Trinity Today

March 2015

Greetings from Rev. Chelsy

First of all, thank for your warm and happy welcome to Holy Trinity.  It has been a joy to be worshiping with you and witnessing the work of the Spirit among you.

       

I wanted to take some time this month to introduce myself to you, share some of my passions in ministry and give you the opportunity to meet and get to know me as we worship together over the next few months.

 

I was born and raised in Ponoka, Alberta just south of Edmonton.  My mom, Deb is a Real Estate Agent and my dad, Barry worked for over 35 years in the Oil Field before resigning and finding a job closer to home where he can spend more time with family and grandchildren.  I'm the oldest of 3 children.  My sister, Drianna, is a trained chef and my brother, Taylor, is a car salesman.  I'm the very proud aunt of four very lovely nieces and nephews.  Austin is 6, McKayla is 5, Stryker is 1 and Veyah-Lynn was born on February 26th.

 

I grew up at St. Mary's Anglican Church in Ponoka.  My mom was very involved in music, hospitality and Sunday School among other things.  I became heavily involved in Youth Group and diocesan youth events in my teenage years.  The more involved in church activities and gatherings I got, the more I started hearing God's voice through the people around me encouraging me to pray about ordained ministry.  In typical teenage fashion, I tried my very hardest to ignore the encouragement from others.  I had my mind made up and was hoping to pursue a career as a Paramedic.  I wanted to be able to help people, to make a difference in people's lives, and I never wanted my days to be routine or look the same.   High school Science proved that a career as a Paramedic was just not for me.  Six months before graduation I went back to the drawing board to figure out what I was going to do with my life.  It was during this time, that I started to really listen to the voices of the people around me and their discernment of God's call to ordained ministry.

 

I enrolled at the Kings' University in Edmonton in the fall of 2002 in the Music program and graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music (Voice).  After a year of working at the Synod Office as one of the Administrative Assistants I headed to Wycliffe College in Toronto in the fall of 2006 to begin my studies in the Master of Divinity Program.  During my time at Wycliffe I worked at Christ Church, Edmonton as one of the Student Interns. That same year I was ordained a Deacon in Edmonton and continued my studies out east.   In the summer of 2008 I travelled to Belize, Central America with the Theological Students International Internship Program through the National Church.  During my time there I was the Deacon-in-Charge of St. Michael's and All Angels, Mango Creek; St. John's, Placencia; and St. Stephen's, Monkey River.   It was here that I really had to lean on my faith and relationship with God as I was thousands of miles away from my immediate support systems and going through culture shock like I never had before and questioning my ability in ministry.  My first month was a very steep learning curve as I tried to be a good spiritual guide and minister to the people there. I wasn't expecting the lifestyle to be so difficult to get used to.  Nor did I know what my ministry was going to look like.  I knew what I wanted it to look like, but that wasn't what was best for the congregations or communities in which I was ministering to. What I found is that not only was I given the opportunity to learn to be a minister to others in ways that I never considered, I was given the opportunity to be ministered to by others.  With their support, and love of God, we worshiped together, we barbecued together, and we volunteered in the community together.  We were the Church together.  Graduation from Wycliffe College took place in 2009 and I returned back to Edmonton as the Assistant Curate at the Cathedral and was ordained a priest shortly thereafter with a previous HTAC Curate, Rev.  Jonathan Crane.  After a short 8 months there, I was approached by Bishop Jane to see if I would be interested in serving as the Rector of St. Mary's Vegreville, and St. Matthew's, Viking.  After accepting the appointment I spent five wonderful and very fun years with these communities.  It was during my time in Vegreville that I also met and married my husband Jordan. We were married at the Cathedral on June 8, 2013 and have been enjoying our life together as we grow as individuals, as a couple and as soon to be parents.   Jordan is a Parts Manager in Lamont, AB.  He sells parts to farmers for all of their tractors and combines and has been in parts for most of his working career.  We love to travel (whether that be on a short road trip up to Peace River for the night, or to somewhere with little to no cell phone access), we love to spend time working in our backyard (usually Jordan is building something while I tend to the garden), we have a great group of friends who we enjoy getting together with on a regular basis and we love to host said friends in our home over a homemade meal and a good board game or two.

 

As I have grown as a minister and a Christian I have come to realize that I have a passion for the building up of the community in the Kingdom of God, for building relationships within God's church, and for the opportunity to encourage and equip people in their life and work in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus.  I love to read stories throughout the Old and New Testaments about community and relationships,(the good the bad and the ugly) and to be witness through those stories of how God has blessed and strengthened the church through the ages by blessing communities and our relationships.  I love to see the Church (that is the people) being incarnational!

