Anglican Church of Canada : Response to the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches : Re: Faith and Order paper number 111 : Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry
"The gathering of the Anglican response to B.E.M. was undertaken by the Inter-Church and Inter-Faith Relations Committee of General Synod in consultation with the Ministry Committee and the Doctrine and Worship Committee. Following its approval by Inter-Church and Inter-Faith Relations in November, 1985 the National Executive Council agreed to forward this statement to the World Council of Churches as the 'initial response' of the Anglican Church of Canada". -- p. 21.
Contents divided into sections: What the process has been in our Province -- The Questions -- General Comments -- Question One: the extent to which your church can recognize in this text the faith of the Church through the ages -- Question Two: The consequences your church can draw from this text for its relations and dialogues with other churches -- Question Three: The guidance your church can take from this text for its worship, educational, ethical, and spiritual life and witness -- Question Four: The suggestions your church can make for the ongoing work of Faith and Order -- Conclusion.
THAT this Synod receive the following Memorial from the Diocese of Rupert's Land regarding Anglican-Roman Catholic Agreement on Eucharistic Doctrine and refer it to the Doctrine and Worship Committee and the Inter-Church Relations Committee for information:
`BE IT RESOLVED THAT it is the opinion of the Synod of the Diocese of Rupert's Land that there is nothing in the document entitled "Anglican-Roman Catholic Agreement on the Eucharist 1971" contrary to the beliefs of the Anglican Church of Canada as understood and received by us. It is the hope and prayer of this Synod that our fellow Anglicans, together with the Christians of the Roman Catholic tradition, will find it similarly acceptable so that we may move further forward on the road to unity within the Body of Christ.'
The Rev. Irenee Beaubien, an Ecumenical Officer for the Canadian Catholic Conference, addressed Synod, and noted, with pleasure, progress towards understanding which has been made in the past decade.
The Primate thanked Father Beaubien, and added a personal word of gratitude to him for his unique contribution in the area of Anglican/Roman Catholic Relations.
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That this General Synod receives with gratitude the Agreed Statement on the Eucharist; that the Synod accepts the Statement as agreeable to Anglican teaching about the Eucharist.
The author, a deacon, writes about the challenges and opportunities of organizing large liturgical gatherings. "Large liturgies, not usually found in Anglican parish churches on Sunday mornings, present problems that require careful and specific attention to: for example, decisions need to be made about who is in charge, who assigns liturgical roles, the use of non-traditional space and symbols on a large scale to ensure good sight lines and high-quality audio capabilities, and how to manage large numbers of people at communion". The discussion is divided into seven main sections: authority, hospitality, assigning roles, deacons, logistics of communion, space and movement, and conclusion.
Includes a very short addendum at the end "Peter Wall responds" by the Dean of Niagara, who was Worship Co-ordinator for the 37th General Synod held in St. Catharines in May-June 2004.
Author comments on the appearance of unbaptized adults at worship services. These are people whose parents "saw no need for baptism and church-membership over a generation ago". As a result these new inquirers "have, at best, only a second-hand memory of any religion. To all intents and purposes, Christianity is new to them, and those who have come to us as inquirers are reconnoitering the Christian religion for the first time in their lives." "In many respects, we are in a situation akin to that of the primitive church, communities at the centre of reality and on the fringes of society. We are an ancient option which, because of the failure of Christendom, has once again become new". The challenge now is to identify and communicate "what is authentically Christian about Anglicanism, what is at the very centre of our life together ".
"The following is adapted from Rev. Stephen Reynold's introduction to the 2001 edition of `McCausland's Order of Divine Service'. The adaptation and the reprint are with the author's permission."
A reprint of the complete Introduction / article also appeared in `Open' (Vol. 46, No. 4 and Vol. 47, No. 1), Winter-Spring 2001, pp. 1-9.
Archbishop Fred Hiltz reflects on a eucharist service -- "styled as a picnic eucharist" -- at the outdoor chapel of St. Francis at the Sorrento Centre on the shores of Lake Shuswap in British Columbia. "Just before the celebration began, the chair of the board of the Sorrento Centre broke the news that its much-loved executive director, Christopher Lind, had died earlier in the day. Many were moved to tears. Chris had helped the centre renew its mission as 'a place of transformation -- a place for learning, healing and belonging' and had launched a capital campaign with an eye to 'The Next Fifty Years'." At the offertory, the celebrant invited the children to come forward and sit on a blanket before the altar and gave them either a plate of bread or a cup of wine which they held up at the words of institution. "Having received holy communion that day, I was moved to ponder afresh how great a mystery it is, and cherish anew this food so awesome and so sweet".
