Seeking God

One of the most popular books in spirituality at the end of the late 1990s was Holy Longing by Ron Rolheiser, OMI. In it he admits, “It is no easy task to walk this earth and find peace; we are forever restless, dissatisfied, frustrated and aching. Desire is always stronger

Photo by Brad Switzer

Busy? Have a Feast!

“Hey, how’ve you been?” I ask. *Sigh* “BUSY!” they grin back. “Ah yeah, it’s that time of year, isn’t it?” I don’t know if you’ve had this conversation lately, but I find it has become somewhat of cultural script in my circles. We used to all lie and say we

Practicing Sabbath Delight

I once looked a humpback whale in the eye. As I sat in the small inflatable dinghy in the Southern Antarctic Ocean, I watched as she gracefully swam towards the boat, her fins flashing white beneath the surface. I held my breath as she swam beneath the zodiac, my heart

October Issue: Ora et Labora

In this issue, Dr. Obren Amiesimaka begins by looking at The Rule of St. Benedict and explains what work and prayer are. Ultimately, he says, it is a balance of the two that leads to a healthy spiritual life. Following this, Sr. Mary Coswin writes on how our desires and longings

There is No Riot Here: On Campus Protests and Radical Hope

Today, I helped pack my daughter’s bags for camping. Like countless times before, there was a long list of needed items—both for her and to share with fellow campers: sunscreen, rain gear, water bottles, flashlights, craft supplies, paints, paintbrushes, Bristol board, etc. Together, we dusted off her childhood craft supplies

A Time to Come Together, A Time to Build

 The Anti-Racism Black Anglican Network hosted its first conference at St. John’s College from August 14 to 17.  The conference was a success and had presentations that were both informative and challenging. All the presenters were well prepared, and I was privileged to speak alongside them. There were experts in

Introducing the St John’s Theology Hub

You may have noticed over the past year that there has been a resurgence in activity around theological education in the diocese and particularly at St John’s College. Back in 2016, the Synod accepted a report on the future of theological education in Rupert’s Land that made a number of

September Issue: For Every Season

Welcome to a new season of Rupert’s Land News. We begin this issue with Iain Luke, Prolocutor of the Ecclesiastical Province of the Northern Lights, explaining what an ecclesiastical province is, and how changing the name better represents the land and the people which it contains. Next, Jane Barter examines

June Issue: Generations

We start this month’s issue off with an article from the Rev. Theo Robinson on the resolution at General Synod on Pastoral Liturgies for Journeys for Gender Transition and Affirmation. This article explores the context leading up to the resolution and the good news of the Anglican Church of Canada

From Rupert’s Land to Northern Lights: A New Name for Canadian Anglicans

By Iain Luke – Prolocutor of The Ecclesiastical Province of the Northern Lights Originally Published by the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton   What is an ecclesiastical province? In the Anglican Church worldwide, local church communities (parishes) are clustered together in a grouping called a diocese, under the oversight of a

Why Refugee Sunday?

Photo: Annie Spratt   By: Marlene Smith Earlier this year the Primate, Archbishop Linda Nicholls, issued an invitation to dioceses and parishes across the country to mark a Refugee Sunday at some point in the lead up to World Refugee Day (June 20) or at some other time in the

Celebrating the Voices of Black Anglicans

  Image by: KaLisa Veer   By: Dr. Ebele Felix When we consider the broader framework of worship, there are many diverse and interconnected components that come together to create a meaningful and holistic expression of faith. In this tapestry, there exists a melody that transcends time and space—a song

Synod Delegates Speak

Image by: Jennifer R.   Susan Roe-Finlay RLN: How did you first become a Synod Delegate? SRF: At first [St. Luke’s] just needed someone to be a delegate and I thought I could do that. I’d been in my parish long enough I thought I knew enough. That was in

Sing a New Song unto the Lord: The Relationship of Music and Liturgy

Image by: Austin Pacheco   By: Edmund Laldin One of the definitions of liturgy is the ‘work of the people.’ It simply means that the liturgy is composed for and by the worshipping community to be relevant and representative of their needs, concerns, thanksgivings, and inspiration for the kingdom of

May Issue: Songs of Praise

In this issue, Edmund Laldin’s article “Sing a New Song unto the Lord: The Relationship of Music and Liturgy” explores the implications of understanding liturgy as the “work of the people.” He asks important questions about how Anglicans must reflect the full diversity of their congregations through liturgical practice. Next,

Parish Profile: Stonewall Church of the Ascension

Interview with Walter, Jean, Joyce, and The Rev. James Gomez   RLN: Could you tell me about the name of your parish? Jean: We used to have an Ascension Day service. Walter: The Bishop would come out and we’d have confirmation that day. Jean: The church was founded in 1884.

Joint Committee Struck Between Anglicans and Lutherans

Image by Clark Van Der Beken   By: Theo Robinson Over the last few years, there has been an increase in attacks on the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Certain persons in positions of power have done and said things that encourage homophobic, transphobic, and biphobic actions and attitudes. Quite often, the arguments

Change Journeys at Holy Trinity

  While working in healthcare, I attended at one-day workshop on change for chaplains. During the workshop, we discussed the book Guiding Change Journeys by Rebba Chan Allen and incorporated spirituality into its teachings. The memory of this workshop inspired me and led me to creating a workshop at Holy

CURRENT ISSUE

Ora et Labora

In this issue, Dr. Obren Amiesimaka begins by looking at The Rule of St. Benedict and explains what work and prayer are. Ultimately, he says, it is a balance of the two that leads to a healthy spiritual life.

Following this, Sr. Mary Coswin writes on how our desires and longings will lead us to the Lord. When we pray, we make the decision to actively seek the One who has sought us all along. She quotes St. Augustine’s Confessions, “You have made us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

Inspired by the Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han, Ryan Turnbull presents the idea that we structure our lives based on what we can and should be doing. But that sometimes, and perhaps more often than we may think, doing things that may seem “useless” is what we need to take a deep breath and delight in the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Then, Zoe Matties invites us to practice the Sabbath in ways we may not have initially thought of. On the seventh day of creation, God delighted in what He had made. As such, we are also called to slow down, re-orient ourselves, and delight in what God has made.

Finally, I am grateful that I got a chance to meet with our new diocesan PWRDF representative, The Rev. Deacon Gabriel Kwenga (who goes by Kwenga). A man with infectious joy and perseverance who is dedicated to serving God and God’s people every day in his work and prayer.

Peace be with you; I hope you enjoy.

 

Read and download the October issue here.

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