 

I'm very much looking forward to getting to know you better over the next few months.  I pray that we will continue to make Christ known in our community and Thank you again for your welcome and hospitality I look forward to serving Christ with you. rn More...

 

 

Epistle Writer Paul on "Being Charlie"

by Adrian Peetoom

 

The media blitz in the aftermath of the "Charlie Hebdo" killings has already been overtaken by news of fresh disasters. "Charlie Hebdo" is the name of a small circulation French satirical weekly newspaper given to publish outrageous articles and cartoons which spare no target, no matter how "holy." In response to cartoons that satirized the prophet Mohammed two Yemen brothers invaded its Paris head office, and murdered 11 staff and visitors, as well as wounding many others. The killers were eventually cornered and killed themselves.


 

This horrific event occasioned an avalanche of comments that focused on this central point: no one shall stand in the way of freedom of speech and the press. Folks in various parts of the globe began to wear T- shirts featuring "Je suis Charlie" ("I am Charlie"). Others took part in vigils. Many urged the remaining Hebdo staff to reprint some of its most provocative cartoons. The next issue featured a cover cartoon of Mohammed weeping for the damage his "followers" had done. That issue sold millions of copies in many translations (a phenomenal financial windfall for this otherwise struggling publication). Many voices urged media all over the world to reprint the offensive materials that had led to the massacre.

 

A minority of the commentators I read and watched raised questions, however. Is freedom of press and speech indeed an absolute? Must nothing stand in its way? Is democracy in danger if opinions are muzzled or self-censored? If I had been the editor of some media outlet, would I have wanted to re-publish this admittedly offensive stuff? Might I have reasoned that any surrender to limits of expression would eventually limit expression of the Christian faith? Would it be best not to limit any freedom of expression lest my freedom be encroached upon at some time?

 

And while my mind was engaged with this issue, the media of Scripture came my way in the shape of two connected lectionary readings, 1 Corinthians 8: 1-13 (Feb 1), and 1 Corinthians 9: 16-23 (Feb 8). Neither sermon that day focused on these passages. Both, I thought, gave guidance to the problem at hand.

 

Both address a somewhat similar situation. Corinth at the time was a prototype Roman/Greek pagan city. It had plenty of temples for many different gods. In those temples sacrifices were the standard daily liturgy, animals being slaughtered to please those gods and invoke their favours. Some of the choice pieces of meat became food for priests and other temple personnel. Most of the carcasses were given to local butchers for sale to the public at large for mealtime consumption. So here was the Corinthian rub: should Christians eat meat if the original animal had been offered to a pagan god? What am I to do when I'm guest at a dinner given by non-Christians? How can I be sure that the meat they serve is "pure?" And for Jewish Christians the problem of "kosher" loomed - doubt about the proper ritual slaughtering of animals. Within the small Christian community a debate raged, "no's" and "yes's" doing combat, and sides were not kind to one another.

 

With that in mind, I would ask you to read both passages for yourself and learn how Paul approached the problem. Let me sum it up. First, pagan gods are no-gods. Moreover, meat = meat. But...some of us can't get away from seeing meat as more than meat. Okay then, for the sake of those, "I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall" (1 Cor. 8:13). And, "To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some" (9:22).

 

It seems to me that these words of Paul provide clear guidance with respect to Charlie Hebdo. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are NOT absolutes. They are important, very important. We ought to stand in the way of those freedoms being restricted more than they already are, by laws that identify libel and slander and promote hate. But when those are not in question, freedom of press and speech is precious.

 

But... so Paul seems to say, Christians must always live out of love, and therefore assess what they say and write for the impact on those for whom our words may be offensive. Even though they might only be offensive because the offensees haven't thought the issues through the way they might, and the way others have. Christians might well learn from those who mercilessly expose our Achilles' heels (and we have plenty of those). But (my understanding of what Paul is saying), "we are not Charlie," when "Charlie" offends not only extremist Islam but also the millions of Moslems who simply practice their faith in their prayers and alms and lives of peace with their neighbours.

 

Being a Christian is not first of all about being right, but about being loving, so I read our friend Paul to have said. Love is the first and crucial step in inviting others to become members of the Body of Christ.

 

  

Archives: 

The Basement Church Years 


The opening service in the Basement Church took place on April 19, 1909 with the Rev. W. R. George as Rector. Mrs. McGregor, who lived across from the church and whose father owned Ross Hall on Whyte Avenue (the site of many church activities),remembers that the low roof of the basement church was a great temptation for the boys of the neighborhood. "We always hurried out on the morning after Hallowe'en to see
what had been pulled up to straddle the roof. Usually there would be a buggy (minus the horse, of course) and possible a couple of wheel barrels as well as sundry other odds and ends".
 

