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Voice Training
Workshop
Saturday,
September 26th, 2009
Group photo of those
who attended the Voice Training
Workshop.
Pastoral Care by
Lay Readers
Saturday, May
30th, 2009
Rev. Michael
Johnson
At the end of May the
lay readers gathered together for
their last Saturday Workshop before
the summer holidays. We heard from
the Rev. Michael Johnson of Christ
Church Beaurepaire, who spoke on the
topic of Pastoral Care by Lay
Readers. The entire day took place
in the context of a Eucharistic
service and began by setting up a
working definition of what it means
to be pastoral and what it means to
be engaged in pastoral care. We were
challenged to understand pastoral
care in the context of Eucharist in
two manners: as Gods care for us in
granting us purpose and salvation
and our care for God in listening
and responding to God's heartache
about the world. We eventually
arrived at an understanding of
pastoral care as 'an experience of
leadership that moves people on in
their pursuit of holiness'.
We then heard some of
the many pastoral care experiences
from those among us who have
experience in the field. We
discussed the difference between
pastoral care and pastoral
counselling and what the
expectations are for a lay reader in
a pastoral setting. As a group we
came to understand the limits of
pastoral care as a much wider
enterprise than many of us had
thought originally. It encompasses
leading worship in a nursing home,
visiting members who are shut in,
bringing communion to individuals,
telephone visits, supporting
mid-life crises and the ability to
refer people in need to professional
help. We discussed the skill of
active listening and practised it in
a case study setting. We also
pondered the deep questions of life,
such as whether or not we would
each, individually, take on the
suffering of the whole world if we
could. We learned to empathize and
we learned to listen without
transferring our own problems onto
the situation at hand. We all look
forward to restarting the fall
sessions as we all return from a
blessed summer!
Submitted by: Nicholas Pang
Click here for photos
Annual General
Meeting
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
St. George's Church, Place du Canada
The Lay Readers held
their Annual general Meeting on
Wednesday, May 13th, at St. George's
Church, Place du Canada.
Following a wonderful
meal prepared by Paul Hachey, annual
reports were presented, and a new
Slate of Officers was received. The
incoming President, Susan Winn,
thanked Simon Hartropp for his three
years of leadership.
Special thanks were also given to
Eric Fox for long and faithful
service, to Margaret Boyes for her
good contributions, and to Michel
Gagnon for his initiation of a
website and his assistance with
French ministry.
The spirit of the meeting was
lively. The Lay Readers have enjoyed
a good year of mutual support and
learning.
Click here for photos
Lay Readers' Annual Retreat
April 3rd to 5th, 2009
Manoir d'Youville
Chateauguay
The Lay Readers of
the Diocese of Montreal gathered at
the Manoir d’Youville on Palm Sunday
weekend for their annual retreat.
This year the retreat was led by
Bishop Ann Tottenham, a retired
suffragan bishop of Toronto. Bishop
Ann was most interested that so many
of our Lay Readers preach on a
regular basis in our churches. Her
focus was teaching the New Testament
and finding the Good News in the
lessons of the day. The Lay Readers
enjoyed Bishop Ann’s humour, her
stories and her excellent advice
concerning leadership in worship.
During this weekend of fellowship
and learning, the Lay Readers
enjoyed an opportunity to know one
another better, and to share their
experiences of ministry. Singing is
something Lay Readers enjoy and the
Sunday Eucharist was a feast of
favourite hymns for Easter week. The
Lay Readers are looking forward to
being together again at their Annual
General Meeting on May 13 at 6 pm,
St. George’s Church, Place du
Canada. For recent photos and news
of events, check our website,
www.layreaders.org.
Submitted by:
Susan Winn
Spring Retreat
2009
President's Vote
of Thanks on Sunday, April 5th, 2009
Ever since Friday evening, April
3rd, when everyone contributed
something to the opening session –
where they were coming from
geographically, spiritually, and
what they were looking forwards to –
I felt a sense of togetherness in
our Retreat. For that I thank you
all.
Everyone on the Executive has played
a part in making this event happen.
For that I thank them all.
