Events
Storytelling is an important element of the Christian Life—even at national events and institutional meetings. This area makes room for those stories: personal experiences within corporate identity.
A unique conference experience
I arrived in Montreal with trepidation. I had never been to an open space conference. What would it be like? How would it work? What were we going to talk about? Would anyone else be interested in the conversations I was interested in? Continue reading
Long term vision
As I looked around the room on the last day, I was very glad to be working alongside those fine people as we work together to enable, empower and build up the kingdom of God in the Anglican Church across the country. Continue reading
All this hopey changey stuff: how did Conversation 2014 work?
It has been a blast over the past 6 months or so being part of the planning team of Conversation 2014: Clergy under 40 talk to God and each other. Being the first of it’s kind in the Anglican Church of Canada, and including many of our most recent ordinands, it was clear this was going to look different from our typical clergy conferences. Continue reading
Thoughts from the train
In all of our diversity and relatively brief acquaintance, was are the church, called by God, nourished by the body and blood of Christ, and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Realizing that we are the people who will be leading the church into a perhaps uncertain future, I actually grew a little teary-eyed. It’s good … God’s got this well in hand. Continue reading
Colleagues and conversations
The biggest reason, however, for a conference of young clergy is the promise of collegiality. This cohort has an opportunity to begin building a network of colleagues now that extends across the country and will sustain its members, their ministries, and the church for the decades to come. We will not be younger clergy forever but, God willing, we will be working in this beloved church of ours for a long time. I, for one, would rather do that work together. Continue reading
Grace
The chance to hear residential school survivor Inez Dieter’s story at the TRC was a gift. What happened when our conversation ended will forever shape how I think about and experience grace. Continue reading
Drawing the Circle Wide
Intergenerational residential school survivors remind us of the broader social forces at play. What was done to one, was done to families. What wounded one, wounded whole communities. To this end, prayerful repentance and justice-based reconciliation must cast a similarly wide net. Continue reading
Reconciliation is a Verb
Reconciliation is not a static goal to be achieved. Instead, it is a verb. It is something we do, something that will grow as we grow, something that will take shape according to the people and communities that participate in it. Continue reading
Taking time for Lent
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is among the most complex happenings I’ve ever witnessed. Today, I’m sure I heard mention of, or saw displayed, every emotion imaginable to humankind. From a Christian perspective, this cacophony of emotion felt a bit like experiencing the whole liturgical year all at once. In these Lenten days, though, I am reminded that repentance cannot be rushed or confused. Continue reading
The stories we tell
Tomorrow we set to our immediate task. To tell for the first time the story of this event, so that we can learn together. To tell again the history of our church and its relationship with Indigenous people, so that we can repent and do the work of reconciliation together. Continue reading
