Category Archives: Diocese of New Westminster

Diocese of New Westminster lights candles to ease eco-anxiety

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From here:

Please light a candle in your window every Monday evening this winter. You will be joining a community from over 345 organizations across the province to keep vigil for those people, plants, and animals that have lost their lives in heat domes, wildfires floods and mud slides this year.

Take a moment to honor the grief and eco-anxiety that lurks in many of our hearts.

[…..]

Turn that hope into action. By lighting a candle together, we will be lighting up the need for climate action.

To gain a little perspective, let’s compare candles to a modest 18 Watt LED light:

An 18 Watt LED light produces about 1300 lumens. A candle produces about 13 lumens. It takes 100 candles to produce the same amount of light as an 18 Watt LED bulb.

Pollutants produced by burning a candle can include (depending on the candle): toluene, benzyne, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, acrolein, naphthalene and, of course, the much-hated CO2.

So by all means ease your conscience for all the plants you’ve murdered. Light candles. Let your 13 lumens shine. Inhale deeply of the toluene and formaldehyde. As your brain fogs over, rejoice in the certain knowledge that you are playing your part in the community (have you noticed that every loosely connected ragtag bunch of eccentrics now constitutes a ‘community’) of 345 eco-befuddled, lumen-addled organisations across the province.

Bandwagon Bishops

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Anglican bishops like nothing better than jumping on a fresh bandwagon to parade their glistening halos for all to admire. Racism isn’t exactly fresh, of course, but it is in the news, so it’s only fitting that our Canadian bishops are using the opportunity to intone such pieties as this from Melissa Skelton:

It is difficult to decide where to start on any communique to all of you related to racism and racist acts today. Whether it’s stories from here in Canada related to aggressive acts toward Canadians of Chinese, Japanese or Filipino heritage, discrimination against a First Nations man just doing his banking, the disturbing increase in anti-Semitism world-wide, or the stark images of African-American men pursued, threatened and murdered in the US—the times we are in continue to remind us that not only is racism not dead, racism seems to have become stronger or perhaps more exposed in the midst of this pandemic.

It goes on…. and on; if you wish to bore yourself silly with the rest of it, you can do so, but I won’t quote more here.

Those who persevere will discover that what is missing from Skelton’s concatenation of cliché’s is any explanation of why she finds racially inspired evil to be any worse than, say, murder motivated by jealousy or envy or love of mammon or plain dislike. I don’t remember the 10 commandments reserving special condemnation for racially inspired killing, lust, idolatry, theft or covetousness. All men and women bear God’s image. To act as if that were not so is wrong if the person is of a different race. But it is just as wrong if the person is of the same race.

The reason, although I sure she would not admit it, is because denouncing racism is a cause beloved by the political left (what would they do without it?) and all causes of the political left are beloved by bishops; it’s so predictable that I’m tempted to think it’s genetic. Underpinning the fantasies of the left are the lies that man is innately good; that those who are less than good are, nevertheless, perfectible if they only they make the effort; that society is also perfectible and, thus, anything short of utopia is to be an object of scorn.

In their heart of hearts, this is what Anglican clergy believe. What they should believe is Jeremiah 17:9.

Also missing from Skelton’s “Pastoral Message” (how is it in any sense pastoral?) is any robust condemnation of the rioting, looting and violence being perpetrated by those who are bent on destroying what is left of our civilisation. The left want our civilisation gone because, after Christianity, it is based on capitalism – hated by the left even more than racism – and because it isn’t utopia. And Anglican bishops want what the left wants.

Archbishop Melissa Skelton to retire

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The Diocese of New Westminster’s Bishop Melissa Skelton will be retiring in 2021.

Her tenure was not as divisive or tumultuous as her predecessor, Michael Ingham but that isn’t saying much, since his contribution to the fracture of the Anglican communion, while not singlehanded, was energetic and indispensable.

Skelton supported all the usual causes, most of which bore little relation to the religion that is responsible for paying her salary. Here she is, for example, wearing a pussyhat. Purple, not pink, as befitting the dignity of her calling as a bishop.

