WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:15.780 On Friday in the National Post, yet again, there was an article about the last Anglican 00:00:15.780 --> 00:00:21.080 turning out the lights in the Anglican Church, last Anglican in Canada turning out the lights 00:00:21.080 --> 00:00:23.620 in the Anglican Church in the year 2061. 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:27.000 I don't know how many of you read the National Post. 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:34.759 It was one of the columnists once again revisiting an article which had appeared, I think, in 00:00:34.759 --> 00:00:36.179 November or December. 00:00:37.100 --> 00:00:43.980 And the article is based on a study commissioned sort of by some of the bishops in the Anglican 00:00:43.980 --> 00:00:44.740 Church of Canada. 00:00:45.659 --> 00:00:51.219 And I don't think the bishops expected to have somebody speak so frankly. 00:00:51.219 --> 00:00:58.119 And that analysis said that given that the Anglican Church of Canada is losing about 2% 00:00:58.119 --> 00:01:04.879 of its membership a year, I think is what it is, he predicted that by the year 2061, the 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:07.939 last Anglican will leave the Anglican Church. 00:01:08.680 --> 00:01:14.579 The good news, the news I have for you this morning as a person who used to do statistics 00:01:14.579 --> 00:01:21.679 is that his analysis was probably quite false because he made the mistake of assuming a straight 00:01:21.679 --> 00:01:22.679 linear decline. 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:28.799 And I don't know how many of you have visited other Anglican churches in this diocese or 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:35.480 in other places, but in many Anglican churches today, 90% or three-quarters percentage of the 00:01:35.480 --> 00:01:36.920 congregation is over 65. 00:01:36.920 --> 00:01:44.920 And so what that means when you have a declining attendance and an increasing average age, it's 00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:51.960 called slowly rolling towards a precipice, a precipice that would be reached far before 00:01:51.960 --> 00:01:58.359 the year 2061 unless God does a new thing and we are open to God doing a new thing. 00:01:59.299 --> 00:02:06.099 In fact, this gloomy description is not just something which is happening to the Anglican Church 00:02:06.099 --> 00:02:07.179 in Canada in general. 00:02:08.079 --> 00:02:12.579 I've been ordained now for 20 years, over 20 years, and I've served my whole ordained 00:02:12.579 --> 00:02:14.099 ministry in this diocese. 00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:19.560 And I don't know what the population of Ottawa has increased in the last 20 years. 00:02:19.659 --> 00:02:20.579 I don't know if it's doubled. 00:02:20.799 --> 00:02:21.500 It might have doubled. 00:02:21.620 --> 00:02:22.740 It's gotten quite a bit bigger. 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:27.359 But there are fewer Anglican churches in the diocese now than there were when I was ordained 00:02:27.359 --> 00:02:28.199 20 years ago. 00:02:29.060 --> 00:02:33.299 There are fewer than when I was ordained 20 years ago. 00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:39.520 And that fewer is, in fact, even masking a deeper problem in that many of the Anglican, 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:45.520 not many, but an increasing number of Anglican churches in our diocese have moved from having 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:50.660 been able to afford a full-time priest to, in fact, having to afford a half-time or a three-quarter 00:02:50.660 --> 00:02:51.500 time priest. 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:56.780 Aylmer is now a part-time priest in Aylmer. 00:02:56.780 --> 00:03:04.039 It's an increasing problem even in our own diocese. 00:03:04.900 --> 00:03:09.379 As well as that, many of you know that those of you who follow the paper or who've been 00:03:09.379 --> 00:03:14.400 coming to Anglican churches for a while know that the Anglican Church of Canada is in the 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:23.340 midst of a continuing crisis sparked by or revealed by the desire of North Americans to bless same-sex 00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:23.759 unions. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:31.699 And we know that ultimately the issue isn't over that, but it's ultimately over the Bible 00:03:31.699 --> 00:03:37.819 and the authority of the Bible and the Lordship of Jesus Christ and, in fact, what the Christian 00:03:37.819 --> 00:03:38.860 faith is at all. 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:44.420 And the Anglican Church of Canada is suspended from the Anglican Communion currently. 00:03:44.419 --> 00:03:50.280 And the primates of the Anglican world have called on Anglican Church of Canada to repent 00:03:50.280 --> 00:03:55.959 because it appears as if we are walking apart from the Christian faith and walking apart from 00:03:55.959 --> 00:03:57.159 the Anglican Communion. 00:03:58.119 --> 00:04:06.079 My observation is that since that call was issued in February of 2005, very little has been 00:04:06.079 --> 00:04:06.379 done. 00:04:06.379 --> 00:04:13.620 In our own diocese, we have gone from being in a continuing crisis to a deep crisis. 