A Message from the Dean & Wardens (April 29)

Dear Friends,

This coming Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday – a powerful reminder that Jesus loves us, knows us, sustains us and leads us. It also reminds us that, as his disciples, we need to listen for his voice through the many voices of modern life if we want to follow him. It is no surprise that the Good Shepherd is a common theme in Christian art. Before working on a piece, artists often do a quick sketch to gain a sense of place and proportion. If one were to do a sketch of Christ’s activity in the gospels, two things would quickly emerge: Jesus’ ministry in the wider community and his more intimate interactions with his closest followers.

These two broad strokes have shaped the life of the Church for centuries. There are many places in the Bible where Jesus takes his followers to a place aside, sits with them and teaches them. That is why an essential work of the Church involves the gathered community; that is, those who adhere to the faith and seek to follow the Shepherd. In our context, these are the members of the Cathedral – the faithful who join us for worship and serve God in this place. They “check in” with other members of the flock at worship, are fed through Word and sacrament, and sometimes through group study and events. This empowers them for ministry in the world God loves, which brings us to the second point.

The other main activity of Jesus finds him on the go, moving to various communities and meeting the needs of those he encounters. If the Church is not doing the same, we are not fully following the one who leads us. That is why ministries like our Drop-In and Refugee Committee are essential to what we do as a Christian community. Both the Mary’s and the Martha’s of this world are needed to make up a whole and faithful people of God.

During this time of pandemic restrictions, your Cathedral leadership has been working hard to make sure both elements of the Shepherd’s ministry to the world are carried out. You’ve likely seen or heard a fair bit about how we are attempting to faithfully gather the community via technology, old and new. The telephone, snail mail, Zoom calls, YouTube Morning Prayer on Facebook, live-streamed Sunday worship: we are using them all, and we are delighted that many of you are finding them helpful. It has also been encouraging to hear that so many of you are staying in touch with one another as siblings in Christ. What wonderful ministry!

In this edition of E-Connections, we want to focus on how our gospel work in the community is ongoing during the pandemic as well. Many of you are aware of the Drop-In program that we have run for over two decades. When in full swing, it involves food, fellowship, music, a library, haircuts, clothing, a foot care clinic, nursing assistance, a housing worker, basic toiletries and more – all made possible by your volunteer time, your financial contributions and our gifted staff. Sadly, with the closure of our buildings and social distancing requirements, some of these activities have been paused for now. But much is still going on! Enjoy these photos as we say more about how the Drop-In continues to bring the love of Christ to the most vulnerable in our city.

As you can see, staff and volunteers are hard at work! Under the able direction of our Outreach Manager, Kathy Biasi, we are now open two days a week instead of one. We are providing nearly 200 take-out meals each week, with many of our regular guests delivering to friends who cannot come to the Drop-In personally. We have seen many new faces at the Drop-In and there are always smiles and a few laughs – 2m apart, of course. We also continue to supply other basics like socks, gloves, coats, other clothing items, sleeping bags for the homeless and personal hygiene items. This is such a joyful and Christ led ministry, and we are very grateful to everyone who makes it happen. See the Coke truck? Kathy is a master at seeking out corporate donations and assistance. Most recently we received a gift of 1600 bottles of water from Coca Cola for those living on the streets. Kathy continues to liaise with neighbouring churches and agencies as well as representing us at weekly Zoom meetings of other Drop-In leaders around the city. If you would like to help with this essential ministry, you may contact Kathy at kbiasi@stjamescathedral.ca.

The Refugee Committee also continues to minister to those who have fled to Canada for safety and a better quality of life. Such a move is challenging at the best of times, so picture the added stress of escaping to a strange country with a foreign language and customs during a pandemic! Simple things, like shopping for food and hygiene products are no longer simple. Access to resources through libraries and other agencies are no longer available. Gathering for fellowship and to learn job skills and a new language are gone, as is the time children are at school and not needing to be looked after or home-schooled. It is wonderful to know that our Refugee Committee, under the leadership of David Crawford, continues to provide encouragement and support to the families we have helped bring to Canada. This ministry is about connections and relationships, not just dollars, and we are blessed with a dedicated and caring group made up of Cathedral members and others from the wider community. If you want to know more about this ministry, contact Jayne at wardens@stjamescathedral.ca. David tells us that they need some new members for this committee and its work.

One of the champions of the above works of Christ in our midst has been our beloved Vicar, Louise Peters. Louise will be moving on as of May 15, when she and her husband head to British Columbia where he has accepted a ministry position. We want to thank those of you who sent in items for the Book of Memories that will be part of our farewell gift to her. It was the best we could do to offer Louise something of ourselves without being able to thank her in person. Many thanks to Maurice and Sheila Snelgrove, who are assembling the book – likely as you read this!

Finally, thank you all for your faithfulness and love for this special House of God and its ministries. Next week, we will provide you with some first-quarter business information. In the meantime, please follow us on Facebook, watch our Sunday services at 11:00am here, and continue to pray for this wonderful community and the people it serves.

In Christ,

Dean Stephen and Wardens Don & Jayne
svail@stjamescathedral.ca
wardens@stjamescathedral.ca