A Retreat such as this needs the
continuity of a main speaker. For
that we have been greatly blessed to
have Bishop Ann Tottenham. Over
breakfast yesterday I learned that
Ann and I have a mutual friend. She
knows him as Robert; he's Bob to me.
Bob wrote a book a few years ago on
preaching sermons. It is called
“Short, Sharp and OFF the Point”.
Ann’s talks felt Short, they were
Sharp – and I loved her OFF the
point digressions. I wondered if
taken a little further what
transgressions they would have taken
us into. On Friday evening she
illuminated our Anglican recognition
of a multiple of voices rather than
a demand for a single right answer.
She introduced the idea of a
spectrum of outlooks, between
conserving what we have inherited
and changing for the future. We may
be anywhere on the spectrum but we
do fit in somewhere. We may not
always be in the same place. We may
be in different places for different
topics, and our place in any one
topic may change with time. It seems
to me that at this time in our
Anglican history, we should be aware
of those who feel their place is
beyond the spectrum. If it is not
with us, we should continue to reach
out to them.
On Saturday morning Ann brought to
us “Poulets de Printemps” the
importance of recognizing how, and
by whom, the Gospels were written.
With Easter coming soon, it was a
timely reminder of reading too
literally phrases such as “The Jews”
with a danger of sounding
anti-Semitic.
Last night, in the context of
thinking about miracles and the
resurrection, we were reminded that
oral stories were treasured and
remembered for a purpose. Conversion
and relationship to God were
attractive marks of the Christian
faith to Gentiles then – and I bid
that conversion and our relationship
to God are attractive to Gentiles
now too.
This Sunday morning ,of Palm Sunday
weekend, Bishop Ann warned us to
listen through the ears of visitors,
some coming to our churches for the
first time, others only
occasionally. Easter means so much
more when Jesus' Passiontide, the
cosmic importance of his
Crucifixion, is part of the story.
For those like me who have services
such as Stations on the Cross on
Tuesday, then Maundy Thursday, Good
Friday, and the Easter Eve Vigil,
it's easy to forget that some will
show up on Easter Sunday with none
of that recent history in their mind
or experience.
Ann, you have brought us so much,
for which we thank you, and I ask
you to accept this card from us and
sincerest thanks for all you have
brought to us over this retreat
weekend.
(Hug and applause)
Simon Hartropp – President
at Manoir d'Youville, Chateauguay,
QC 3-5April 2009
Click here for photos
Saturday, January
24th, 2009
Jeno Kohner: Jesus' Use of Old
Testament Prophecies
The first Saturday
Workshop this year was held on
January 24th in the new Seminar Room
at the Montreal Diocesan Theological
College (3473 University St.). This
was our first workshop in Diocesan
College’s new space and it served us
very well.
The speaker was The Rev. Canon
Kohner, retired priest of the
Diocese, but acting as Interim
Rector at St. Paul’s Lachine, and
still actively involved at St.
Stephen’s Lachine. The title of the
workshop was ‘According to
Scripture’ and the theme was the
relationship that the authors of the
New Testament had with the Hebrew
Scriptures. For these Jewish
writers, the context within which
they understood the life and work of
Jesus was their own scripture, and
they took great pains to show how
their scripture informed his life by
announcing his coming, by
prefiguring him and by seeing him as
fulfillment of the scriptures.
But ‘fulfilment’ is a dangerous
word, for it can mean discrediting
or superseding what went before, and
our Christian tradition has,
unhappily, been culpable of doing
that. Although Christians have been
adopted into the Jewish family, yet
Christians have been responsible for
a history of persecution of the
Jewish people from Augustine to the
Holocaust. What is required is an
approach to the Hebrew Scriptures,
or Christian Old Testament, which is
respectful of the Scripture’s
integrity. Through an understanding
and appreciation of the term
‘typology’, we can maintain the
integrity of past texts as we search
them for meaning.
What we need, in order to deal
properly with scripture, is a
willingness to wrestle with it, and
therefore, to ‘wrestle’ with God. We
studied three passages. The first
was the book of Jonah: Jonah who ran
away when he realized that God was
asking him to ‘save’ the city of
Nineveh, a ‘nation’ which Jonah
considered outside God’s grace. But
he repented and did God’s will. We
dealt with the second book of
Maccabees (Chapter 9) in which it
was agonizingly clear that God did
not protect his faithful servants
from torture and horrible death. We
also studied the story of Abraham
and Isaac, another story in which
our expectations of God’s goodness
are ‘on trial’. We have to question
what we believe the Scriptures to be
saying, in order to find their
meaning in our own context.
