Parishioners and choristers at Christ Church Cathedral may remember the author singing with the cathedral choir from 1991 to 1999.

When announcing the $20,000 prizes for fiction in both English and French last summer, the Trillium jury praised Crevaison en corbillard as: “…a collection of short stories full of twists and turns, filled with hushed truths and distress, whose tone swings between starting and restarting, between debacle and success, between life and death. The author introduces us to exciting, funny and life-like characters evolving in the eccentric, unusual and sumptuous plots in a surprising and irresistible literary frenzy.” 

Ruban thanked Crosstalk for “reaching out and for your interest in that quirky, little yellow book of mine. I’m truly flattered.”

Thanks to veteran chorister Garth Hampson for bringing this news to our attention!

The post Recommended reading appeared first on Perspective.

Parliament and Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, can be found in the details. The wavy blue lines on the red Cross of St. George represent the confluence and importance of the Ottawa, Gatineau and Rideau rivers. A diverse crowd is gathered at the base of the Cross.  

It is only in recent years that Anglicans have begun to acknowledge that the Diocese was founded on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg. That history is less visible in the window. An Indigenous woman stands on the right side of the cross by Chaudiére (Akikodjiwan) Falls, a sacred place. May this anniversary usher in a new era of reconciliation and right relations.

The Diocese of Ottawa was created in 1896.  While it is true, as David Farr noted, that in order of seniority, Ottawa was the 22nd Anglican diocese to be created in Canada, its origins are much older.  The long genesis derived from many factors: primarily the unsettled condition of much of eastern Ontario in the 19th century, giving a “missionary” character to the diocese; and rivalry between the region’s principal towns, Kingston and Ottawa.

Ecclesiastical authority in the Ottawa Valley had always been remote.  First administered from Halifax, then Quebec and, after 1839, Toronto, eastern Ontario lay on the fringes of established religious order.  In 1862, the region was given its own ecclesiastical framework, with fifteen counties east of the Trent River and south of the Ottawa River carved out of the Diocese of Toronto to create the Diocese of Ontario, with its see city at Kingston. 

Only nine years later, in 1871, the first Bishop of Ontario, seeing Ottawa thrive as the new capital of Canada (while Kingston languished) made the case that Ottawa should become a see city of a new diocese containing parishes on both sides of the Ottawa River.  It was a hard sell, mainly for lack of funding, and it took Bishop John Travers Lewis 25 years before the Diocese of Ottawa emerged strung out along the line of J.R. Booth’s Canada Atlantic Railway from Lancaster in the east to Rutherglen in the northwest.

The idea was quickly grasped by Christ Church, Ottawa from the beginning, and they promptly set about building a new much larger house of worship, anticipating by 25 years the day it became the cathedral of the new Diocese of Ottawa.  Another 70 years rolled by before Clarendon Deanery on the Quebec side of the river would be removed from the Diocese of Montreal, to double the land area of the Diocese of Ottawa.  The coat of arms designed by Edward Marion Chadwick featured a saw cutting through a tree—a device borrowed from the family coat of arms of the first bishop, Charles Hamilton.  At the time it seemed appropriate to a city where sawmills employed ten times the number of people employed by parliament.

With thanks to the Archives for this information.      

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In a few instances, either just before the work of demolition began or in the midst of it, photographs were taken of the exterior of Saint James’s Church, Carleton Place in 1881, or the interior of Christ Church, Ottawa in 1871.  By some miracle, a photograph survives of the interior of Saint James’s Church, Franktown—now the oldest surviving Anglican house of worship in the Diocese of Ottawa—before it was gothicized in the early 1890s.

Apart from the earlier churches at Perth and Richmond, perhaps the most significant and earliest of these churches built with the aid of prominent military men was Saint James’s Church, Franktown.  It also happened to mark the boundary between making-do with vernacular structures in which to hold worship services as opposed to purpose-built churches whose very design advertised their sole purpose to be worship.  Anglicans in Beckwith Township in 1823 at first requested the use of the King’s storehouse at Franktown, promising to finish off the interior for Divine worship, and the lieutenant governor—a senior military official—made a gift of the storehouse and the six acres on which it was located in 1826 together with the proceeds from selling a Perth lot on which another military storehouse was located.

