St. Hilda’s building, acquired by the Diocese of Niagara for $0 and sold by the diocese for $1.9M is now an empty space.
Curiously, the only part left standing is the sign that used to display the rector’s name and the worship times – now expunged:
In what I am convinced must a divinely appointed metaphor for this tawdry episode in the continuing moral decomposition of the Anglican Church of Canada, a Diocese of Niagara Oakville church has attached to the remnant an advertisement for that most vacuous of Anglican rituals: The Christmas Bazaar:
I believe in free-will offering, not raising money from church bazaars.
It’s an enormously telling parable isn’t it? I think we can feel God’s hand in it; He is writing in the most public way possible, “This church of Canada is not mine.” The false is being demolished. And the false is insisting on it! God bless the real St Hildas.
St. Hilda’s Church in the more than twenty-seven years that I worshipped in that building, not once ran a bazaar to raise money. Car washes were free, even our garage sales everything was given away for free. Friday meals for hundreds of teens were free as well. Over the years we were often contacted by other churches who were angry that we were giving away our stuff accusing us of hurting their church bazaar because people were asking them why they were charging for their stuff when the church down the street gave everything away for free. Money changers will never get it. They can take our building and they can post their advertisements on what is left of our Church Welcome sign. But St. Hilda’s Heart is not made of bricks and mortar we are living stones of flesh and bone we continue come together each week to worship, pray, heal the sick, feed the poor and reach the lost. Only our address has changed but our mission is the same. I invite all those who may be hungry for Jesus to join us each Sunday where we are being well feed.
I sense a sentiment that “it was never about the money”, and that I fully agree with. Within that sentiment my wife and I have again gathered together a pile of “stuff” that we no longer need. Tomorrow this pile is going to be loaded into our van and donated to the local “Bible for Missions” store. They can sell the stuff and use the proceeds to purchase Holy Bibles that will be sent to Africa and the Middle East where they shall be given to people who are hungry for the Word of God.
The building is gone. It is a very sad story. We are saying good-bye to 2013 and we should not allow the bad things in the past to continue to haunt us. Tomorrow is a new beginning for all of us. We will welcome the New Year on January 1 with great expectations. Our God is great. He is all powerful and knowing. He sees the past, present and future at a single moment. We are not gods. Let us trust Him in all things. He can overcome evil with good. The safest place for us is when we do things according to the will of God. We are not in charge of this world. God is. Let us continue to praise His Name. A blessed New Year to everyone!