00:04:14.120 --> 00:04:19.360 Just before Christmas, an action took place in our diocese, which means that now this diocese 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:24.879 has, in fact, ended all discussion on the issue of same-sex blessings and that, in fact, this 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:32.420 diocese now has a policy, although not widely known, of encouraging same-sex marriages and allowing 00:04:32.420 --> 00:04:41.960 non-celibate people who are attracted to same-sex knowledge, allowing those people to be ordained. 00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:44.500 I didn't express that very well. 00:04:46.120 --> 00:04:48.240 It's an emotional thing to talk about. 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:56.879 Basically, the diocese has, in effect, changed its policy just before Christmas in favor of same-sex 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:05.540 marriage and in the legitimizing of all that's involved in a lifestyle which the Bible teaches 00:05:05.540 --> 00:05:07.159 our sinful actions. 00:05:08.379 --> 00:05:18.659 In fact, on Thursday, the Archdeacon of Ottawa Centre resigned as the Archdeacon over this 00:05:18.659 --> 00:05:23.779 issue after an attempt to see if the diocese would change its course. 00:05:23.779 --> 00:05:28.719 And it does not look like they will, so she resigned. 00:05:29.699 --> 00:05:36.379 I could go on to the promotion of pagan ceremonies, the promotion of people who deny the divinity 00:05:36.379 --> 00:05:43.779 of Christ, the promotion of video series that promote the confusion, promote confusion about 00:05:43.779 --> 00:05:47.759 what Christianity is, and probably some of you folks could add some more. 00:05:48.119 --> 00:05:53.000 And you're all probably saying, I'm so glad I came to St. Albans to be cheered up and encouraged. 00:05:53.779 --> 00:06:05.359 Well, George, now that we've had the good news, let's all color some pictures and talk about 00:06:05.359 --> 00:06:06.000 bunny rabbits. 00:06:06.139 --> 00:06:06.739 No, I don't know. 00:06:08.500 --> 00:06:13.000 I apologize to guests, you know. 00:06:13.119 --> 00:06:14.799 You're like, whoa, you know. 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:21.160 Maybe some of you are wondering how you can simply slip out after an introduction like that. 00:06:22.939 --> 00:06:27.319 I think I've illustrated that we have a problem. 00:06:29.500 --> 00:06:31.199 Houston, we have a problem. 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:40.539 When I'm faced increasingly, I mean, one of the benefits of all of this crisis, if you can 00:06:40.539 --> 00:06:45.579 talk about there being benefits of a crisis, is that for me personally, it has forced me 00:06:45.579 --> 00:06:49.360 time and time and time again to go to the scriptures and to go to prayer. 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:56.220 And I know this summer in particular, I wrestled mightily with many of these things, you know, 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:00.560 because as many of you know, I've taken steps that could endanger my career. 00:07:00.699 --> 00:07:05.840 In fact, actually, I think there's now only three dioceses in the country that would ever 00:07:05.840 --> 00:07:06.960 allow me to be a priest. 00:07:07.400 --> 00:07:12.100 The Arctic, the Yukon, and northern British Columbia. 00:07:12.100 --> 00:07:12.180 Yeah. 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:18.740 So, you know, and so this, but this summer, the message that kept coming to me is that, 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:21.420 George, I'm calling you to be fully reliant on me. 00:07:22.420 --> 00:07:25.240 Frog, fully reliant on God, isn't it? 00:07:25.879 --> 00:07:30.260 You know, maybe we should get a big frog symbol in our church, and just as long as people understand 00:07:30.260 --> 00:07:31.040 what that means. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:36.100 In the crisis, I have increasingly had to go to prayer and into searching the scriptures. 00:07:36.580 --> 00:07:40.360 How can we as a parish be godly in such a context? 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:45.920 How can we as a parish, how can I as a priest be a godly priest in such a context? 00:07:46.840 --> 00:07:51.819 Today, I'm going to share briefly, first of all, three passages of scripture that have 00:07:51.819 --> 00:07:56.840 helped to form my heart, and then I'm going to share with you this Vision 2010 document. 00:07:58.139 --> 00:08:00.000 But first, let's go to the Bible. 00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:06.560 And I invite you, this morning, I'm going to use the Bible, which I use in my own personal 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:08.199 devotions and study all of the time. 00:08:08.199 --> 00:08:10.659 So the words are going to be a little bit different than the Pew Bibles. 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:14.479 But turn in your Pew Bibles to page 1026. 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:21.980 Page 1026, and it's 1 Timothy chapter 1, verses 1 to 7. 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:26.399 1 Timothy 1, 1 to 7, on page 1026. 00:08:26.659 --> 00:08:28.339 I'm really going to be looking at verse 5. 00:08:28.459 --> 00:08:33.899 Just very briefly, three passages which have helped to inform my heart in the midst of this 00:08:33.899 --> 00:08:34.299 crisis. 00:08:34.299 --> 00:08:38.579 And this is called one of the pastoral epistles. 00:08:39.379 --> 00:08:45.059 It is from Paul towards the end of his life, writing a letter to a young man who has been 00:08:45.059 --> 00:08:52.799 placed in a leadership position in a church which has many powerful and persuasive elders 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:55.339 who are leading the congregation astray. 