From here:

Greetings, People of the Diocese of New Westminster

When I first became the Bishop of the Diocese, I reminded all of you that, on account of Provincial Canons specifying that bishops must retire by age 70, I would have seven years to serve as your bishop. I turn 70 years of age in mid-March of 2021, and with a mixture of sadness about leaving as well as excitement for the future of this Diocese, I inform you that I am calling for the election of a Bishop Coadjutor for the Diocese of New Westminster on October 3, 2020.

Islamic call to pray in Vancouver’s Christ Church Cathedral

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No doubt about it, the Cathedral clerics are practicing for the year 2040 when, according to recent projections, the Anglican Church of Canada will cease to exist. Something will take its place and it will probably be Islam, so the church might as well get a head start and turn the cathedral into a mosque now.

The event was billed as an attempt to “improve interfaith understanding and constructive engagement”.

Here is the Islamic call to prayer which, you will not be surprised to see, makes no mention of Jesus but makes much of Muhammad being the messenger of God, a contention which, if true, make nonsense of Christianity.

God is Great! God is Great! God is Great! God is Great!
I bear witness that there is no god except the One God.
I bear witness that there is no god except the One God.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Hurry to the prayer. Hurry to the prayer.
Hurry to salvation. Hurry to salvation.
God is Great! God is Great!
There is no god except the One God.

The Muslims attending the event were there to explain Jesus to the Christians who attended. An odd choice considering that Islam teaches that Jesus did not die on the cross, was not resurrected, was not the Son of God and did not make atonement for the sins of the world.

If that hasn’t irritated you enough, you can seek further irritation by reading the entire article here (page 13). Perhaps you will get the same impression as me: Cathedral Christians are ashamed of their own beliefs.

An open exhibition on Jesus from an Islamic perspective was set up in the Cathedral’s parish hall, where members of the Muslim community engaged with the congregation and shared their belief and love for Jesus. Imams from Vancouver Mosque were also available for any detailed questions.

[…..]

Islamic Call to Prayer was made from the Cathedral pulpit at 12:30pm with an English explanation. This call to prayer is similar to the Christian church tradition of ringing bells before important services. The attendees also witnessed the Noon Prayer at 1:15pm followed by an explanation about the concept and purpose of prayer in Islam.

I suppose the good news is, when the Cathedral completes its metamorphosis into a mosque, there will be no more same-sex marriages held there.

St. John’s, Shaughnessy fills pews with witches, warlocks, vampires, ghosts and demons

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Ever since the Diocese of New Westminster evicted the orthodox congregation of St. John’s, Shaughnessy, the place has been like an empty mausoleum.

Since the diocese can’t fill the pews with Christians, it is filling them with witches, warlock and demons instead. There’s a metaphor begging to be interpreted here.

From here:

The 14th Annual Hallowe’en Organ Spooktacular
Witches, warlocks, vampires, ghosts, demons and more populated the pews of St. John’s, Shaughnessy (SJS) the evening of October 25, 2019 for the Royal Canadian College of Organists (RCCO) 14th Annual Vancouver Hallowe’en Concert.

St. John’s Shaughnessy hosts a Halloween Spooktacular

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St. John’s evicted a thriving congregation in 2011, resulting in a church that resembled a mausoleum and a massive loss of revenue. It’s an expensive church to maintain so, in 2018, the diocese rented the church to a film crew making a TV program called, aptly enough, Imposters.

Now in a further attempt to fill the pews, St. John’s has decided to appeal to the occult by hosting a “Halloween Spooktacular”.

St. John’s belief in the reality of the occult is on much the same level as its belief in Christianity: close to non-existent.

Halloween Organ Spooktacular

When: Oct. 25, 7:30-9 p.m.

