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Archbishop Lynn’s
Letter
PAGE 2
ANGLICAN NEWS & VIEWS
Serving the Diocese of Kootenay
Discerning
a Way
Forward
PAGE 6
Surprised
by the
Spirit
PAGE 6 & 8
w w w . k o o t e n a y a n g l i c a n . c a
September 2021
—A section of the Anglican Journal
Camp Owaissi
Summer 2021

Page 2 The HighWay September 2021
Letter
to the people of Kootenay Diocese
By The Most Reverend
Lynne McNaughton
As I write this I have just finished
the closing worship for a week of
OAC, Okanagan Anglican Camp.
When the kids were asked to yell out
a word of Thanksgiving this morning,
many of them said “the smoke’s
clearing.” We began the week with so
much smoke many active outdoor
games had to be curtailed. The Ministry
of Health, however, said being on
the water was a safe place, with less
smoke, so we had lots more swimming
and kayaking, which of course
the kids loved too. But the smoke
caused a sense of unease.
It was good to see blue sky of
course, but the ambiguity of this crisis
time is that we know that the strong
wind that cleared the smoke for us
was at the same time pushing fires
into other communities. It has been
an anxious summer: heat waves that
were life-threatening especially for
those living without air-conditioning,
smoke that wreaked havoc for those
with respiratory illness, evacuation
orders and alerts, drought ruined
crops while there are floods around
the globe, the re-traumatizing of the
intergenerational survivors in the
Indigenous community as unmarked
graves were discovered at Residential
school grounds, climate disasters
happening around the globe, and the
unpredictability of the pandemic.
Even as we joyously began to celebrate
Eucharist together, we know
our sense of community has changed.
The first time I got to sing again
surrounded by other voices in praise,
I was so moved to tears; it was worth
the cost of having to wear a mask…
Anxiety on a massive scale: How,
in the midst of this, do we encounter
the voice of God? How do we hear the
One who says: “Fear not”?
We know we must hear the strong
warning that we need massive changes
to address the climate crisis. The
prophetic voice of the Earth on fire
stands in judgment that our greedy
over-consuming is killing our planet
and endangering all creatures. How
does the church find its mission in
this time?
We have much to offer the world:
n We have loving and accepting
communities to encourage each
other in the changes we need to
make. To encourage means literally
“to give heart to.” Prayer, pastoral
care, listening to each other,
lovingly challenging each other in
our care for the earth.
n We have a relationship with
Creator and thus with Creation.
n
We entrust the future into the
hands of God, which frees and
energizes us to work in the present.
n We have a long historical perspective.
n We know God is with us in suffering.
Trusting in God’s loving presence
frees us from despair, numbness
and immobilization.
n We have prayer, singing, worship,
meditation practices to ease our
anxiety and open us to be aware of
Grace.
n Our call to love neighbour frees us
from self-preoccupation and individualism.
n We live in Awe and Gratitude for
life; this strengthens us.
I recommend that all communities
in the Diocese immerse themselves in
the resource for the Season of Creation
for September and October, to
find practical ways in community to
fearlessly engage practical issues of
Creation Care.
I also commend to you in your
church community to engage the
Primate’s invitation for conversations:
“Surprised by the Spirit.” More about
this in this issue: I think participating
in this will strengthen our response to
the future.
“Be strong and of good
courage. The Lord your
God goes with you wherever
you go.”
(Joshua 1:9)
Yours in Christ,
+Lynne
See Page 8
“Surprised by the Spirit”
❑
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A section of the Anglican Journal.

The HighWay September 2021 Page 3
Two New Priests
Holding their breath while this photograph is being taken are Archbishop
Lynne McNaughton and newly ordained priests Helen Christine Hall and
Paul Russell Martinson. The service took place in The Cathedral Church of
St. Michael & All Angels, Kelowna, on the Feast of St. Barnabas, June 13, 2021.
It was a very beautiful and moving service.
Photographer: Deborah J. Mason
Submitted by Joy Sauter,
Secretary,
St. Francis Anglican Church,
Lake Country, BC
❑
Newly ordained priests Helen Christine Hall and Paul Russell Martinson with
Archbishop Lynne McNaughton St Michael & All Angels, Kelowna.
PASS The HighWay
HELP US SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS
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enjoy it.
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• book swap boxes