00:08:55.340 --> 00:09:04.139 And Paul is sending Timothy, or not sending, but urging Timothy to stay in a church which 00:09:04.139 --> 00:09:11.040 doesn't want to change, and which is led by significant elders teaching false doctrine. 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:12.440 Here's how the letter goes. 00:09:12.440 --> 00:09:19.100 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our 00:09:19.100 --> 00:09:22.740 hope, to Timothy, my true child in the faith. 00:09:23.220 --> 00:09:27.160 Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 00:09:27.159 --> 00:09:34.559 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia at Ephesus, that you may charge certain persons 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:41.419 not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies 00:09:41.419 --> 00:09:48.219 which promote speculations rather than the good order from God that is by faith. 00:09:48.220 --> 00:09:50.040 Just want to pause here for a second. 00:09:50.500 --> 00:09:54.779 You know, one of the wonderful things in this passage of Scripture is that Paul doesn't 00:09:54.779 --> 00:10:00.120 order Timothy to stay and suffer, but he urges him to stay and suffer. 00:10:01.220 --> 00:10:08.040 And he says, Timothy, you're a young man, and you're going to be staying here in this church, 00:10:08.040 --> 00:10:12.560 and your first task is to stop the false teaching. 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:20.739 This false teaching encourages speculations, which another way to translate it would be 00:10:20.739 --> 00:10:23.239 vain, idle chatter. 00:10:24.619 --> 00:10:27.119 Stop vain, idle chatter. 00:10:27.779 --> 00:10:34.359 They would probably, the elders would probably describe their conversation not as vain, idle chatter, 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:43.419 but higher wisdom, or greater insight, or being learned in the ways of the world. 00:10:43.539 --> 00:10:48.800 I mean, you know, nobody describes themselves as saying, please come out to a lecture here 00:10:48.800 --> 00:10:52.060 at Ottawa U where it's going to specialize in vain, idle chatter. 00:10:52.580 --> 00:10:56.120 You know, take a seminary course in vain, idle chatter. 00:10:56.220 --> 00:10:57.480 Like, nobody advertises it. 00:10:57.560 --> 00:11:00.180 That it's always a way of being cutting edge. 00:11:00.179 --> 00:11:06.239 Years ago, a friend of mine in the Anglican Church said, the Anglican Church keeps looking 00:11:06.239 --> 00:11:08.779 for new cutting edges to impale itself on. 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:13.779 And unfortunately, it's too often true. 00:11:15.199 --> 00:11:17.359 And Lord, may it not be true of us. 00:11:17.879 --> 00:11:24.620 Because it's very easy for us to seek different doctrines. 00:11:24.620 --> 00:11:30.419 And to seek different doctrines is to turn from a good order from God. 00:11:30.580 --> 00:11:36.940 And that good order from God is one which emphasizes faith in Jesus Christ as the heart of what we do. 00:11:37.340 --> 00:11:38.480 Listen to verse 5. 00:11:39.019 --> 00:11:45.080 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:53.620 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion. 00:11:53.620 --> 00:12:00.899 Desiring to be teachers of the law without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:05.360 Now, verse 5 is what I really just wanted to share very briefly about. 00:12:05.539 --> 00:12:12.100 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 00:12:12.899 --> 00:12:14.539 The aim of our charge. 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:20.820 You know, whatever the way forward is for us, it isn't just, it can't be just to make good Anglicans. 00:12:20.820 --> 00:12:23.780 It just can't be to protect or to save the institution. 00:12:25.220 --> 00:12:31.260 The aim of our charge, and I say that not to put down, I'd love being an Anglican. 00:12:32.520 --> 00:12:41.340 You know what, if I make some comments, the one thing I don't want you to leave thinking is that I don't, I'd love the Anglican way of following Jesus. 00:12:41.340 --> 00:12:42.700 I do. 00:12:43.340 --> 00:12:54.639 It is an ancient way of following Jesus, which is deeply biblical, respectful of the wisdom of the men and women, godly men and women who have gone before us. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:13:00.439 That is open to ordered prayer and committed to the reading of scripture and the study of prayer. 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:08.199 Is suspicious of complex doctrinal systems and constantly calls us back to the Bible. 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:14.480 Is willing to not merely describe the past just for the sake of being old. 00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:17.720 I love the Anglican way of following Jesus. 00:13:18.460 --> 00:13:18.919 I do. 00:13:19.819 --> 00:13:20.679 I really do. 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:27.279 But our aim, whatever our aim is, our aim is captured in verse 5. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:36.159 Our aim has to be love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 00:13:36.620 --> 00:13:40.199 What that means is that our aim is a love of God. 00:13:40.200 --> 00:13:53.080 God is to know the love of God and to love God, to be open to the love of God in such a way that we know that unless God pours his love into our hearts, we cannot love him. 00:13:53.580 --> 00:13:55.620 And our aim is not to be negative. 00:13:55.940 --> 00:13:58.920 Our aim is not to be opposed for the sake of being opposed. 