The Rev. Michael Harris from Perth—another military veteran—brought a contractor “to estimate the expense of repairing the Store in Beckwith [at Franktown], & fitting it up in a suitable manner for Divine Service.” The contractor recommended that instead of spending seventy to eighty pounds on repairs to the log storehouse, to “lay out whatever funds [the congregation] could collect on a new building, as the money that would be expended on the old one would go far in putting up the walls &c. of a stone Church.”  Sure enough, when Harris consulted with the Beckwith congregation in early 1826, they enthusiastically offered “to put the whole of the Stone & Lime on the ground if His Excellency will permit the funds to be appropriated to that purpose, as they would much rather turn the old Store into a temporary Parsonage & to have a good Substantial place of Worship.”  By November 1826, the congregation had stone and lime on the church site at Franktown “ready to commence operations in the Spring,” and in the spring of 1827 the construction of Saint James’s Church began.

The pews shown were little better than rough benches, and were a later addition.  Contemporary sources tell us that for six years after the church was opened for worship there still were no pews.  There also was no book of banns, no fair linen cloth to cover either the communion table or the consecrated elements, and no baptismal font.

It is not possible to tell from this photograph that this structure was oriented toward the northwest, as it was built square with the main street of Franktown leading from Richmond in the east to Perth in the west.  This photograph does not show the gallery at the rear, but it does show a rustic rood screen to emphasize where Communion was celebrated.  We should also note that the lectern and pulpit are shown in front of the small communion table.  This photograph shows blinding light coming in through the clear glass of the Palladian or Venetian altar window, the board floor appears to be unpainted, and there is a total absence of decoration other than for two intersecting triangles above the Palladian window.

Such was the austerity of early worship here in 1833 that the clergyman reported some members of his congregation had bibles and prayer books, while others did not; the church had only one small prayer book and one small bible.  Although the clergyman “at different times both in Conversation & in discourses pointed out the propriety of the Congregation joining in the responses” from the prayer book, these reminders were “without effect.”

That between 150 and 200 people were reported attending services in a building measuring 33 by 55 feet and lacking pews suggests they were either standing or kneeling throughout the service.     

The Archives collects documents for parishes, including parish registers, vestry reports, service registers, minutes of groups and committees, financial documents, property records (including cemeteries and architectural plans), insurance records, letters, pew bulletins, photographs, scrapbooks, parish newsletters, and unusual records.  

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 It provides prayers and readings for specific days, according to the Calendar of the Book of Alternative Services, and some recent additions. The Saints included are those formally canonized by the church as well as many others. There are several entries for notable Canadian Saints, and Saints from elsewhere in the past. Sometimes we need inspiration to frame our prayers, and this book can help us to pray with prayers related to a Saint on a particular day of the year.

Another way to pray with the Saints is to use prayers that have been written over the years by the Saints themselves. There are, of course, many hundreds and thousands of these, and I encourage you to search for the ones that might be helpful in making your connection with the Divine Presence. In no particular order, here are a very few prayers written by past notable Saints.

Julian of Norwich (1342-1416))

In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss. In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving. You are our mother, brother, and Saviour. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvellous and plenteous grace. You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us. You are our maker, our lover, our keeper. Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St. Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)

Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day.

St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices. Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless His people.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Grant me grace, O merciful God, to desire ardently all that is pleasing to You, to examine it prudently, to acknowledge it truthfully, and to accomplish it perfectly, for the praise and glory of Your name. Amen. 

St. Augustine (354-430)

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.

Praying with the Saints can help us experience the breadth and depth of the ways we can connect with the Holy One and experience God’s presence in our lives.

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Waiting for life beyond colour coded stages. Waiting for a vaccine. Waiting in lineups for groceries. Waiting in self-isolation. Waiting to have family and friends over for dinner. Waiting to greet people with handshakes instead of elbows. Waiting to meet in a room rather than on Zoom. 

I’m still waiting.

“Waiting on the World to Change”, as John Mayer put it, is a tiring pastime. When I feel exhausted and more than a bit powerless to effect the change I’m hoping for it can be very demoralizing. You might know how it feels. Yet ‘waiting’ need not only describe a passive stance toward something; ‘waiting’ can also be a very creative and active way of inhabiting the world around us.

I recall a sermon illustration from many years ago about the art of waiting a table. Be it in a neighbour’s home, in a local hole-in-the-wall, or in the most glamourous restaurants in town, the art of waiting a table is by no means a passive activity!