That subsection (1) of Section 5 "Synod Service" which reads "(1) The Session of the Synod shall be preceded or commenced by Morning Prayer and the Administration of the Holy Communion" be amended to read as follows "(1) The Session of the Synod shall be commenced by the Service of the Holy Communion." Message M
Volume 2 of 3 vol. set. Vol. 1: Daily Prayer. -- Vol. 3: Special Occasions.
"[By] Sue Careless".
"Diana Verseghy, Project Co-ordinator".
Includes bibliographical references but NO index.
"As 'Discovering the Book of Common Prayer' shows, the Prayer Book is not just a 'resource book', from which one might select bits and pieces at random; rather, it is meant to articulate the whole ordered pattern of Christian life in common worship and personal devotion. It is a matter of lives ordered and re-ordered, lives transformed in response to the revealed Word and manifest love of God. .... Volume II introduces readers to some of the central mysteries of Christian faith and worship, and manages to do so in a way which is lucid, but not over-simplified; firmly orthodox, but never doctrinaire. May it encourage many seekers to discover and re-discover that book". -- Foreword, pp. 13-14.
Contents: Acknowledgements / Diana Verseghy and Sue Careless -- Foreword / Robert Crouse -- Readers write -- One: Setting Off on Pilgrimage -- What is the Church ?: Concrete or Congregations ? -- The Four Marks of the church -- The Church Visible and Invisible -- A Sacramental Church -- Mapping Our Journey -- Two: Holy Baptism -- Understanding Baptism: This Holy Flood -- Infant and Adult Baptism: The Faith of the Individual and the Faith of the Church -- The Baptismal Liturgies: The Ministration of Holy Baptism to Children -- The Ministration of Baptism to Such As Are of Riper Years -- In an Emergency: The Ministration of Private Baptism -- After Baptism: What Comes Next ? -- Three: The Catechism and Confirmation -- What is a Catechism ? -- Who Needs a Catechism ? -- Understanding Confirmation: What's So Special About It ? -- The Confirmation Liturgy: Dialogue with a Bishop -- The Hidden Person of the Trinity -- After Confirmation: What's Next ? -- Four: Understanding Holy Communion -- A Family Meal Blessed by God -- Christ our Passover -- Who May Eat at God's Table ? -- Five: The Ante-Communion -- An Outline of the Liturgy -- Transparent Before God -- The Eucharistic Lectionary -- The Nicene Creed -- A Twofold Offering -- The Ante-Communion as a Stand-alone Service -- Six: The Communion Proper -- An Invitation to Draw Near -- Thanksgiving and Consecrations -- Supping with Christ -- Seven: God With Us on the Journey -- Finding Your Place in the Body of Christ -- Are There Ever Grounds for Opting Out of Church ? -- Beating Boredom during Worship -- A Christmas Remembrance of our Baptism and Confirmation -- Endnotes.
The author, a parish priest in the diocese of Fredericton, describes his experience and gratitude for the celebration of a weekly Eucharist at 7:00 am which is attended by a small but close group of communicants.
"[B]y various scholars. Arranged by Canon Bertal Heeney".
"Printed and bound by The Jackson Press". -- back cover.
"Essential Unity between Church already exists. This is a fact of first import. It is not of our making. In its nature it is mystical. .... Essential Unity is an inner fact -- it is also a process ever seeking outward reality, but ending not with our horizons. The ideal Church belongs to the future not to the past. Meantime, the scope of its unifying work must not be limited to the Churches as such; it affects national life also. Among Christian nations today there is a growing passion for unity and mutual help. .... Probably the greatest single need of social life at home and abroad is just this -- that the Churches should utter their Essential Unity: and so stimulate and guide men and women everywhere who are giving their lives, from whatever motive, in answer to the world appeal for the Kingdom of God." -- Preface.
Contents: A Prayer -- Other Publications by Canon Bertal Heeney, D.D. -- A Commendation / John W. Woodside -- Preface dated June 3, 1953, God's Hill, Danford Lake, Que. / W.B.H. i.e. William Bertal Heeney -- Contents -- The One Lord / Bertal Heeney -- The Same Spirit / Bertal Heeney -- The Larger Fellowship / Bertal Heeney -- The Bible / Ernest S. Reed -- Outward and Visible Signs / C.G. Hepburn -- Sound Learning / Bertal Heeney -- Science and the Religious Mind / R.C. Wallace -- Confreres in Education / James S. Thomson -- Our Freedom / R.H.L. Slater -- Ways of Worship / Bertal Heeney -- Social Expression / H.H. Walsh -- Youth and the Schools / R.S.K. Seeley -- Growing Unity / D.W. Hay -- Our Common Heritage / Bertal Heeney.