Mrs McMillan’s driveway.”“But its 40 below! …I mean…Yes dear, yes, Mrs McMillan’s driveway,” says John who, until this very moment, had no idea that he was planning to shovel their elderly neighbour’s driveway. So John grabs his shovel and heads out the door…
At just this time, as John heads outside, providentially around the corner of the house comes John Jr., his 15 year-old son: “What are you planning to do before dinner?” John Sr. asks.
“Play on the computer…” says John Jr. who, just like his father, has gotten the answer wrong. John Junior is of course now planning to shovel the driveway.
“Just let me put my school stuff away,” says Junior who is hoping to escape into the house and forget all about this plan to shovel Mrs McMillan’s driveway - that he never knew that he had made in the first place.
But Dad, who is wise to Junior’s plan, hands him the snow shovel, takes his school bag, sends him off to Mrs McMillan’s and then John promptly disappears into the garage so as to avoid finding out from Janet if indeed there is anything else he had planned to do that he didn’t know about…
Now as John Jr. is standing outside old Mrs McMillan’s driveway, who should come walking by but his little brother, Mark, and a group of his friends…Jr. yells to his 10 year-old brother and his seven or eight friends, “guess what you guys are planning to do?!”
Mark and his friends are all very good-natured and they do start out in earnest shovelling the walk but they only have 3 shovels between the eight of them and it doesn’t take too long for one of the boys to realise that this snow today actually packs quite nicely.
This friend of Mark then quite innocently makes one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and even more snowballs and stacks them beside the shelter of a hedge. When he has got a nice lot of snowballs in front of him, Mark, who has actually been working quite diligently, notices him and asks his friend - as forcefully as he can muster - “and what are you planning to do with all those snowballs?” to which his friend replies by throwing one right at Mark. Within 10 minutes the eight boys are in a full-blown snowball fight. Having completely forgotten about any of their work when John Sr., Dad, comes around the corner,
“What do you think you are doing?”
Now Mark, in the boldness of a 10 year-old surrounded by his friends, takes the initiative to show his dad exactly what he is doing and promptly hits him with snowball. This is too much for John who then dives behind the car where he and his eldest son assemble their own arsenal and try to hold off the pack of ten year-old boys.
They are now divided into two groups and they have quite a bit of fun until all of a sudden everyone goes quiet as John and all the boys notice Janet –mom- standing, arms crossed, asking, “And what are do are you doing?”
“Shovelling the snow?” Answers John - and indeed for the next hour that is exactly what John, John Jr. and Mark are doing with their three shovels as Janet and Mrs McMillan look on from her front room.
Casting out demons (or doing any other of the Lord's work for that matter) is like shovelling the driveway (see Mark Chapter 3). If that snowball fight had persisted then that driveway would never have been shovelled.
When John, John Jr., and Mark were divided, their work did not get completed and they faced the wrath of mom.
This is the idea that Jesus is explaining to those who are accusing him of casting out demons by the Power of Beelzebub here (Mark Chapter 3). He is saying that if God has asked him to cast out demons (shovel the driveway) and if he is on the same side as Beelzebub, he wouldn't do it. But as Jesus is working for God, as he is not distracted from serving his heavenly parent, he isn't distracted from his task of clearing the driveway of the demon-possessed man's soul.
Read the whole sermon: http://www.sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/
Now John has a wife, Janet, and when she sees John sitting nicely in his easy chair there, she asks him what he is planning to do before dinner.“Well, I’m planning to read my paper,” John answers, but from the look on Janet’s face he can tell immediately that he has actually gotten the answer wrong. That isn’t what he is planning to do.
He looks at her in that searching way, trying to discern what the right answer to her question could be: what is he planning to do? …Is he planning to - pick something up at the store? …Is he planning to …pick up the kids from somewhere? …Is he planning to…John didn’t know.
“Shovel Mrs McMillan’s driveway,” says Janet. “You’re planning to shovel Mrs McMillan’s driveway.”“But its 40 below! …I mean…Yes dear, yes, Mrs McMillan’s driveway,” says John who, until this very moment, had no idea that he was planning to shovel their elderly neighbour’s driveway. So John grabs his shovel and heads out the door…
At just this time, as John heads outside, providentially around the corner of the house comes John Jr., his 15 year-old son: “What are you planning to do before dinner?” John Sr. asks.
“Play on the computer…” says John Jr. who, just like his father, has gotten the answer wrong. John Junior is of course now planning to shovel the driveway.
“Just let me put my school stuff away,” says Junior who is hoping to escape into the house and forget all about this plan to shovel Mrs McMillan’s driveway - that he never knew that he had made in the first place.
But Dad, who is wise to Junior’s plan, hands him the snow shovel, takes his school bag, sends him off to Mrs McMillan’s and then John promptly disappears into the garage so as to avoid finding out from Janet if indeed there is anything else he had planned to do that he didn’t know about…
Now as John Jr. is standing outside old Mrs McMillan’s driveway, who should come walking by but his little brother, Mark, and a group of his friends…Jr. yells to his 10 year-old brother and his seven or eight friends, “guess what you guys are planning to do?!”