00:13:59.060 --> 00:14:00.740 Our aim isn't to be ornery. 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:02.640 Our aim isn't to be different. 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.620 Our aim always has to be God. 00:14:06.500 --> 00:14:08.039 To love God. 00:14:08.220 --> 00:14:09.000 To know God. 00:14:09.100 --> 00:14:14.980 To not just love knowing about God or knowing about, but to love God and to be open to God. 00:14:15.419 --> 00:14:26.819 And our aim has to be that positive desire to know God and to love him and to love others and to love ourselves through our knowledge and our love of God. 00:14:26.820 --> 00:14:32.260 And this is based upon or issues from three things. 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:33.820 And I'm going to do them in reverse order. 00:14:34.420 --> 00:14:38.820 A sincere faith in God's saving power through Jesus Christ. 00:14:39.660 --> 00:14:50.040 A sincere faith means, you know, it isn't like I get up here and talk religious talk, you know, on Sundays between 9.15 and, you know, quarter to 11. 00:14:50.100 --> 00:14:52.140 And then I go back and I live my real life. 00:14:52.139 --> 00:14:58.600 A sincere faith is one which is open, which is public, which is unashamed. 00:14:59.179 --> 00:15:01.039 Faith in Jesus Christ. 00:15:01.580 --> 00:15:04.100 And the second aspect is a good conscience. 00:15:04.319 --> 00:15:14.659 A good conscience means that as we have our faith in Jesus Christ, that that inner moral guide, that inner moral compass that is within each person, 00:15:14.659 --> 00:15:21.379 that it understands that it has gone awry, but it has now been pardoned by God through faith in Jesus Christ. 00:15:21.379 --> 00:15:27.840 And it means that inner moral compass can come under the sway of almighty God through faith in Jesus Christ. 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:36.939 Understand that it has been pardoned and understand that it needs his lordship and the teaching of God's word and the power of the Holy Spirit, 00:15:36.939 --> 00:15:47.320 that our inner compass, our moral sense can be renewed and healed and pruned and reformed as we live our lives. 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:52.280 A sincere faith, a good conscience, and a pure heart. 00:15:52.860 --> 00:15:54.780 It is such a Christian cry. 00:15:55.040 --> 00:15:56.860 Purify my heart, O Lord. 00:15:57.500 --> 00:15:58.940 Purify my heart. 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:00.500 Purify my heart. 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:07.580 A heart where God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have made their home. 00:16:07.580 --> 00:16:14.460 A heart that is not like a hummingbird that's had lots of sugar that flits from place to place, 00:16:14.460 --> 00:16:21.280 but a heart that is growing in comfort with God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, 00:16:21.420 --> 00:16:28.820 making their home in our lives and making the renovations and the additions and the demolitions that we need, 00:16:29.460 --> 00:16:31.340 that we can be a wonderful home for God. 00:16:31.340 --> 00:16:34.560 That's our aim. 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:37.240 That's our aim. 00:16:38.060 --> 00:16:40.460 Any way forward always has to involve that aim. 00:16:41.100 --> 00:16:44.500 Now very briefly turn in your Bibles to page 549. 00:16:45.800 --> 00:16:48.879 In some ways this has been the theme verse of my life. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:53.440 I can't remember now if it was the first or second verse of the Bible which I ever memorized. 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:56.300 And I still know it. 00:16:56.299 --> 00:16:59.419 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. 00:16:59.599 --> 00:17:03.439 In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths. 00:17:04.220 --> 00:17:06.659 I'm going to look at the Bible, but I know that's what it says. 00:17:07.500 --> 00:17:09.419 Proverbs 3, 5, and 6. 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:18.039 There's lots of times in my life that anxiety and other things makes me forget to do those things or frightens me, 00:17:18.159 --> 00:17:21.440 but it has been a constant verse in my life. 00:17:22.159 --> 00:17:23.720 Proverbs 3, 5, and 6. 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:26.279 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. 00:17:27.579 --> 00:17:29.319 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. 00:17:29.480 --> 00:17:30.720 It means... 00:17:31.500 --> 00:17:35.440 The wardens and I have been working on the budget. 00:17:36.759 --> 00:17:41.240 And they can tell you that every time we pray, that I pray around the budget, 00:17:41.460 --> 00:17:42.579 I say something like... 00:17:42.579 --> 00:17:44.900 I say I pray several things, but one of the things I pray is this. 00:17:45.220 --> 00:17:49.000 I say, God, you know that we don't know the future. 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:55.279 You know that we don't know whether we're going to get $50,000 or $500,000. 00:17:56.019 --> 00:17:59.599 You know that we are completely and utterly without knowledge. 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:02.119 Help us to trust in you. 00:18:03.420 --> 00:18:04.640 That's all we can do. 00:18:05.500 --> 00:18:11.240 You know, we don't know the future, but we can know the Lord of history. 00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:17.920 We don't know the future, but we can know the Lord, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, who desires to know us today. 