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from Melanie Delva, the ACC's Reconciliation Animator:
Dear friends,
“…[for] what we have done, and [for] what we have left undone…we are truly sorry and we humbly repent”.
This is a line from the Confession found in the Anglican Book of Alternative Services. It is one I have been praying daily through Lent. As we reach the year mark of the pandemic, and as I think about the year that has gone by, I feel so deeply that there is much that I have both done and left undone…because of my own fears, anxieties, frustrations, and defeatism. As we move through Lent, I wonder what ‘dones and undones’ are within us. What comes up when we think of them? Guilt? Shame? Defeat? Fear? And then as we get closer to Resurrection, I wonder what miracles await us; what resurrection can look like when we place these ‘dones and undones’ in the hands of Mercy and ask for grace and strength and JOY to be present in a New Way in a new day.
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Bill C-15 on UNDRIP Implementation
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Bill C-15 went to second reading in Parliament on February 17, 2021. You can read the debate here by filtering the transcript on the right hand side of the screen – click the arrow on the box beside “Explore Topics” and select “discussed topics” and then select “Indigenous Rights”. By knowing what our elected officials are saying, we can better understand the roadblocks to support, and how we can speak with elected officials who may support Indigenous human rights as “aspirational” instead of Creator-given. If you support Indigenous Human Rights being implemented into Canadian law, please go to the Faith in the Declaration website, learn and ACT!
The Anglican Journal recently published a fantastic interview with Bishop Isaiah Beardy of the Northern Manitoba Area Mission of the Indigenous Spiritual Ministry of Mishamikoweesh.
As we do this work, Bishop Isaiah’s call to us has been one of prayer. In the coming weeks, the Faith in the Declaration Coalition will be providing a short, simple prayer resource for those called to engage with this journey spiritually. We will have a very short theological reflection, together with a short collect/prayer for use in Sunday services, educational events, meetings etc. Finally, it will have an appendix of theologically-focused resources from denominations which form the coalition. Please keep a look out for it! |
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Sacred Teachings Podcast - Did you know that…?
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…There is a hidden wealth in this Land. This wealth lies in the wisdom of the Indigenous Elders all across Turtle Island. The teachings, languages, traditions and stories of the Ancestors are shared in the podcast series “Sacred Teachings”. Highly respected Indigenous speakers are featured in this series, with a different theme for each season, including the sacredness of Creation and finding meaning in a global crisis.” Season 6 of the Sacred Teachings podcast is called “Suicide: the Other Pandemic – awareness and prevention”. This is a hard topic for many folks. And I encourage you to take some time to listen, to learn, to pray, to wonder, to find ways to prevent.
All of the other Seasons of Sacred Teachings are available on the right hand side of the page. I find myself going back to previous episodes often – always more to learn! Grateful thanks to Ginny Doctor and the folks in Anglican Video for these opportunities to hear powerful voices we may not otherwise have access to. |
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KAIROS Call for Invigoration in Prairies North
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Our friends at KAIROS asked me to pass along the following call-out for representation:
KAIROS Canada is looking to reinvigorate the KAIROS Prairies North Coordinating Committee! The Prairies North region covers Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. The Coordinating Committee is a volunteer group that shapes and supports the work of the KAIROS network in the region. The KAIROS network and this committee includes everyone one who wants to actively engage in social and ecological issues together. All are welcome! You are invited to apply or to nominate someone who you think could make a positive contribution in this coordination of justice work.
Contact Shannon Neufeldt sneufeldt@kairoscanada.org.Details are attached or can be found on our website. |
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Reconciliation Pathfinders Circle Update
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I wanted to give you an update on the Reconciliation Pathfinders Circle. As you may have noticed, the group has decided to change the name to add the word “Circle” to represent the way the group wishes to work together and understand leadership. The Circle has been meeting as often as twice a month, with some scheduling difficulties due to representation from across the time zones of Turtle Island – a much better problem to have than others! Currently the group is delving into the Background Documents that represent the “blood sweat and tears” of those who have come before us in this work. If you’d like to see some of what we are discussing, many of them can be found in the Reconciliation Toolkit under “Learn the History” – “Background Documents”. Understanding this work will help us to orient ourselves to this new work in a good way. Please keep the membership in your prayers:
Esau, Barbara, Gaye, Nick, Norman, Sandra, Irene, Shilo, Riscylla, Andrew, and Mark. |
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Upcoming Events and Opportunities of Interest
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If continually learning is part of your reconciliation journey (and I really hope it is!), there has never been a better time for accessing incredible learning opportunities and speakers – many events being free. With gratitude to Pam Thomson of Church of the Redeemer, Toronto, here are just a few:
Are you holding or attending an event you would like featured? Please send it to mdelva@national.anglican.ca and I will at the very least post it to the Anglican Reconciliation Connections Facebook page and, depending on timing, also add it to this newsletter.
Wherever this finds you today, and in whatever state of mind and body, please know of my prayers for us all as we seek to engage in the work of right relationship in difficult times.
With respect,
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