seasons of change

What a great couple of weeks I've just had.

I attended the Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster as a delegate from St. George in Maple Ridge. Because money is short, this years effort spanned only two days. Friday evening, which was primarily a worship service at Christ Church Cathedral (cathedral-from cathedra, the bishops chair), and all day Saturday, at St. Mary, Kerrisdale. The guts of Synod were how we are going to deal with matters financial in the coming years and the resolution on Strategic Plan 2018. The Strategic Plan will allow us, if we persevere, to bring our church and how we do ministry, both within and without, into the world of the 21st century. It passed by an overwhelming majority. The wonderful thing about this plan is that it was crafted almost entirely from input by the laity, those who sit in the pews on Sunday.

The other major debate focused on a resolution to re-affirm our diocese's decision to bless same sex unions, to not expand, at this time, the number of parishes in which such blessings are performed and to ask the national synod to move expeditiously in their deliberations about this matter. Much emotion was present in the debate as many of us see the partial step that the church took in 2003 as having created a back of the bus scenario for gay, lesbian and trans-gendered persons. Gay blessings are in, but only in these certain places. In the end the resolution was passed and I think that the general acceptance was that the national church's governing body will deal with this matter in their 2010 meetings.

This week also saw the wrap-up of my four year participation in Education for Ministry. The graduation ceremony will be on the 3rd of June at St. George and will include about 25 grads from throughout the Diocese of New Westminster. Bishop Michael Ingham will preside and I am looking forward to the service.

The single most meaningful aspect of EfM for me has been that I feel a part of the Anglican Communion, notwithstanding the fact that I do not believe much of what we appear to formally believe in the professions of our creeds. EfM has reinforced within me the belief that most religions, including Christianity, strive to make God small. The manner in which that which I call God manifests to me is in and through the man who was called Jesus and through the trials of the church we call catholic. For all that is implied therein I cannot believe that God does not manifest to others in other ways and through other people and symbols.

I sold my Wenohnah Advantage a couple of days ago and am quite pleased at having done so. Compared to my Clipper Tripper it was much more manageable in terms of weight, but wouldn't turn worth a damn and had lousy secondary stability. With luck the money will bring me a Clipper Ranger, or perhaps it is time to try out a kayak.

Jessie and her beau are settled now in Sackville Nova Scotia. They are both working and will hopefully make all of the adjustments that come with a first live-in relationship. It still seems a very long way away.

Our cranberry vines are now at the hook stage and the flowers should come out over the next three weeks. We've ordered eighty hives of bees to pollinate and I am hopeful that my conservative estimate of production for this year will be wrong. A long hot summer will maximize berry growth. And peel a few pounds of water weight off of me.