00:18:17.980 --> 00:18:19.279 And he is the Lord of the future. 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:21.359 The future is present to him. 00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:26.819 And we can walk through life trusting in him, not knowing the future, 00:18:27.299 --> 00:18:31.099 but knowing who the true Lord is and his ability to care for us. 00:18:31.539 --> 00:18:34.779 And we are invited to trust in the Lord with all our heart. 00:18:35.299 --> 00:18:37.039 Lean not on your own understanding. 00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:40.220 That means be skeptical of your mind. 00:18:40.399 --> 00:18:41.859 Be skeptical of best... 00:18:41.859 --> 00:18:43.359 Don't take that the wrong way. 00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:44.859 I'm not trying to denigrate the mind. 00:18:45.399 --> 00:18:47.039 I'm just saying... 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:50.139 You know, one of the things about alcoholics... 00:18:50.139 --> 00:18:53.079 Some of you have maybe struggled with best... 00:18:53.079 --> 00:18:53.819 You know, with addictions. 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:55.480 One of the... 00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:57.700 One of the tragedies about addicts... 00:18:57.700 --> 00:19:00.639 Addicts, in a sense, show what all human life is like. 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:08.460 That an addict is often a very, very smart person who follows all of their thinking to destruction. 00:19:09.840 --> 00:19:15.440 And what this is just saying is don't trust in the unaided use of your mind. 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:17.160 Don't trust in techniques. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:19.200 Don't trust in technologies. 00:19:19.520 --> 00:19:25.080 Don't trust in false prophets who claim to be able to tell you exactly what's going to be happening. 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:27.200 Don't trust in the cutting edge. 00:19:27.940 --> 00:19:29.560 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. 00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:31.579 Lean not on your own understanding. 00:19:32.539 --> 00:19:34.960 In all your ways acknowledge him. 00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:37.119 I mean, you know what? 00:19:37.220 --> 00:19:44.279 I can tell you far too many times when I have been quiet in front of other people about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. 00:19:44.740 --> 00:19:49.179 But this verse challenges us to be public and unashamed of the gospel. 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:52.740 We have nothing to be ashamed of. 00:19:53.819 --> 00:19:56.559 Jesus is one who is to be... 00:19:57.139 --> 00:19:58.819 We are to be proud of Jesus. 00:19:58.819 --> 00:20:00.439 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:02.019 Lean not on your own understanding. 00:20:02.179 --> 00:20:07.439 In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path. 00:20:07.919 --> 00:20:09.639 He will show us the way forward. 00:20:11.579 --> 00:20:13.159 One final verse. 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:17.319 Turn in your Bibles, please, to page 841. 00:20:18.099 --> 00:20:21.419 It's Matthew 9, verses 35 and 37. 00:20:21.420 --> 00:20:28.340 Every time I read this verse, some of you know that I love movies. 00:20:29.259 --> 00:20:31.840 And Matthew 9, verses 35 to 37. 00:20:32.460 --> 00:20:37.380 And I had one image that constantly came to me every time I read this verse. 00:20:37.620 --> 00:20:40.700 And it's the image of those of you who have seen the Lord of the Rings movies. 00:20:40.820 --> 00:20:41.980 It's the third movie. 00:20:41.980 --> 00:20:48.259 It's Aragorn with the small number of soldiers in front of the gates of Mordor. 00:20:48.599 --> 00:20:56.000 And he's riding around in his horse and he's saying, you know, there will be a day when we will grow old and we can't hold swords and we will die. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:57.720 But this is not that day. 00:20:58.839 --> 00:21:07.579 And every time I read this passage of scripture, I could just picture Aragorn riding in front of the troops in front of the gate of Mordor saying, this is not that day. 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:08.819 And he was right. 00:21:09.559 --> 00:21:12.420 I hope I didn't spoil the movie if you haven't seen it yet. 00:21:14.220 --> 00:21:15.740 It's close to the end. 00:21:15.740 --> 00:21:26.500 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:30.420 Folks, there we see a picture of what biblical ministry is. 00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:37.500 To teach, to go and to teach, to proclaim the gospel and to bring healing of every affliction. 00:21:37.900 --> 00:21:41.480 The whole gospel to the whole person to the whole world. 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:43.500 You see it right there in a nutshell. 00:21:43.500 --> 00:21:50.880 And when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:54.579 Then he said to his disciples, here's the Aragorn speech. 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:59.660 The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:05.660 Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:12.660 In a sense, Jesus comes into our midst and says, well, you heard George's gloomy statistics. 00:22:13.500 --> 00:22:16.559 You have looked out at the world. 00:22:17.460 --> 00:22:19.339 This is not your fate. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:22.319 The field is ripe for the harvest. 