Mark and his friends are all very good-natured and they do start out in earnest shovelling the walk but they only have 3 shovels between the eight of them and it doesn’t take too long for one of the boys to realise that this snow today actually packs quite nicely.
This friend of Mark then quite innocently makes one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and even more snowballs and stacks them beside the shelter of a hedge. When he has got a nice lot of snowballs in front of him, Mark, who has actually been working quite diligently, notices him and asks his friend - as forcefully as he can muster - “and what are you planning to do with all those snowballs?” to which his friend replies by throwing one right at Mark. Within 10 minutes the eight boys are in a full-blown snowball fight. Having completely forgotten about any of their work when John Sr., Dad, comes around the corner,
“What do you think you are doing?”
Now Mark, in the boldness of a 10 year-old surrounded by his friends, takes the initiative to show his dad exactly what he is doing and promptly hits him with snowball. This is too much for John who then dives behind the car where he and his eldest son assemble their own arsenal and try to hold off the pack of ten year-old boys.
They are now divided into two groups and they have quite a bit of fun until all of a sudden everyone goes quiet as John and all the boys notice Janet –mom- standing, arms crossed, asking, “And what are do are you doing?”
“Shovelling the snow?” Answers John - and indeed for the next hour that is exactly what John, John Jr. and Mark are doing with their three shovels as Janet and Mrs McMillan look on from her front room.
Casting out demons (or doing any other of the Lord's work for that matter) is like shovelling the driveway (see Mark Chapter 3). If that snowball fight had persisted then that driveway would never have been shovelled.
When John, John Jr., and Mark were divided, their work did not get completed and they faced the wrath of mom.
This is the idea that Jesus is explaining to those who are accusing him of casting out demons by the Power of Beelzebub here (Mark Chapter 3). He is saying that if God has asked him to cast out demons (shovel the driveway) and if he is on the same side as Beelzebub, he wouldn't do it. But as Jesus is working for God, as he is not distracted from serving his heavenly parent, he isn't distracted from his task of clearing the driveway of the demon-possessed man's soul.
Read the whole sermon: http://www.sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Army Barmy Remix on the DTES
Danielle Strickland has relayed Dan Rather's report from Vancouver's DTES, our old stomping ground: http://armybarmyremix.blogspot.com/2008/02/dan-rather-doc-on-downtown-eastside.html
Army Barmy significantly notes that they don't support all of Dan Rather's observations. This is important. Harm reduction, the professed goal of 'insite', the free heroine clinic and other similar initiatives, is not a noble end. (It may, however, be a means to one's end).
We here, of course, believe in harm elimination over harm reduction. We have seen people delivered from sin, disease, addiction, and the much, much more. Why would anyone choose to die from drug addiction in a clean clinic when instead you could choose to live in a new clean life. Give people the choice: tell them about Jesus.
With God, all things are possible...
Army Barmy significantly notes that they don't support all of Dan Rather's observations. This is important. Harm reduction, the professed goal of 'insite', the free heroine clinic and other similar initiatives, is not a noble end. (It may, however, be a means to one's end).
We here, of course, believe in harm elimination over harm reduction. We have seen people delivered from sin, disease, addiction, and the much, much more. Why would anyone choose to die from drug addiction in a clean clinic when instead you could choose to live in a new clean life. Give people the choice: tell them about Jesus.
With God, all things are possible...
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
China looks out for children (and others)
China looks out for children (and others); why don't we?
Chinese authorities ... issued bans against sexually suggestive audio and video products. Regulators issued new warnings against pornography and restrictions on video-sharing websites, which are accused of containing pornography.
read more from CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/080220/K022004AU.html
As I have asked before, why do we in North America refuse to allow our population to be free from pornographic abuses? It is too bad that in NA we don't have this freedom of the Chinese people.
Chinese authorities ... issued bans against sexually suggestive audio and video products. Regulators issued new warnings against pornography and restrictions on video-sharing websites, which are accused of containing pornography.
read more from CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/080220/K022004AU.html
As I have asked before, why do we in North America refuse to allow our population to be free from pornographic abuses? It is too bad that in NA we don't have this freedom of the Chinese people.
Food for Prayer
SALVATION ARMY BRINGS COMFORT FOLLOWING HORRIFIC SHOOTING AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
The Salvation Army immediately responded yesterday after a gunman entered a lecture hall on the Northern Illinois University campus in DeKalb , Ill. , and opened fire killing six people and injuring at least 15 others before turning the gun on himself. Salvation Army emergency disaster services personnel worked with university police to provide support and emotional and spiritual care to law enforcement officials and students.
Meals, beverages and refreshments have been served from a Salvation Army canteen that was deployed to the scene. In addition, Salvation Army officers (pastors) trained in critical incident stress management were on the scene to provide comfort to law enforcement officials and students devastated by the tragedy.
Captains Alex and Aimee Norton, who oversee The Salvation Army’s work in DeKalb , Ill. , have a vital ministry on the NIU campus and were a comfort to many students dealing with the horrors that occurred on their campus. A prayer service was held last night at The Salvation Army’s DeKalb Corps and Community Center (center for worship and service) and prayer rooms were made available to students throughout the night.