These workshops have been very
informative and thought-provoking,
just what we all need as Lay
Readers, new and experienced! All
are welcome. For those Lay Readers
who are getting their initial
training, the workshops are free.
For the rest of us (Lay Readers and
non-Lay Readers) the cost is $10.00.
The next workshop will be held on
Saturday, February 28th with The
Rev. Canon John Simons on “An
Anglican Theology: What makes us
tick?”. See you there!
Submitted by: By
Linden Rogers, Lay Reader at St.
Barnabas Church, Pierrefonds
Saturday, November 15th, 2008
Lay Readers’ Study Day and Commissioning Service
St. John the Baptist Church
233 Ste. Claire Avenue
Pointe-Claire
with guest speaker, Archdeacon Janet Griffith-Johnson.
Click here for photos
Saturday, September 27th,
2008
“Proclaiming the Good News with a
Clear Voice”
Carol Hague: Voice Trainer
Eighteen Lay Readers
gathered at Diocesan College for a
day of fun and laughter, learning
and insight into the basics of
public speaking. Voice teacher Carol
Hague ably shared with us the do's
and don'ts of how to breathe, stand,
and how to use our airflow to get
the most out of our voice. Straws,
rubber bands, and making funny
sounds were included in our
exercises designed to teach us how
to breathe in deeply and how to
breathe out with a voice that
maintained both power and control.
Each of us was given several
opportunities to read out loud to
each other and then receive feedback
from Carol and from others in the
group. Even though we had just this
one short workshop together, many of
us gained significant insights into
what was blocking our voice and how
we might improve our breathing,
posture, and voice tone and volume.
Many thanks to Carol and to all
those brave Lay Readers who became
vulnerable with other in order to
learn better how to 'preach with a
clear voice'.
Click here for photos
Saturday, May 31st,
2008
“Preaching the Good News”
The Rev. Mary Irwin-Gibson
The Rev. Mary Gibson
led a lively, day-long workshop on
“Preaching the Good News” on
Saturday, May 31st. Mary addressed
such questions as, “What makes a
sermon good and memorable?”, “How do
we communicate the gospel in such a
way that we hold on to people?”,
“What is the Mission in our Church,
our Diocese, our World?”
From Mary’s long personal experience
of preaching, she shared her ways of
preparing, searching, spending time
with God, and exploring what God is
saying to His people. She pointed
out that preparing a sermon is an
act of worship, and emphasized the
importance of honesty, and being
real and relevant.
Sharing with us a number of
excellent resources to help with
sermon preparation, Mary also drew
our attention to readings from a
variety of translations. She read to
us several passages from Eugene
Petersen’s “The Message” as well as
the New Revised Standard Version.
Another helpful part of the day was
a discussion on how we feel when we
visit new churches and when we go to
preach in an unfamiliar place. Mary
shared some techniques she has used
to connect with people in the pews.
Some ideas included stories from
everyday life, surprising the
congregation with unexpected
questions or humour, even cartoons,
and standing where it is possible to
maintain eye contact with the
people.
Towards the end of the workshop, we
moved into small groups to work
together on a set of Sunday
readings. Mary asked, “What would be
your opening line? What is your
punch line? “How would you capture
your listeners and draw them into
the teaching?”
This was a Saturday well-spent. Mary
Gibson shared generously of her
expertise and her experience, and we
all left feeling thankful for her
teaching.
submitted by Sue Winn
(MP3 audio of the day available
through Tim Smart)
Click here for photos |
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May 5th,
2008
Four of our Lay
Readers graduated with an EFM Certificate from the
Montreal Diocesan Theological College on Monday, May 5th,
2008. They are left to right: Gloria Augustus,
Kevin Carlin and Geraldine Kavanaugh,
(missing Shirley Newell and Yvonne Wakeland).
