Anglican Appeal Sunday
Sunday October 4th, 2009 at 9:15
September is always an exciting time in the church. For many it seems like it is the start of the church year, and we often approach it not unlike children anticipating the start of the school year – with both excitement and perhaps a little trepidation. Yet this is something of a misnomer for we are not at the beginning of the church year, but are actually approaching the end. The fact that we seem to gear up at this time of the year is due to taking a slower pace during the warm summer months, for a well deserved time of rest and relaxation. Yet, the mission of the church never ceases and this is no less true this fall as we look to what is ahead for us.
The first is we have launched the Anglican Appeal to raise funds for the Council of the North. These are the churches in largest and most remotest parts of Canada, with the lowest number of people and the least amount of resources. Geographically, the Council of the North takes up 85% of our geography but only has 15% of Canada’s population. The cost of living in these areas is unbelievably high. The cost to do ministry, even higher – both in terms of personal sacrifice and financial costs. I recall how in his missionary travels, Paul never ceased to take up the collection to send to the church in Jerusalem – not because they were dependent victims of circumstance, but because they were truly living and journeying together as brothers and sisters in Christ. For Paul, it was an honor and a privilege to support that work entrusted to the Christians in the Holy Land. My hope is that we will be able to feel the same way – that supporting the work of the church, the hands and feet of the people who proclaim God’s blessing to the peoples of the North, will both move and inspire us all to give generously.
Funds collected through the appeal will go to help finance training for clergy and lay leaders (who must travel vast distances to do their ministry), to finance Sunday School and youth ministry, to do outreach to street youth and homeless people, and provide worship resources and other costs associated with the work of the church in upholding the Gospel of Christ.
Throughout the September and part of October we are showing solidarity with the Council (Churches) of the North by using bannock for our communion bread. Bannock is the traditional bread of the aboriginal people and it can be prepared a number of ways including baked and fried. Much to my surprise and the surprise of many, I discovered that bannock is the same recipe as one uses to make scones. It was brought by the Scotts to the First Nations Peoples during the fur trade and because of its convenience, fast became a staple in their diet. And so, just in that one discovery alone, we start to recall common roots that we did not realize were there.
On October4th we will celebrate our ministry with an Agape meal (love feast) much like that celebrated in the early church before our worship became ritualized. We will share a meal of stew and bannock like our Christian families in the north do at this time of year, after a season of hunting and gathering. We will then write and videotape email messages to send to them. Messages of hope and blessing. Please start thinking about what YOU would like to say to the churches of the north.
Finally, on Thanksgiving (the following week) when it is so easy to give thanks for our own many blessings, we will be asked to return our special offering and we will bless it with our regular offering before sending it off with our video and messages.
There is real joy to be had in knowing one is making a difference in the life of the church beyond the gathering of our own community. Please continue to pray with us for the churches in the north and the wonderful ministry they do.