The Church in Canada

This week the liturgy is taken from the Anglican Church of Canada's Book of Alternative Services.

I had the privilege over the last few summers to be in class with members of that Church, and learned a great deal about the challenges and opportunities that face the Church in Canada. The man in the blue shirt in this picture is my friend Michael from Canada. It was such a joy to be with him! He could turn a phrase and was so poetic in his speech. My other good friend originally from Canada but now resident in upstate New York, Clarke, dropped out after his first year and transferred to Virginia Seminary to finish us his DMin. Between the two of them, they would throw out these phrases that are common use in Canada, but none of us had heard before.

This past summer we were joined by another delightful priest from Canada who shared with us in our Missional Liturgy and Preaching course that they conclude the Prayer after Communion with the following:


Glory to God, whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.


Now, we also have this prayer in our Book of Common Prayer, but not for the Eucharist. We were all surprised, but of course we knew these words by heart. It was a beautiful way to end the Eucharist -- and we will do so this Sunday.


It's funny how we "expand our horizons" listening to the stories of others and sharing in the way Anglicanism has manifested itself in their part of the world. Here we are, kissing cousins, separated by a national border -- and yet the subtle differences are there.


I give thanks to my friends from Canada, and I hope you enjoy their liturgy this weekend!

Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Galilee

Whenever I read about Jesus either walking around or crossing the Sea of Galilee, I remember my time at Pilgerhaus, Tabgha. The city this guest house is located in is revered as the place of the multiplication of loaves and fishes.

One of beautiful aspects of the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes is that, underneath the altar is a stone, where it is believed that the actually mulitiplication took place. You will notice that there are Byzantine tiles (dated from the fifth century) depicting the 2 fish and 4 loaves of bread -- can you see them in the picture above to the left? You should have scratched your head right then when I said FOUR loaves of bread -- the 5th one would have been the one Jesus held in his hands. It is a reminder to us of the Holy Eucharist.

This Church in Tagbha, run by Beneditines, is a beautiful pleace! The figurative mosaic floor (with more mosaics than just the basket of bread and fish) is the earliest known example of figured pavement in Palestinian Christian art.

When we share the bread and wine of the Eucharist each Sunday, let us be grateful for all the blessings of this life! Let us also celebrate the beauty that our ancestors found in living out their faith in a place such as Tagbha!

More General Convention

When you're elected to be a deputy to General Convention, you have an intellectual idea about how taxing and tiring and exhilarating and difficult this work can be, but nothing matches reality!

It has been an incredible learning experience. No doubt you read articles in the paper that stated that the House of Deputies voted for the full inclusion of all to all levels of sacraments and sacramental rites in the Church. I was there. You didn't read in the papers the incredible stories and hear testimony of people affected by all aspects of this resolution. I did -- and it was powerful. Yes, we voted -- and the Los Angeles deputation was of one mind on this issue -- we voted for it.

We also voted to actively help and support active and retired military personnel, and to honor all veterans -- I bet that didn't make the newspaper.

We voted to improve our outreach to Latinos across the country -- that didn't make the papers either.

What I want to say to you all is this: there were LOTS of issues we voted on, but you only hear about the ones that sell papers or make big splashy headlines.

Jesus said lots of things too -- and I bet in his day it was the same thing: the Pharisees and the Sadducee's plastered bits and snippets of Jesus' words -- the words that they felt were inflammatory -- all over the place (or, at least, by word of mouth). All of the good he was doing didn't make the headlines.

I don't think things have changed much -- but please know that it is in the Spirit that our decisions were made and our votes were cast. To be prayerfully engaged in this ministry is humbling.

General Convention

I felt a little like a doe in headlights!

Here I am as a first time deputy to the largest gathering of a governing body of any denomination. Wow!

In some ways, it is like a wonderful family reunion. I've seen lots of people from across the United States that I met at one conference or at school. You can sit back and people watch here, and see dozens of people reconnect from across the country -- and the globe.

We have had 3 sessions of the House of Deputies so far, with no contested issues coming forward. Primarily we have been dealing with housekeeping matters, and matters that have not sparked debate or warranted our place in local news. Yet, the fruit of some of this work SHOULD be on the news: Praying together, setting the theme for our meeting as UBUNTU -- I in you and you n me. We've had wonderful insights as to how this theme describes us -- we are interrelated, one to another.

I have been smiling a lot these first few days of convention -- seeing so many from St. Clement's volunteering here -- thank you all!

Pictures and more description will come later.

Of Cancer and Friends....

If you were in Church last Sunday or listened to the sermon via the parish website or the email blast link, you heard I have bilateral breast cancer.

It's hard to keep up with questions from family and friends, and many of you have told me you're concerned, but don't want to bother me. Ellen Hill told me about a wonderful website, www.caringbridge.com, where people can set up a webpage of their own regarding their illness. I have set one up there for you to follow, if you'd like. I won't talk about my cancer any more on this blog -- this blog is more for theological reflection.

So -- if you'd like, you can follow along with my adventures in cancer-land on www.caringbridge.com. The name that I am under is dianejardinebruce (yes, just like that, no spaces, lower case). You'll have to sign in to see the blog -- that's so I have a little privacy!

So...my cancer journey continues!

Blessings and love to all,
Diane+