Congratulations to
these Lay Readers for four years of hard work!
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Wednesday, May 7th
Annual General Meeting and Dinner
Trinity Memorial Church,
5220 Sherbrooke St. West - Montreal
Please
click here for President's
Report to the Annual General Meeting |
April 25th and 26th, 2008
Spring Lay Readers' Retreat
Manoir d’Youville - Chateauguay
Click here
for photos
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Lay Readers in Song
“Sing unto the Lord a new song!!” And 40 Lay Readers did just that
throughout their recent retreat at Manoir d’Youville, Chateauguay.
Ken Gray, an accomplished jazz pianist and Anglican priest, taught
us “a cappella” singing – no instruments, just voices.
Many of the tunes were from the Iona Community. This
group emanates, not only from an island in Scotland, but also from
the inner city slums of Glasgow. Reflecting the mission emphasis of
Ken Gray, they implore people to worship God whatever their
circumstances, and to allow themselves to be fed and loved by Him.
“The God of Heaven is present on earth,
In word and silence and sharing,
In face of doubt, in depth of faith,
In signs of love and caring.” © Iona Community
The theme of the weekend was “Immersion in Love”, and
we moved from the immersion of baptism to immersion in the word, to
the world’s need for justice, to prayer and Eucharist, accompanied
by the songs of faith.
Ken advised us that Christianity is not static – it is a process
into which we enter. We move through experience that connects with
the experience of other people, like intersecting waves from
multiple drops of water falling on a pond.
We enter the experience through Baptism, with its four-fold process
– invitation, preparation, celebration and discipleship. So how do
we invite people to Baptism? How do we prepare them? How can we
celebrate with them? And how can we offer them a meaningful
follow-up?
These were challenging questions – do we really invite people to
Baptism, or do we wait by the phone?
In one church, the parents write a letter to their child, explaining
why they want them baptized. As the parents read their letters in
church, during the Baptismal service, you could hear a pin drop, so
meaningful were their words.
And the follow-up? Some stay, some go on – touched by a community of
faith and a God of love.
We looked at immersion as a principle for all parish ministry. Ken
told us about the “Justice Camps” initiative of General Synod, and
Environment Justice Camp 2007 in particular which Ken co-chaired.
These are week-long experiences for a group of people selected from
various backgrounds. Half of the participants are under 30, half are
over. There are local people and distant, rich people and street
people, men and women. During the camps, they have looked at
environmental issues in Victoria and native issues in Winnipeg. They
assessed pollution on a Pacific beach and met in a Wal-Mart parking
lot to discuss urban development. This “hands on” experience helped
solidify a new awareness of the interconnection of life, God’s love
for justice and our part in a web of relationships.
Ken emphasized that the wisdom is to be found in the group, each
person contributing his or her own perspective. The word of faith
can then emerge, giving its unique voice to be heard in issues that
affect us all.
We looked at photos of a strange, upside-down church building that
has been erected on the Sea Wall in Vancouver. Its steeple is
downward, supporting the whole inverse structure on the thin point
of the inverted spire. The nave points skyward. We remarked on the
limited interaction with terra firma. We saw that is it difficult to
get into! Is it a work in progress, or a frail structure about to
tip over? Certainly, it’s a different orientation of a familiar icon
of our faith.
Then someone remarked that the name of the Vancouver statue is
“Device for rooting out evil”.
We went on to sing songs of faith until late in the
evening.
Somehow, words and music conspire to shape our outlook. We read John
15, “If you love me, keep my commandments”, then listened to a
rendition of Tallis’ “If ye love me”.
How do these amazing words, “If you love me?” shape our ministry?
And words and ministry point to Jesus’ promise in John 17 “that I
myself may be in them”. We considered the fact of God’s presence,
regardless of our feelings, regardless of our tendency to pull away,
to fall back if His presence is not felt.
There is a deep mystery to this feeling of God’s presence. Ken urged
us to fight to keep the mystery – we’re not meant to know
everything, but to keep and proclaim the faith. We risk living
vulnerably, realizing that it’s okay that everything doesn’t “come
together”.
We discussed our roles as Bible study leaders, prayer leaders and
participants in the Eucharist.