00:22:23.319 --> 00:22:25.220 That's what Jesus says to us. 00:22:28.779 --> 00:22:36.519 About 13 or 14 years ago, I was involved in a process in the diocese about coming up with a diocesan vision. 00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:43.619 Many of you have probably been involved in processes like that where they've just been like, I didn't like it. 00:22:43.819 --> 00:22:46.619 And I was profoundly skeptical about the whole process. 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:50.019 And I didn't like how anything happened. 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:51.559 I didn't like the idea of a vision. 00:22:51.660 --> 00:22:53.460 I didn't like any of those types of things. 00:22:53.460 --> 00:22:57.960 And you've already heard me confess that I like football and I like movies. 00:22:58.039 --> 00:23:00.200 And I'm not really a very mystical type of guy. 00:23:00.279 --> 00:23:01.900 But there was this one day I was driving. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:03.620 I was in my former parish in Eganville. 00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:11.420 And it was as if God stopped me and spoke to me and said, George, what do you think the future? 00:23:11.420 --> 00:23:15.860 If you were to stay here for another five years or ten years, what do you think it would look like? 00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:20.839 And I, of course, started to say to God the pious things which weren't true. 00:23:22.159 --> 00:23:28.199 And it was one of those times when God said to me, no, no, George, don't say pious things to me. 00:23:28.459 --> 00:23:30.439 What do you really think it's going to be like? 00:23:31.199 --> 00:23:33.119 And it was crushing. 00:23:33.859 --> 00:23:34.679 It really was. 00:23:34.679 --> 00:23:42.399 I realized that if I looked at my heart, what I thought was that in ten years' time, if I was still there, 00:23:42.479 --> 00:23:44.759 I would still be faithful to Jesus Christ. 00:23:44.759 --> 00:23:48.839 But the church would be smaller and the people would be older. 00:23:49.660 --> 00:23:57.339 And as soon as I realized that, I instantly realized that that could not possibly be a vision from God. 00:23:58.859 --> 00:24:04.119 It could not possibly be what God's heart was for St. John's Anglican Church in Eganville. 00:24:04.379 --> 00:24:11.660 No possible way that God could say, my good news of plan for St. John Eganville is to be smaller and older. 00:24:12.140 --> 00:24:13.779 Like, that can't be his plan. 00:24:13.779 --> 00:24:25.759 And I realized that I was very good at mouthing pious thoughts, but that inwardly I needed to be challenged and to be healed as to what I was carrying around, 00:24:25.940 --> 00:24:29.359 as to what I thought God's plan was for that congregation. 00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:37.639 At that moment, I started to realize that there is a need sometimes for vision statements. 00:24:38.339 --> 00:24:47.019 Vision statements that are formed by Scripture, that have at their heart the aim which is described in 1 Timothy 1, verse 5, 00:24:47.019 --> 00:24:53.799 and which have been purified and modified by the understanding of Proverbs 3, 5 and 6, 00:24:53.879 --> 00:24:57.299 to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:00.859 In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. 00:25:00.859 --> 00:25:10.399 And it means that we have to be willing to trust and we have to be willing to have that optimism that comes from Matthew chapter 9 about the fields being ripe for the harvest. 00:25:10.919 --> 00:25:18.539 It means that we are to expect God to act and that we are to be willing to act and step out in faithfulness. 00:25:18.539 --> 00:25:24.259 And that if the Lord is going to show the way forward, that he puts that sometimes in words. 00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:29.799 So that, you know, because we human beings, you might have noticed, we use words. 00:25:30.099 --> 00:25:31.759 Like it happens, you know. 00:25:31.859 --> 00:25:35.000 And so it sometimes goes in words. 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:45.099 And it's a way of describing after prayer and searching Scripture and searching our hearts what it is that God is calling us to move towards. 00:25:45.099 --> 00:25:47.599 Not to live out of our woundedness. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:50.879 Not to live out of our sense of scarcity. 00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:57.399 Not to live out of a fearfulness in terms of what is going on in the world and what the future could bring. 00:25:57.500 --> 00:25:58.679 Not to live out of fear. 00:25:58.839 --> 00:25:59.879 Not to live out of wounds. 00:26:00.039 --> 00:26:01.919 Not to live out of any of those things. 00:26:02.259 --> 00:26:06.399 But to live out of what God is calling us to be in him. 00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:14.519 The piece of paper that you have in your hands, which I'm going to talk about very briefly now. 00:26:15.099 --> 00:26:16.419 Is the result. 00:26:16.539 --> 00:26:18.000 It began last February. 00:26:18.439 --> 00:26:20.859 In some ways it began longer ago than that. 00:26:21.579 --> 00:26:28.500 It was partially kick-started by Ivan's bold pronouncement at Vestry that it's time for us to have a vision. 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:37.359 And it has involved people meeting since last February or March or whatever the time was. 00:26:37.539 --> 00:26:42.539 And gathered to pray and assure our hearts and to discuss and to continue to pray. 00:26:42.539 --> 00:26:53.980 This document was presented to Council in November and was unanimously adopted as what really should be a description of our mission and our vision. 