To my eye, the most gracious, humane, and skillful waiters are characterized by their scrupulous attentiveness to both the individual needs and social dynamics unfolding before them at the tables they ‘wait on’. Waiting a table requires discernment to choose the right moment for initiative or for patience; knowing when it is best to ask a clarifying question or to simply trust your gut. An excellent waiter can anticipate needs before they become crises and artfully fulfills those needs with a pacing that neither chokes nor rushes the rhythm of a meal but, rather, gives ‘space’ for it to unfold naturally. 

What I’m trying to say is that the waiter’s waiting is neither ambivalent nor controlling, and it is certainly not passive or disengaged. The waiter’s waiting is attentiveness embodied. Through attentiveness, the waiter becomes a creative participant in ‘the meal’, actively discerning his or her role within larger drama of its unfolding.

Perhaps this is the kind of ‘waiting’ we need to keep in mind as we ‘wait out’ the weeks and months of pandemic life still ahead of us. 

To whom, or to what, or where might God be inviting us to wait on him? 

How might you attend to God in the individual needs and social dynamics unfolding in our parish communities? 

How might you discern the right moments for further enquiry or act intuitively? 

How might you anticipate needs before they become crises yet artfully fulfill them with self control and at a pace that upholds the dignity of everyone involved?

Waiting on God is no pastime. It is an act of faith and it can be done in every circumstance of life. In fact, our scriptures bear witness to the experience of waiting on God time and time again. Angels, patriarchs, prophets, the psalmists, Jesus, the apostles and disciples all speak about waiting on God. Very few of these aforementioned ‘waiters’ are ambivalent about their circumstances. Rather they respond out of their attentiveness to the personal needs and social dynamics surrounding them at the various ‘tables’ they are called to wait on in life:

• The Psalmists and Job are attentive to the gap between the promises of God and the reality of their circumstances and so cry out in complaint for justice: “Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame!” (Ps 25.3) shouts the psalmist, and Job asks in exasperation “What is my strength, that I should wait?” (Job 6.11)

• Isaiah is attentive to the despair of exiled Israel and so draws everyone’s attention to the transcendent nearness of God to remind everyone that they are not forgotten: “But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength” (Is 40.31)

• The angels attended to the trials Jesus endured in the wilderness of Judea, fulfilling their vocation as messengers of God’s unconditional favour and love: “[Jesus] was in the wilderness forty days…and the angels waited on him” (Mk 1.13)

• Paul was attentive to the gap between wealthy and fixed-incomed Christians gathering around the Lord’s Table in Corinth and reprimands the privileged to stop and think twice before they neglect to care for their own sisters and brothers: “So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another” (1 Cor 11.33)

• The Resurrected Jesus is attentive to the future that God is giving to his witnesses at Pentecost and urges his disciples to not flee Jerusalem but wait: “[Jesus] ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1.4)

These waiters on God are far from ambivalent about the circumstances they are living through but instead engage in the questions their waiting provokes.

How will I ‘wait on God’ in the continuing drama of pandemic life?

Will I be attentive to the gaps between promise and reality? To the despair of exiled and isolated people? To the personal trials of others and to the numerous inequalities my privilege blinds me to? Will I be attentive to the future God is holding out for us in Spirit of the Risen Christ?

How will I respond? How will you?

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Warden Bernie Delmaire told Crosstalk that the gift enabled the parish to replace a regular household dishwasher with a commercial, sanitizing one; the regular sink with a deep restaurant-style one with sprayers; and an old stove with a new one. 

St. Margaret’s has an active outreach and works closely with many in the community, “so our hall is really busy. Before the pandemic, it was busy every day. We also do a soup meal program every week after church on Sundays,” he said, adding that the after-church meals are not possible now but will resume once pandemic restrictions are lifted.

The legacy gift also allowed St. Margaret’s to purchase an upright freezer, which Delmaire explained, will be helpful, particularly when the Inuit congregation at St. Margaret’s gets a donation of food from the North, such as cariboo or seal.  “It doesn’t happen very often, but when it happens, it is really enjoyed,” he said. “Before, we were always rushing to serve it as quickly as possible because we didn’t have a proper place to keep it.”

The Billingsley gift is also transforming the hall into a more inviting space. Worn floor tiles have been replaced with new flooring. The curtains are also being replaced and the hall is being painted. 

Andy Billingsley is pleased with the impact of the gift. “I’ve seen what they’ve done with most of the money, and I was almost moved to tears. St. Margaret’s have just been outstanding in what they have accomplished.” Since John did not have children, Andy said the gift was a way to leave a legacy for those who meant so much to John and ensure he’d not be forgotten.

John Billingsley came to St. Margaret’s after All Saints Sandy Hill closed. “His church was very important to him,” his sister Charlotte Ward said. 