He recommended starting a Bible study with a centering silence,
being open to the Spirit of God. He speaks in the text, the silence,
in each other. Whatever the text of Scripture, the leader needs a
carefully prepared series of questions. Questions facilitate our
confrontation with truth, bringing out the meaning of these texts
for our lives here and now.
Ken likened intercessions in a Sunday service to playing jazz. There
is improvisation in jazz, but limits are set by the tempo, harmony
and chords that make up the piece. Likewise, intercessions must fit
the size and shape of the service. “Ubi Caritas” can frame a prayer
session; on Canada Day, “O Canada” can be improvised on the organ,
forming a backdrop for spoken words.
We recalled times and places where we had celebrated Eucharist – in
a shack on a mountaintop in a blizzard; in a hotel room; in a
service with 20 police in full bicycle riding gear, on “bike to
church Sunday”; with a funeral during the Sunday morning service;
with a wedding at the 8:30 am Sunday morning service.
We compared services large and small, indoors and outdoors, and
decided that God had been powerfully present at all of them. At
non-services, too – one church found their family service too
strange for new people, so a regular pot-luck supper became their
Communion.
Leadership can be difficult! “Clergy need the support of informed
and sensitive laity”, Ken said. “Then they can make the tough
decisions.”
“Come all you people,
Come and praise your maker.” © Iona Community
We concluded with the simplest of advice,
“Keep the faith.”
Submitted by Ian Sinclair |
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Saturday, March 29th
“Handling the New Testament Scriptures with Integrity”
Prof. Ian Henderson
On Saturday, March
29th, 2008, Dr. Ian Henderson, Professor and New
Testament scholar, led a full-day workshop for
Lay Readers on the topic, “Handling the New
Testament with Integrity”. The teaching took
place in the Reading Room at Montreal Diocesan
Theological College, and, as with all the Lay
Reader workshops, was open to all interested
people.
Dr. Henderson began the day with a discussion of
the Bible as a tool useful for learning, a tool
that can be used for different purposes. This
discussion led to a lively discussion about
other everyday tools that serve many purposes.
With humour and fun, the Lay Readers were
invited into discussion about “handling” the
Bible, and the meaning of “integrity”.
With reference to the Articles of Religion,
particularly Article VI on the sufficiency of
the holy Scriptures for salvation, and Articles
VII and VIII on the Old Testament and the
Creeds, those present examined the question,
“What things are necessary for salvation.”
Using passages from Scripture as Case Studies,
Dr. Henderson addressed the following questions
and statements from the Articles. “What is the
Gospel?” “The Old Testament is not contrary to
the New.” “ the Church…may (not) so expound one
place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to
another,” (Art XX)
Those present were grateful for the challenges
posed by Ian Henderson, to give careful thought
to speaking the truth and to handling the
Scriptures with integrity as they fulfill their
roles as Lay Readers.
Click here for photos
Saturday,
February 16th, 2008
What does it mean
for Christians to read and interpret the Old
Testament?
The Rev. Dr.
Patricia Kirkpatric
The Rev. Dr.
Patricia Kirkpatrick led the Lay Readers’
Workshop on Saturday, February 16th. The topic
was “What does it mean for Christians to read
and interpret the Old Testament?”
Dr. Kirkpatrick shared her passion for history,
her understandings of human experience and her
vast knowledge of the Scriptures. She drew us
into the experience of Israel in exile, and the
stories that were written by prophets and
teachers in exile. Dr. Kirkpatrick illustrated
differences between the Hebrew Bible and the
Greek interpretation. She encouraged the Lay
Readers to question, to reflect and to read the
stories that inform our understanding and our
faith.
Dr. Kirkpatrick is an exciting teacher who
constantly interacts with her students, engaging
them in question and reflection. She challenged
us and left us with much to think about.
At this workshop we were also glad to have with
us, the Rev. Tim Smart, newly appointed by the
bishop as Pastor to the Lay Readers.
Click here for photos
Saturday, January 26th, 2008
Leading Public Worship: MP, EP, Bas, BCP
The Rev. Michael Johnson
On January 26th,
the Rev. Michael Johnson led a workshop for 20
Lay Readers and Ministry leaders. The topic was
“Leading Public Worship”.