00:26:54.980 --> 00:27:03.740 And I am sharing this with you today in light of the prayer and of the work and of the unanimous decision of Council to say to you, 00:27:03.740 --> 00:27:05.660 I commit to this. 00:27:05.660 --> 00:27:10.700 I believe this is a picture of what we are called to do and what we are called to be. 00:27:11.259 --> 00:27:18.099 And my hope and prayer is that when Vestry comes on February the 18th, that's our annual meeting, that you folks will say, 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:19.120 We embrace this. 00:27:20.059 --> 00:27:26.980 This is a picture of how we can be public and we can be united in moving forward. 00:27:26.980 --> 00:27:34.220 And we are hoping, I am hoping and I believe that you will embrace this other habit. 00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:39.860 The habit is described in the foundations for growth and the key objectives in the middle. 00:27:40.259 --> 00:27:46.240 It's a habit of planning not from the past and not from our wounds and not from our fears. 00:27:46.339 --> 00:27:50.579 Not that we ignore any of the past or anything like that, but that we plan from the future. 00:27:51.079 --> 00:27:54.400 That we ask ourselves, how do we move forward? 00:27:54.400 --> 00:28:03.100 And so these foundations for growth and these key objectives, they describe the types of things that we really have to be working on over the next year or two 00:28:03.100 --> 00:28:07.440 as we move towards our vision and as we fulfill our mission. 00:28:07.740 --> 00:28:13.000 But more than just sort of saying, yeah, these look like the right types of things to be doing over the next year or two. 00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:25.240 We also say that every fall that the leadership of this parish will spend time in prayer, looking at the mission, looking at the vision and saying over these next year or two, 00:28:25.339 --> 00:28:29.000 what are the types of foundations for growth we have to be working on? 00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:35.420 What are the type of key objectives that we have to have to be abiding in God's will and to move forward? 00:28:35.420 --> 00:28:45.620 The mission statement ends up being the one that we are suggesting that we adopt, which has been my personal mission statement for this congregation for 10 years. 00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:50.200 Helping ordinary people be confident, joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:28:50.740 --> 00:28:52.360 What's the job of the altar guild? 00:28:52.940 --> 00:28:56.440 To help ordinary people be confident, joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:28:56.680 --> 00:28:57.880 What's Jono's job? 00:28:58.080 --> 00:29:01.560 To help ordinary people be confident, joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:29:01.559 --> 00:29:03.279 What's Michelle's job when he greets? 00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:07.279 To help ordinary people be confident, joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:08.579 What's Andrew's job? 00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:10.460 Help ordinary people be... 00:29:10.460 --> 00:29:11.359 You got the picture? 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:16.759 You know, whether we're having a yard sale, whether we're washing cars, 00:29:17.359 --> 00:29:22.919 whether we're raising money to send, you know, missionaries to short-term mission projects to Ecuador, 00:29:23.599 --> 00:29:28.339 whether we're helping the church in Nigeria, whether we're reaching out to the street, 00:29:28.700 --> 00:29:31.500 whether we come to clean the church, we always have one job. 00:29:31.559 --> 00:29:34.879 Help ordinary people be confident, joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:29:34.980 --> 00:29:38.879 I think it's an easy thing to remember, and it captures what our mission is. 00:29:39.899 --> 00:29:41.339 What are we trying to be? 00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:43.220 Where are we going? 00:29:43.639 --> 00:29:45.000 Where is God calling us? 00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:52.319 How can we describe that in a way that will keep on lasting for years beyond the specific plans that we have to develop? 00:29:52.940 --> 00:30:00.339 This is not a radical left turn from how the church, how I have been attempting to lead the church over the last few years, 00:30:00.339 --> 00:30:05.599 but the lay people who got involved with this have vastly improved it and deepened it. 00:30:06.919 --> 00:30:15.199 St. Albans commits to being a prayer-filled, evangelical Anglican church united under Christ, glorifying God, 00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:18.519 and living out the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:30:18.519 --> 00:30:26.639 If you look at the back page, there's some common, a few little explanatory things of some things in the vision. 00:30:26.839 --> 00:30:28.960 I just want to share evangelical Anglican church. 00:30:29.099 --> 00:30:33.740 This means an Anglican church in a recognizably Anglican spiritual tradition. 00:30:33.740 --> 00:30:42.980 It is the tradition of Wycliffe, of Cranmer, of Latimer, of Simeon, of Ryle, of John Stott, and J.I. Packer, 00:30:43.620 --> 00:30:47.339 of Archbishop Akinola, and Archbishop Young Ping Chung. 