Telling our story, listening for new possibilities

May 31, 2020. In the midst of the uncertainties of the pandemic, we walked out of our cathedral into the late afternoon sunshine, ready to face the future together.
May 31, 2020. In the midst of the uncertainties of the pandemic, we walked out of our cathedral into the late afternoon sunshine, ready to face the future together.
By Bishop Shane Parker

When my children were little, a cherished routine was to “tell the story of the day” at bedtime. It was a lovely way to connect with them and to draw in all the parts of our journey through the day, integrating all the moments and emotions into a narrative that could be gently held as sleep came. 

Telling the story of your day as an evening prayer practice, asking God to reveal things that you need to see, is a good thing to do. It helps you be aware of times of grace (as well your words or actions that may not have been particularly gracious), and to let this awareness guide you into a place of being forgiven and braced for the next day of following Jesus.

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As I approach the second anniversary of my consecration and seating as the Bishop of Ottawa on May 31, the story of these last two pandemic years often plays in my mind (frequently with pandemic-blur confusion about what happened in what year). I think back to the uncertainties that abounded after the first, shocking “lockdown” happened in March 2020. Many of us thought we would be back to normal in a few months, and it took a lot of cancellations and postponements to finally persuade us that normal would be gone for a very long time.

It was in that uncertain context we had to manage the transition between the 9th and 10th Bishops of Ottawa—and a key part of that transition was to get #10 properly consecrated as a bishop: how was that going to happen when gathering is integral to consecrating and gathering is severely restricted?!

First of all, we considered the minimum canonical requirements: at least three consecrating bishops; proper publication of questions that would normally be asked of a church filled with people; and myriad other details to ensure that the consecration and seating was fully compliant with canon law and the ancient practices of our church.

Secondly, we needed to consider the legal requirements and restrictions of provincial and municipal public health measures. You can see in the upper right corner of the photograph accompanying this column a “schematic” that was used to seek the approval of public health authorities for my consecration to be held in our cathedral. We had to demonstrate how there would never be more than five persons at a time in the “room” of the Cathedral’s chancel and how the movement of people would be choreographed to make this possible. 

The accompanying photograph also shows the afterglow of the consecration. We went from sorting out all of the requirements and restrictions on paper and with emails and multiple phone calls, to invoking the Holy Spirit and conducting our sacred duty as Christ’s Church. The unusual planning load became a distant memory as we walked out of our cathedral into the late afternoon sunshine, vital and alive, ready to face the future together as the people, clergy and bishop of the Diocese of Ottawa. 

As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, we will all have a story to tell. The pandemic has been a teacher and a revealer, and we ought to heed the lessons it has taught and the truths it has revealed. And, because there is always more happening than we can see, let us look for the new possibilities for life and ministry that have been forming around us these last two years—and let us embrace them with vitality and joy.

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