The beginning of the new church structure had been carried through in the face of a succession of tribulations and disappointments. The original contractors encountered difficulties, and many of those who had promised substantial help found themselves unable to make
good their pledges. The church had ceased to be a mission and had now been self-supporting for several years.

The Rev. W. R. George resigned during the summer of 1910. He was succeeded by the Rev. David Jones. Rev. Jones suffered from asthma and it was hoped the western Canadian climate would help his condition. He died on Sunday, November 13th, having been Rector for only three months. He was succeeded by the Rev. Irvin Lynds, of New Brunswick, who remained in the parish for one year only, resigning in December 1911. But a new era was about to begin! 


Further information is available in "Holy Trinity Anglican Church 75 Years 1893 - 1968". This book was used as a reference.

Ron Fishburne
Archives Committee

 

 


Tuesday Taiz� and Soup

 

You are invited to join us for a time of Taize Prayer, Soup and Study every Tuesday evening beginning on February 24 to March 17, 2015.  If you haven't already done so, please purchase a copy of 'Darkness is My Only Companion,' by Kathryn Greene-McCreight and join us as we discuss our Christian Response to Mental Illness. 

 

Worship begins at 6:00pm, followed by soup at 6:30, and the study runs from 7:00 to 8:00pm. You are welcome to join in for all or some of the events.

 

If you wish to participate in the book study, for Tuesday, March 3rd, please read Part One: Chapters 4-6. 

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Rev. Chelsy. We are also looking for volunteers to help with soup making! If you can help out, please email Rev. Chelsy. Thank you! 

 

What is Taiz�?

Taize is a form of contemplative worship that incorporates mystical practices and interspiritual beliefs: "Short chants, repeated again and again, give it a meditative character," the brothers explain in a brief introduction printed in the paperback songbook. "Using just a few words, [the chants] express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being." Practicing the silence with icons, candles, incense and prayer stations, this very contemplative community is attracting young people from around the world. 


Uppity Women of the Bible

 

The next in the Thursday morning study series will be "Uppity Women of the Bible", a study from Living the Questions. 


 

In seven engaging sessions Rev. Dr. Lisa Wolfe takes you on an enlightening journey through the Book of Ruth. This is a lively and thoughtful examination. Dr. Wolfe considers the vulnerability of widows and the difficult situation of foreigners in biblical times. She explores themes of loyalty, bitterness, courage, poverty and seduction. What really happened on the threshing room floor? Combining humor and careful scholarship, this study invites you to re-read the book with new insight and understanding for all its characters, especially the intelligent, confident - even uppity - heroine Ruth. Join us this Thursday at 10am for Eucharist, and study to follow at 10:30am. All welcome. 

Uppity Women of the Bible -- Dr. Lisa Wolfe
Uppity Women of the Bible --
Dr. Lisa Wolfe

 


Trinity Players present: Fiddler on the Roof 

 

Set in the little village of Anatevka, the music and dance filled story centers on Tevye, a poor dairyman, and his five daughters. With the help of a colorful and tight-knit Jewish community, Tevye tries to protect his daughters and instill them with traditional values in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. Rich in historical and ethnic detail, Fiddler On The Roof's universal theme of tradition cuts across barriers of race, class, nationality and religion, leaving audiences crying tears of laughter, joy and sadness.

 

March 5, 6, 7, 8 at 7:30 pm

March 8 Matinee 2pm


 
Tickets $15 (plus applicable fees) are available at TIX on the Square

or 780-420-1757. 


 

Economic Equality Conference Coming to Edmonton March 20 and 21


Why is wealth so unequal in our economy? What can be done about poverty? These are pressing questions to be addressed during a web broadcast of the Trinity Institute conference Creating Common Good - A Practical Conference on Economic Equality.

 

Rather than wring our hands about the pervasive issue of economic inequality, here in Edmonton - where Anglican Bishop Jane Alexander co-chairs the Mayor's Task Force on Poverty Elimination - we are trying to do something about it.


 

We invite you to join us Friday evening and Saturday all day, March 20-21, at Good Shepherd Anglican Church (15495 Castledowns Road) to hear a multi-disciplinary team offer strategies for developing a more just economy. Philosopher Dr. Cornel West, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, author Barbara Ehrenreich and economist Robert Reich have real-world experience making change happen. They will provide us with hopeful, practical tools we can use to make a positive economic impact.

 

Registration is $30 and includes refreshments and lunch on Saturday. Purchase your ticket online at: creatingcommongood.eventbrite.ca

 

For further information, please contact John Gee, Anglican Diocese of Edmonton Community Development Facilitator at: [email protected] or 780-439-7344.