Both she and Andy thought the renovations to the kitchen and hall were a fitting way for St. Margaret’s to use the gift because John would have been a part of and enjoyed the social activities taking place there and because he liked to cook and cooked for himself as a bachelor for many years. “He was quite amazing because he would set his table for one with a placemat and probably a linen serviette and he cooked [according to] the Canada Food Guide for most meals for himself every night which would be two veggies, a potato, meat or fish, a salad and a dessert. So he did that for himself every night and sat there watching TV or maybe listening to the radio,” said Charlotte.

As a young man, John travelled to a Cree community north of Thunder Bay with a group of youth from Anglican churches to help out and paint a church, Andy recalled, adding that he was pleased that the gift would also benefit another Indigenous group, St. Margaret’s Inuit congregation.

Charlotte recalled that “in John’s heyday, he was a passionate square dancer and a sought-after dance partner. His acute memory helped him remember all the intricate dance patterns and movements involved in the dosey-does and promenade involved in square dancing. And he wore some wicked shirts and string ties.” 

She described him as a gentle, compassionate man who loved his family, and always stayed in touch with family members and friends. “He was devoted to his nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews, and he seemed to have a special knack for selecting just the right gifts for them.”

Thls gift to St. Margaret’s seems to have that special touch too.

Information about making a legacy gift to support the mission and ministry of your church, as well as suggested bequest wording, is on the diocesan website at this link https://ottawa.anglican.ca/legacy-giving/.  If you would like to explore legacy giving options, please call Jane Scanlon, Director of Communications and Stewardship Development, at 613-232-7124, ext. 225.

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Seniors in Conversation is a community of predominantly older adults who meet every Tuesday morning from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom and listen to a guest speaker. The program was initially created for isolated seniors during the pandemic, to offer education and something to look forward to, but especially to offer a chance to have conversation and see people — even if it’s virtually. 

The program has now been running every week since June, and I feel like I am joining a close-knit community created on my computer each time I log on. 

I have never met any of these people in person, but I have known most of them now for months. There are some I see every week, and I have grown to recognize the room they are in, the chair they sit at, and the cats that can sometimes be seen walking over someone’s camera. There are even some people whose faces I have never seen, but I know I could pick out their voice in a crowd. There are also some people I get to see for the first time, and nearly every week we get to welcome a new face. 

We share a sense of excitement, and for the first 15 minutes we chat about how life is going, what’s happening in the news, how someone celebrated their birthday last week, or what new recipe they found the day before. 

Then, at exactly 10:15 a.m. we begin, and our guest speaker begins his or her presentation. We have had guests who specialize in healthy aging and wellness, elder abuse, mental health or anti-racism. Guests may be stand-up comedians and entertainers or university professors discussing their research. We have welcomed an MPP, an epidemiologist and an Algonquin Spiritual Leader. Every week is different.

What does stay consistent is the feeling I get when we all hang up at the end. This might sound strange, but I feel proud of the community that has been created. I tell my roommates all the time: I can’t believe some of the discussions we have. I can’t believe how kind these people are and how curious, how engaged, how excited they are to hear and discuss these topics. 

We talk about Canada’s history of Indigenous oppression and discuss racial inequalities. We talk about the ever-changing political climate in the U.S.A., and learn about how to be an ally. I am always surprised to find that although some of them are more than 50 years older than me, we are intrigued and engaged by the same things. 

Every other Friday, we meet again. We call it ‘Coffee Conversations,’ and I always come with my cup full. I think these are my favorite sessions, even more than my cherished Tuesday mornings. 

I always spend this time in my living room, on my cozy couch with my laptop resting on two pillows stacked in front of me. The soft, afternoon sunlight shines through my big windows at this time of the day, and I feel like I am in my own little world. 

The Friday group is smaller, and it’s a different atmosphere; instead of hosting guest speakers, we take this time to chat amongst ourselves about our day-to-day lives. I get to hear about what books everyone is reading and leave with a list of movie recommendations. We share our favorite recipes, and I wonder if I will ever try tomatoes and peanut butter together – a snack that I was told is delicious – but I don’t think I’ll ever try it to find out. I get to hear about people’s lives, their history, their passions. In an hour, I feel like I have caught up with a group of friends. 

My roommates are normally awake for this one, and sometimes will sit on the couch across from me and listen to the conversations. I glance up when someone says something funny and can see my roommate smiling along with me. It reminds me that regardless of our age differences, we have so much in common. 