Where: St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church

Tickets and info: by donation, vancouver.anglican.ca

As part of its 50th anniversary revitalization campaign, the grand pipe organ of St John’s Shaughnessy has been undergoing a major technological overhaul. To give the instrument a proper workout, the Royal Canadian College of Organists is holding its annual Halloween Spooktacular concert at SJS rather than St Andrew’s-Wesley (which is closed for renovations anyway).  Dressed in Halloween attire, nine organists will perform spooky selections from the Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor (used in the 1962 movie Phantom of the Opera, for one), Chopin’s Funeral March, Berloiz’ March to the Scaffold, and Grieg’s Death of Ase. Audience members are encouraged to dress up, and there will be treats for the kids.

Queerly beloved Anglicans

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As night follows day, so the Vancouver Pride Bacchanalia follows that of Toronto. Why Anglicans have become so devoted to it is beyond me; but they have. Instead of staid strawberry socials, we have Cathedral breakfasts celebrating “diverse sexualities and gender identities”.

I’m tempted to conclude that this infusion of homoerotic sexual obsession is demonic, a ploy of principalities and powers that seeks to pollute this world until Christ’s return. But it is so lacking in subtlety that it’s hard to believe that our Enemy would try something so ambitiously crass. Unless, that is, he has concluded that his victims have lost all common sense, all instinctive understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

From here:

Christ Church Cathedral provided the springboard for local Anglicans to become involved in the Pride festival on Sunday, and get involved we did!

In tandem with Dean Peter Elliott, Cathedral parishioner Peter DeGroot organized this year’s Anglican entry in the Pride Parade and made it known that marchers from other parishes were welcome to join in. Peter DeGroot was also the server and leader of prayers at the Cathedral’s 8am Pride Service; the Feast of the Transfiguration (transferred) was celebrated, with Dean Elliott presiding and the Rev. Alisdair Smith preaching. The service began with the rainbow candelabra being lit on the altar as we offered prayers of thanks for all God’s beloved children and lamentations for the harms experienced by people of diverse sexualities and gender identitities [sic – a Freudian slip if ever I saw one].

The service was followed by an excellent breakfast supplied by Cathedral volunteers and a sign-making session in the parish hall, after which marchers found leisurely lunches in various places before gathering for the 1:30 “call time” on Robson Street. Our contingent of roughly 40 people was near the very end of the parade, and thus it was all the more amazing to witness the energy and enthusiasm with which we were greeted by people who had already been standing in the hot sun for hours. As a marcher, it was remarkable to witness the variety of ages and enthnicities in the crowd – Vancouver is truly a vibrant, multi-cultural oasis.

Diocese of New Westminster will ignore Marriage Canon vote

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Bishop Melissa Skelton has announced that the diocese will proceed with same-sex marriages.

Up until now, the diocese did not permit the marriage of same sex-couples because it was waiting for the result of the 2019 Synod vote. Now the synod has voted “no” to same-sex marriage, the diocese is proceeding anyway. That is what passes for rational thinking in the Anglican Church of Canada.

As far as I know, these are the dioceses that will marry same-sex couples:

Diocese of New Westminster
Diocese of Toronto
Diocese of Niagara
Diocese of Montreal
Diocese of Ottawa
Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
Diocese of Rupert’s Land
Diocese of Kootenay
Diocese of Edmonton
Diocese of B.C.
Diocese of Huron
Please let me know if I have missed one.

From here:

As of August 1, 2019 , I will authorize a liturgy for the marriage of same-sex couples within the Diocese of New Westminster under the following conditions:

  • that the priest wishing to officiate at the marriage make a request of me to use that liturgy and work in consultation with me in preparing to conduct that liturgy. I specify this in that I want us all to learn together as we gain experience in working with this new liturgy and in preparing same-sex couples for the sacrament of marriage.
  • that the Parish Council of any church hosting or wanting to host the marriage of same-sex couples concur with and embrace the decision for same-sex marriages to occur there, and
  • that any same-sex couple wishing to be married satisfy all the typical and important requirements for marriage (proper preparation for marriage, at least one of the couple having been baptized, that the marriage take place in a church or another public place).

I expect the first two conditions to be temporary until we as a community become familiar with this change.