 

Let's continue to work together to close the gap between those who have and those who have not.


Holy Trinity Concert Series

 

April 26th, 2:00pm -  Allison Kilganon, Piano. Program TBA. Admission by Donation.

 

May 17th, 2:00pm -  Edmonton Recital Society presents "ESO AllStars 2" - Lidia Khaner, Oboe, Janet Scott Hoyt, Piano. Program TBA. For more information, visit the Edmonton Recital Society website. Admission by Donation.

 

June 7th, 2:00pm - Holy Trinity's ArtSpirit Festival presents "La Folia", Edmonton's Baroque String Ensemble. More information about the ArtSpirit festival and ticket information to follow. More information about La Folia here.

 

Saturday June 27th, 8:00pm - Bach Keyboard Concertos and Solo Cantatas. Featuring Magda Adamek, Piano, Jolaine Kerley, Soprano, Roderick Bryce, Baritone, John Brough, Conductor. $15/$20 Admission.


ICPM Lunch at the Bissell Centre 

 

Holy Trinity will be helping to provide lunch at the Bissell Centre on March 29th, in conjunction with the Inner City Pastoral Ministry. Volunteers are needed to provide sandwiches, fruit, veggies, and cookies, as well as to serve the food at the Bissell Centre. If you are available to help out in any of these areas, please see the sign up sheets in the Lower Hall. Your help is greatly appreciated! 


Script Salon: A Monthly Play Reading Series By Members of the Playwrights Guild of Canada

 

SCRIPT SALON showcases some of the most talented theatre writers in the region with new plays ripe for production read by professional actors in the elegant setting of Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Presented the first Sunday of every month with a different play by a different playwright featured every time, SCRIPT SALON is a bounteous buffet of sizzling comedy, drama, romance and adventure forged by the power of imagination.


April 5

The Gallows Is Also A Tree by Myrna Kostash

A women reflects on her haunting time as a rebel native leader's hostage.

 

May 3

Summer Blossoms by James DeFelice 

A sunshine comedy of romance old and new. 

 

...And many more in the months to come!

 

The First Sunday of Every Month at 7:30PM

Holy Trinity Anglican Church 10037 84 Avenue, Edmonton

Free Admission (Donations Accepted) - Refreshments - Playwright Talk Back

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Marriage Preparation Weekend Course
 

A Marriage Preparation Weekend Course will be held May 8 and 9 at Holy Trinity. This is a great opportunity for couples to take time away from wedding planning and focus on their relationship and future marriage! The course will cover such topics as communication, conflict resolution, financial fitness and more. For more information or to register for the weekend, please contact the Holy Trinity office by email or 780-433-5530. We will also be looking for a weekend host couple to help with set-up and food preparation. If you would like more information on the host couple duties, please speak to Bonnie Patterson-Payne for more information. 

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Volunteers Needed
 

Trinity Lutheran Church is looking for volunteers to help with the food bank run out of their church. Commitment is not time consuming and is done in shifts out of Trinity Lutheran. There are slots for Monday night 18-1900, and Tuesday nights 1900-1930 and the program is closed on statutory holidays. Training will be provided and you will be helping out those most in need with ensuring they receive healthy food for them and their families. If interested please contact Stephen Gallard for more information. 


Holy Week Services 2015
 

Wednesday, April 1st: Tenebrae, 6:00pm


 
Thursday, April 2nd: Maundy Thursday meal and service, 6:00pm


 
Friday, April 3rd: Good Friday Children's Walk, 10:00am and Good Friday Service, 12:00pm


 
Saturday, April 4th: Easter Vigil, 8:00pm


 
Sunday, April 5th: Easter Sunday, 8:30am and 10:30am

 

Don't Forget! Daylight Savings Time occurs on Sunday, March 8th. Set your clocks ahead one hour. 

Upcoming Events & Services: 

 

It's never to early to plan ahead, so get out your calendars and mark in these services and events: 
  • March 3, 10 and 17: Tuesday Taize and Soup, 6:00pm  
  • March 8: Daylight Savings Time 
  • March 5 to 8: Fiddler on the Roof 
  • March 20 and 21: Economic Equality Conference (at Good Shepherd Anglican)
  • March 29: ICPM Lunch at the Bissell Centre
  • April 1 to 5: Holy Week Services 
  • April 5: Script Salon, 7:30pm 
  • April 26: Concert Series, 2:00pm
  • May 9 and 9: Marriage Preparation Weekend Course
 
Contact Information:

Holy Trinity Anglican Church

10037 84 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6E 2G6

phone:780-433-5530

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.holytrinity.ab.ca

Facebook: www.facebook.com/holytrinityanglican

 

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