Father Michael provided the participants with
many valuable resources, and invited them to
work in groups to plan a service of Evening
Prayer. Teams planned the liturgy, selected
hymns, crafted prayers and chose to do a homily
based on “For All the Saints”.
The highlight of the workshop was worship in the
College Chapel, and an opportunity to review the
experience of leading and participating in this
special service.
The next workshop will take place on February
16th, with the Rev. Dr. Patricia Kirkpatrick.
The topic is “What does it mean for Christians
to read and interpret the Old Testament?”
Click here for photos |
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Voices of the
Hymn Sing
September 25th, 2007 at Trinity
Memorial Church |
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Study Day 2007
Lay
Readers Discuss God’s Mission for God’s World
Sixty Lay Readers of the Diocese of Montreal gathered at the
Church of St. Andrew and St. Mark in Dorval on Saturday,
November 10th for a day of study and reflection led by
Bishop Barry Clarke. From every corner of the diocese, the
Lay Readers traveled to participate in discussion and
questions, fellowship and support, as our bishop addressed
with us the theme, “God’s Mission for God’s World.”
In time set aside for personal reflection and discussion in
small groups, the Lay Readers were challenged to explain how
people in our communities see our church, what are the
symbols and images of our culture and how our churches are
making appropriate use of these symbols. We were asked,
“What are God’s mission priorities for the church in the
21st century? How should the Church be a manifestation of
God’s Kingdom and serve as Christ did?”
At 2 pm, a number of diocesan clergy joined the Lay Readers
for an open forum. These individuals spoke of the ways in
which Lay Readers are a valued resource in support of the
ministry in their areas. The role of a Lay Reader can differ
greatly from leading a service in multi-point parishes,
visiting those people who are isolated by distance from
their church, to serving as one of a team of Lay Readers in
a large city church.
One question that struck a chord with all those present is
the place of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer in our church
life. Retired Archdeacon Gordon Guy suggested that there
needs to be, at every level of the church, among clergy, Lay
Readers, and parishioners, a dialogue with regard to the
theological implications around why we want to have Morning
Prayer or why we want to have the Eucharist. While the
Anglican tradition embraces the use of both the Holy
Eucharist and the Service of Morning Prayer, also known as
the Daily Office, the Eucharist has, in recent history, been
accepted as the Chief Service of the Day. Now with declining
numbers and the shortage of full-time priests, congregations
are shifting to more frequent use of Morning Prayer. Lay
Readers are frequently employed to lead these services and
would certainly welcome a dialogue on this important matter.
Lay Readers shared stories of personal experiences which
raised questions for future training opportunities. “What do
I do when a priest is expected for a Eucharist, and is very
late, or doesn’t turn up?” All Lay Readers are invited to
participate in Saturday Training Courses, once a month,
beginning on January 26th, 2008, at the Montreal Diocesan
Theological College, when priests and scholars have been
invited to offer training to Lay Readers. Detailed
information will be available in the coming weeks from the
Rev. Canon Tim Smart, Director of Lay Education
(514-849-4437).
The Study Day concluded with a Commissioning Service in the
context an Evensong sung by the choir of St. Andrew and St.
Mark, directed by William Hutton, assisted by organist Dr.
Bruce Wheatcroft and conductor, Richard Hague. Service music
included a setting of the Preces and Responses by Andrew
Carter, and the Faux Bourdon Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by
17th century composer John Ellis. All present sang a feast
of hymns chosen for the occasion. The Rev. Karen Chalk
delivered a sermon on the theme of the Sower, reminding us
of our ministry to carry the Good News to the world.
Several of Bishop Barry’s teachings have planted seeds for
ongoing thought and prayer. “We are called to be a
missionary church.” “The work of ministry requires prayer
and risk-taking and new ways of doing things.” “How do we
live out the context of the Trinity in our daily life? We
are called to welcome others, not to judge.” “It is not easy
to lead a Christian life today.”
A spirit of joy permeated the entire day of worship and
learning. At the reception in the church hall, following the
service, the Lay Readers with their family and friends
expressed gratitude for the generous hospitality of the
people of St. Andrew and St. Mark.
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