The Salvation Army immediately responded yesterday after a gunman entered a lecture hall on the Northern Illinois University campus in DeKalb , Ill. , and opened fire killing six people and injuring at least 15 others before turning the gun on himself. Salvation Army emergency disaster services personnel worked with university police to provide support and emotional and spiritual care to law enforcement officials and students.
Meals, beverages and refreshments have been served from a Salvation Army canteen that was deployed to the scene. In addition, Salvation Army officers (pastors) trained in critical incident stress management were on the scene to provide comfort to law enforcement officials and students devastated by the tragedy.
Captains Alex and Aimee Norton, who oversee The Salvation Army’s work in DeKalb , Ill. , have a vital ministry on the NIU campus and were a comfort to many students dealing with the horrors that occurred on their campus. A prayer service was held last night at The Salvation Army’s DeKalb Corps and Community Center (center for worship and service) and prayer rooms were made available to students throughout the night.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
I heard the Trumpets Blowing
A memorial poem for Bill Darbyshire by Lisa
I heard the trumpets blowing,
When God whispered your name,
You've gone to be with angels,
Our world is not the same.
Each day we shared was special,
Each joy we shared was too,
I've never known another who was
Ever just like you.
Thank you for your love,
Patince tried and true,
There's a place right in my heart,
Especially for you
Safe in the arms of Jesus.
Destynie (Lisa)
This poem was read yesterday at Bill's memorial service.
I heard the trumpets blowing,
When God whispered your name,
You've gone to be with angels,
Our world is not the same.
Each day we shared was special,
Each joy we shared was too,
I've never known another who was
Ever just like you.
Thank you for your love,
Patince tried and true,
There's a place right in my heart,
Especially for you
Safe in the arms of Jesus.
Destynie (Lisa)
This poem was read yesterday at Bill's memorial service.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Parable of the Pordigal . . .
We had a great time at Men's Winter Camp this past week. Five of us came down from Nipawin. There was 45 or so from the province as a whole - it was very good and a very good turn out. We enjoyed the fellowship, the praying, the signing, and the darts. Nipawin A and B teams both participated in the darts tournament and one of them even won a prize. Majors Roy Langar and Ken Percy won the tournament. It was alot of fun. Ken Dryden, not the hockey star turned federal politician but rather an Alliance minister who works with Alpha, shared his thoughts with us on the prodigal son and the other characters in the parable.
Here are some of my thoughts on the parables of the lost:
In the parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, Jesus speaks about the idea that ".there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance (Luke 15:7)." It is a cause for celebration when one joins the kingdom. In the parable of the lost son (15:11-32) the father tells the oldest son that "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found (15:31-32).'" Ethically speaking then we should also be concerned about, show mercy towards, and also celebrate the return of those once lost to the Kingdom.
Read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com/NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Ethics of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel
And this:
Jesus tells the parable of the wicked manager directly to his disciples right after he tells the story of the prodigal son. Remember, the point of that parable (the podigal son)? What happens when the son squanders what (the) God (figure) gives him? He is forgiven. The parable is about God’s forgiveness of the son who squanders everything on wild (NIV) or dissolute (NRSV) living. As we return to God, He will forgive us whatever we have done.
But this parable raises a question, doesn't it…can we just keep sinning and it doesn’t matter? If we are members of God’s family, his household, can we just squander everything on ‘wild living’ and sin, like the son? After all, the father not only forgave him but also threw a big party in for him. So, why not keep sinning?
And this is a question that Jesus answers right away in this parable: God (the father) in the prodigal story forgives the one that squanders what he is given but God in the manager story does not.
See also: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/luke-161-13-sudden-death-overtime.html
Here are some of my thoughts on the parables of the lost:
In the parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, Jesus speaks about the idea that ".there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance (Luke 15:7)." It is a cause for celebration when one joins the kingdom. In the parable of the lost son (15:11-32) the father tells the oldest son that "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found (15:31-32).'" Ethically speaking then we should also be concerned about, show mercy towards, and also celebrate the return of those once lost to the Kingdom.
Read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com/NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Ethics of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel
And this:
Jesus tells the parable of the wicked manager directly to his disciples right after he tells the story of the prodigal son. Remember, the point of that parable (the podigal son)? What happens when the son squanders what (the) God (figure) gives him? He is forgiven. The parable is about God’s forgiveness of the son who squanders everything on wild (NIV) or dissolute (NRSV) living. As we return to God, He will forgive us whatever we have done.
But this parable raises a question, doesn't it…can we just keep sinning and it doesn’t matter? If we are members of God’s family, his household, can we just squander everything on ‘wild living’ and sin, like the son? After all, the father not only forgave him but also threw a big party in for him. So, why not keep sinning?
And this is a question that Jesus answers right away in this parable: God (the father) in the prodigal story forgives the one that squanders what he is given but God in the manager story does not.
See also: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/luke-161-13-sudden-death-overtime.html
Monday, February 11, 2008
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