Reflections of a Canadian Churchman

Dear friends in Christ, “It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold.” On a night over two thousand years ago, angels bent near the earth and shepherds heard their song.   It was a song whose words were so desperately needed, and whose melody soothed the souls of the deeply troubled.   It was a time, much like any other time:   there was conflict; there were wars and rumours of wars; the poor went unfed and the rich sat in lofty places; there were broken hearts and broken spirits.   But a song broke through it all and announced that into the lives of a people who had suffered long, with woe and strife, with sin and sadness, was coming a Saviour who would bring peace.   That message was desperately needed then, and it is no less desperately needed today.   The words of that beloved hymn, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear , penned by Unitarian minister Edmund Hamilton Sears (1810-1876) remind us that

We have just begun a new liturgical year.  As Anglicans, it has always been our tradition to draw our Sunday readings from a lectionary (i.e., a prescribed calendar of readings).  In modern times, many mainline denominations have adopted the Revised Common Lectionary , and ecumenical lectionary, and as such, if you attend an Anglican, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, United or Presbyterian church, we will all be using the same readings (with minor variations) on any given Sunday.  Our shared lectionary consists of a three year cycle in which we try to read most of Scripture.  During each of the three years we focus on one of three synoptic gospels (synopsis = "viewed together" i.e, the three gospels that share signficant verbal agreement, Matthew, Mark & Luke).  In year A, we read through Matthew; in year B, Mark (with bits of John scattered around); and in year C, Luke.  We are currently in Year C, and in our parish we will be meeting twelve times over the next twelve months to

“People look east, the time is near!” The season of Advent (from the Latin, adventus, literally, “coming”), is one of preparation.   However, in recent years we have become obsessed with the concept of “waiting” during Advent.   While “waiting” does form a part of the Advent narrative, we should not lose sight of the richness of the Advent season as a season of preparing for the Lord’s coming.   During Advent we concentrate on the Lord’s coming in two different ways: his coming as a child in Bethlehem many years ago (ritually re-enacted in our Christmas liturgies); and his end-times coming when God’s kingdom shall finally “come on earth, as it is in heaven.”   Thus, our Advent Scripture readings look forward both to Jesus’ birth and to his return – the inauguration of the new order and its completion.   It is not a time to sit quietly and wait, but it is a time to prepare.     Perhaps I am not so concerned as others about the frenzy of activity and preparation that comes at t