00:30:47.339 --> 00:30:56.059 We believe that God is calling us to be a prayer-filled, evangelical Anglican church united under Christ, 00:30:56.500 --> 00:31:00.159 glorifying God and living out the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:31:00.740 --> 00:31:02.980 We uphold the authority of the Bible. 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:05.699 We proclaim the good news of Jesus. 00:31:06.339 --> 00:31:08.480 We support and minister to one another. 00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:14.819 That means finding out what our gifts are, having a gift-based organizational structure, 00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:20.099 and using our gifts to make a positive difference, a grace-filled difference in the lives of one another. 00:31:20.259 --> 00:31:23.000 Build community, especially through small groups. 00:31:23.460 --> 00:31:25.400 Raise up new generations of disciples. 00:31:26.539 --> 00:31:29.099 Worship in traditional and contemporary forms. 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:33.220 And extend the grace of God into our homes, community, and the world. 00:31:36.339 --> 00:31:37.900 I think this is wonderful. 00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:40.079 I hope you do too. 00:31:40.759 --> 00:31:42.819 I hope we can embrace that and say, 00:31:43.380 --> 00:31:47.880 yes, George, when we come to Vestry, let's plan to move forward to that. 00:31:49.099 --> 00:31:52.440 Let's be public and unashamed about that. 00:31:53.240 --> 00:31:55.240 These other things in the short run, 00:31:56.759 --> 00:32:01.539 we have to deal with, we have to improve property and facilities. 00:32:02.099 --> 00:32:05.680 We want to have good problems of having too many kids in Sunday school 00:32:05.680 --> 00:32:07.759 and too many people here doing ministry. 00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:12.140 And that's a, I want to have, we have to plan for good problems. 00:32:13.539 --> 00:32:20.400 And administrative structure really means, I'm, you're looking at prime blockage in the church, number one. 00:32:20.660 --> 00:32:21.960 I'm standing in the pulpit. 00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:30.720 How do we encourage lay ministry and lay wisdom to remove blockages and to be better organized? 00:32:31.360 --> 00:32:37.819 How do, number three, how do we weave a sense of evangelism and the whole counsel of God into the parish DNA? 00:32:37.819 --> 00:32:39.819 Ministry costs money. 00:32:39.819 --> 00:32:40.419 Ministry costs money. 00:32:40.419 --> 00:32:45.720 How do we raise money in keeping with God's will to fund this vision? 00:32:46.460 --> 00:32:50.639 Key objectives over the next year or two develop. 00:32:51.179 --> 00:32:52.200 We want to get littler. 00:32:52.200 --> 00:32:54.900 That's another way to express that. 00:32:54.960 --> 00:32:55.740 We want to get little. 00:32:56.980 --> 00:33:01.840 We want to have people meeting in houses and sharing God's word and praying for each other. 00:33:01.880 --> 00:33:02.660 We want to get little. 00:33:03.240 --> 00:33:05.019 We want to be known as the little church. 00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:11.440 And expand and improve our worship services, develop outreach events, 00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:14.000 and develop and expand ministry training. 00:33:14.120 --> 00:33:20.920 We want to be a congregation of learners that are learning what it means to follow Jesus in our 24-7 lives 00:33:20.920 --> 00:33:28.900 and are helping people who are called to vocational, paid, full-time Christian ministry. 00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:36.220 Friends, I think this is wonderful. 00:33:36.220 --> 00:33:39.160 I really commend all those lay people who have worked so hard, 00:33:39.259 --> 00:33:42.940 and I commend counsel for saying that this is where we should go. 00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:51.720 There's a really corny but good television show that, here's my media image mind, 00:33:52.259 --> 00:33:54.279 and it's called Extreme Home Makeovers. 00:33:54.799 --> 00:33:57.940 And three-quarters of the way in the show, they have everybody say, 00:33:58.279 --> 00:33:59.600 Move that bus. 00:34:00.759 --> 00:34:03.620 And in a sense, what we've just tried to do, I've tried to say to you, 00:34:03.619 --> 00:34:08.039 Move that bus, and this is where we're called to go. 00:34:08.440 --> 00:34:08.980 Let's go. 00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:10.639 Let's bow our heads in prayer. 00:34:26.299 --> 00:34:29.839 Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would fall afresh upon us 00:34:29.839 --> 00:34:32.739 with gentle but deep power. 00:34:32.739 --> 00:34:38.559 Father, and once again, Father, we ask that you would fan into flame within us a desire to know you, 00:34:38.959 --> 00:34:42.179 to know you and be known by you above all things, 00:34:42.279 --> 00:34:44.179 not just to know about you but to know you. 00:34:44.759 --> 00:34:48.779 And we ask, Father, that you fan into flame within us a deep desire and longing 00:34:48.779 --> 00:34:51.199 to bring you honor and glory above all things, 00:34:51.879 --> 00:34:54.479 fan into flame within us a deep longing and yearning, 00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:59.839 Father, to know your will, to abide in your will, to live in your will. 00:34:59.840 --> 00:35:02.539 Father, this we ask. 00:35:02.780 --> 00:35:07.140 In your mercy, hear our prayer, and so pour out your Holy Spirit upon us. 00:35:07.559 --> 00:35:08.920 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:35:09.660 --> 00:35:09.980 Amen.