Page 4 The HighWay September 2021
Rev Canon Roger Cooper’s
By Loretta Cooper
Retirement Party
The parish of St George, West
Kelowna had a socially distanced
event for him in the parish parking
lot on April 25. It was a walk-by
drive-by event. Over 40 people
attended. Roger gave each person
who attended a carnation.
❑
Rev Canon Roger Cooper social distancing with Archbishop Lynne McNaughton
Loretta and Rev Canon Roger Cooper at retirement party
By Cathy Haig
West Kelowna has a New Deacon
On Wednesday July 21, the Parish of
St. George, West Kelowna, joyfully
celebrated an historic event, as our
Archbishop, the Most Reverend
Lynne McNaughton, Bishop of
Kootenay and Metropolitan of the
Province of BC and the Yukon, consecrated
the Reverend Jacqueline
Susan Graham to the sacred order
of Deacon (Transitional) in the
Church of God. Jacqueline’s ordination
marked both the first ordination
ever held in our church and the first
in-person ordination service in the diocese
since the start of the pandemic.
In addition to visiting diocesan
clergy, a number of clergy from beyond
the diocese, including the Reverend
Dr. Richard Topping, Principal
of the Vancouver School of Theology,
joined us to celebrate Jacqueline’s
ordination, along with her friends and
family.
Jacqueline’s children, Ella, Daniel
and Lexie were the highlight of the
service as they vested her with her
deacon’s stole, a gift from the parish,
while Jacqueline’s parents looked on.
Those present adjourned to the
lawn outside the church for a small
reception after the service. Thankfully
the heat of the day had dissipated and
we enjoyed a cool evening at the end.
Jacqueline has already begun
her ministry in the parish as well as
serving as Chaplain at Camp OAC for
the last two weeks of July. We look
forward to her priestly ordination as
she becomes the Incumbent of this
parish.
❑
Consecrated to the sacred order of Deacon (Transitional) at
St Georges, West Kelowna, the Reverend Jacqueline Susan Graham
and The Most Reverend Lynne McNaughton.

The HighWay September 2021 Page 5
By Donald (Mac) MacDonald
Everyday Christians
“Lord, when did we
see you hungry and
feed you, or thirsty and
give you something to
drink?
When did we see you a
stranger and invite you
in, or needing clothes
and clothe you?”
(Mtt. 25:37-38)
Everyday Christians at St Mary’s, Kelowna, putting together “Blessing Bags” for the homeless. Photograph: Heather Karabelas.
“Everyday Christians” strive to
follow Jesus and to live out the
teachings of God’s Word. Jesus
encourages us to be His disciples,
follow in His footsteps and shine
God’s light where there is darkness.
While the pandemic has
changed the manner of worship,
online church services and Zoom
technology simplified what could
have made our church life much
more difficult.
We have all encountered adversity
at some time in life, and
Covid-19 has created more darkness
for the streets where many
people who are homeless live. The
Gospel Mission and other charitable
organizations do the best
they can to provide for them with
shelter and a warm meal, but it is
never enough. As you drive around
downtown you will see places
where homeless people attempt
to set up home for the night in unused
doorways, an empty building
or any space of some sort that will
give them shelter. They usually
have a shopping cart loaded with
their bedding and all their worldly
possessions as they roam the
neighbourhoods seeking comfort.
St Mary’s parish, through the
leadership of our deacon, Heather
Karabelas, and a dedicated group
of “Pray and Serve” ladies gather
once every month to work on a
variety of projects. They take time
for prayer and often gather items
to distribute to those in need. For
the past three years the group have
been putting together what they
call “Blessing Bags.” These bags
contain loving thoughts and comforting
items for those who are
in need. Bottles of water, energy
bars, protein foods, fruit cups and
hard candy. The “Pray and Serve”
group members donated the bag
contents and Tim Horton’s cards
were added to the bags thanks to
a generous financial donation. As
Sample Blessing Bags
many as 24 bags have been made
by the “Pray and Serve” group.
The members each take one
bag to distribute. Other members
of the congregation volunteer to
deliver the rest to those in need
in our community. Because we
live downtown, Mabel and I have
been two of those volunteers. This
year we encountered nine recipients
who could not say Thank
You enough. Mabel and I cannot
describe the gratitude we feel in
being included in the work of the
“Pray and Serve” group. It was
humbling to be on the front line
and to give these tokens of Gods’
love to those living in poverty. To
let them know God loves them and
we are His messengers.
❑