Seniors in Conversation was developed because of the pandemic and was designed to be for seniors who were feeling isolated and alone. I didn’t realize it in the beginning, but it is as helpful for me as much as it is for them. Maybe more. 

Even after this pandemic is over, and we can start to look towards the future with a hopeful sense of normalcy, I find myself hoping we still continue the sessions. 

It’s going to be a sad day when I wake up on Tuesday morning knowing I won’t share an hour and a half with these seniors, but it makes me cherish the Tuesdays I still have that remind me why I love my job. 

(At press time, Trinity had just been notified that a new grant application was approved, which will allow Reaching Seniors in Old Ottawa South’s Seniors in Conversation to continue for the balance of 2021. The leadership team will be taking the month of May off to regroup and plan and will begin our Tuesday conversations again in June.)

If you are interested in participating in our Tuesday ‘Seniors in Conversation’ or our Friday ‘Coffee Conversations’, register to receive the Zoom link by emailing seniors@trinityottawa.ca. Each session is free of charge, and open to everyone interested, even those living outside of Ottawa. You can also follow us on Facebook, @HealthyAgeingOS

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Food: Eat organic, plant-based, local and in season. Reduce food waste by buying only what you will need.

Energy: Use low-energy light bulbs, lower your thermostat, unsubscribe from junk mail. Unplug small appliances when not in use.

Waste:  Compost, recycle and consign to sell or donate unwanted goods. Try to move to Zero waste and reduce plastic use. Shop at consignment, thrift and second-hand shops.

Nature: Grow your own herbs and veggies even on balconies. Plant flowers that attract pollinators. Out for a walk? Collect one piece of garbage a day. Don’t forget to carry a reusable bag and gloves.

There are lots of things that we can each do every day to change the way we connect with creation. Earthday.org is proposing 3 Days of Climate Action, April 20-22, and offers 51 actions that we can take together whether a veteran at this or just beginning to dip into the water.  Suggested actions range from using plant-based recipes (provided at the website) to volunteer cleanups to auditing plastic use. There is something for everyone.

If you are online, please join our ADO Environmental Facebook Group so we can encourage each other with new ideas, habits and products that will support creation and help us all live into our 5^th Mark of Mission: To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

Let’s make a start together, because Creation Matters!

—The Rev. Susan Lewis

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Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, and Archbishop Mark MacDonald, National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop, as well as the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, were among many faith leaders who signed a letter of support for the bill sent to Minister of Justice David Lametti. 

AMR co-chair Debbie Grisdale told Crosstalk that the 2015 report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission states that UNDRIP “is the framework for reconciliation at all levels and across all sectors of Canadian society.” Bill C-15 calls for a national action plan and to bring Canadian laws into line with that framework. The Primate’s welcomed support for this bill reinforces the words of her predecessor, retired Archbishop Fred Hiltz, who said in 2016 that when endorsing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, “we have a call to let our ‘yes’ in that historic moment be a resounding and continuing ‘yes.’”

Irene Barbeau, an Indigenous member of the AMR Working Group, explained that Bill C-15 is a follow-up to Bill C-262,  a private member’s bill introduced by NDP MP Romeo Saganash, which died when Conservative efforts to prevent a third and final reading in the Senate succeeded in 2019. Barbeau had been part of a delegation that visited senators asking them to support C-262.  “One of the measures of Bill C-15 is for an action plan  “to address injustices, combat prejudice and eliminate all forms of violence and discrimination against Indigenous peoples, including elders, youth, children, women, men, persons with disabilities, and gender-divers and two-spirit persons.”  Who would not support a bill of this magnitude especially involving Indigenous people across Canada?” Barbeau asked. “I fully support Bill C-15 as this affects me as an Indigenous person.”

The letter of support, signed by leaders of a diverse collection of faith groups including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Quakers, two Baptist Churches, Christian Reform, the Jesuit Society of Canada, KAIROS, and the Mennonite Central Committee Canada, also thanked the government for building on Bill C-262, adding “critical elements, including references to systemic discrimination, sustainable development, climate change, and the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.” They urged the government to prioritize Bill C-15 through the legislative process to ensure it receives Royal Assent before the next election. 

For more information, see the Faith in the Declaration website: faithinthedeclaration.ca

The Mennonite Central Committee website offers a sample letter that people can use to contact their MP or members of the government on its website.  

https://mcccanada.ca/get-involved/advocacy/takeaction/10

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