Page 6 The HighWay September 2021
Discerning a Way Forward
By Yme Woensdregt
The Rev Dr Yme Woensdregt is a
retired priest who continues to live
in Cranbrook.
As I write this, wildfires are raging
all over the province, smoke casts a
pall over everything, and thousands
of people are being displaced. It
feels like an exclamation point on an
arduous year.
In a magnificent treatment of the
Psalms, Walter Brueggemann writes
that many Psalms are laments which
give voice to the suffering, hurt, and
alienation which come during a time
of disorientation. It’s safe to say that
the past 18 months have been such
a time, and lament is a deeply appropriate
response of faith. Church
historian Diana Butler Bass describes
it as a time of “dislocation.”
We are not out of that time yet. We
may see a hint of light, but I suspect
we are only at the beginning of the
end of this time of disorientation. We
have not yet moved into what Brueggemann
describes as a time of “new
orientation.”
LAMENTATION
So this may be the right time to
think about what’s next. Some people
are suggesting we can go back to
normal. Brene Brown wisely suggests
that “Normal never was. Our pre–corona
existence was not normal other
than we normalized greed, inequity,
exhaustion, depletion, extraction,
disconnection, confusion, rage,
hoarding, hate, and lack. We should
not long to return, my friends. We are
being given the opportunity to stitch
a new garment.”
Let’s dream big dreams. Gospel
visions. What might a “new orientation”
look like? What will this new
garment be and how might it fit? How
might we learn to live more faithfully
with each other and with all of creation?
No one knows what the future
holds, but this moment is a gift as we
use our imaginations to refashion our
common life so that it is good for all.
One of the places I begin is to say
that part of the work of this time is
a renewal of religion. I don’t mean
religion as a sense of obligation which
means we have to think a certain way,
believe a certain way, behave a certain
way. That kind of religion won’t
help us at all; let’s just dump it in the
dustbin of history, another casualty of
the pandemic.
Rather, while we may not be
completely sure where the word
comes from, one of the roots is the
Latin word “religare,” which means
“to bind” or “reconnect.” “Religare”
is about mending what has been
broken, recovering what has been
mislaid, reconnecting what has been
frayed, healing what has been diseased.
Focusing on “religare” makes our
gospel work much clearer. We imagine
a new way of living and being. We
do the work of finding and repairing
and healing and binding up. We
reconnect human and natural life and
bind it up in a growing understanding
of spirituality which understands that
life is a matter of reconnecting with
God, with our deepest and best selves,
with each other, and with nature.
That’s all gospel work.
We don’t need to return to the old
ways. Indeed, we should not. We can
receive the gift of imagining a new
orientation, a new and larger gospel
vision of what life might be. We find
a new place, a new home, a new way.
We stitch a new garment and dream a
new vision.
As we do so, we will need to find
wise guides who can weave wisdom
into our discourse of the common
good. We look for creative leaders and
dreamers who can discern a new way
into this new future.
We will need one another to get
there. We haven’t taken this journey
before, but together we can.
Finally, at the very heart of finding
our lost selves, we can relocate our
hearts in the living, compassionate,
and loving God who announced that
creation “was very good,” and whose
purpose is to renew and reinvigorate
that goodness.
❑
Surprised by the Spirit
By Jane Bourcet
The Rev Jane Bourcet is a member of
the Spiritual Development Committee
Over the course of the pandemic,
it has been painfully obvious to us
how different our experience of the
church has become. We are deeply
aware of what we have lost- Eucharist,
singing, worshipping together,
passing the peace, coffee hour and on
and on the list goes. We have, however,
captured glimpses of “good stuff ”
over this year and a half. We have
been caught by surprise to realize, in
the midst of this never-ending season
of change and adaptation, that maybe
we appreciate having a less busy
life, that maybe we enjoy spur of the
moment phone calls, that maybe we
have greater contact with distant
loved ones through video chats, that
maybe we can be creative in ways we
never thought possible.
As we move closer to full face-toface
worship and the resumption of
church life, we need to take time to
reflect upon how we’ve been changed
by the pandemic. It would be so easy
for us to charge forward with our
usual Sunday worship, the usual ACW
and church committee meetings, the
usual coffee hour and social gatherings,
without even asking ourselves,
if this is how we want to do things
now? At each turning point in our
lives, we often reassess what matters
to us, what has sustained us through
tough times, what keeps us feeling
like we have purpose and meaning in
our lives. Coming out of this COVID
pandemic is certainly one of those
turning points.
The Primate’s “Surprised by the
Spirit” program is a process by which
we all can take a moment to reflect
upon how the pandemic has touched
us for both good and ill. More than
this assessment of where we are now,
we also need to reflect on where we
see ourselves going. How do we wish
to face the future? What’s important
to us now? What is important to the
communities we live in? “Surprised
by the Spirit” is a short, small group
process that offers us an opportunity
to at least come to some preliminary
sense of ourselves now. It also offers
us a chance to think about what we
will take away from this difficult,
scary, uncertain time that has transformed
so much of what we considered
“how things are.” Whether we
participate in a formal “Surprised by
the Spirit” group or not, reflection is
needed for us all.
Becoming aware of what has surprised
us, is one aspect of this reflection
process, but interwoven with our
mindful reflection is our consciousness
of the workings of the Spirit over
this time. How has the Spirit been
present to us throughout the pandemic?
What have we learned about
God and how has our relationship
with God changed? What have we
discovered about our faith and how
we live it when many of the givens
of our faith life were denied us? How
is what’s important to us about the
church changed through this time?
What might God be desiring of us, as
individuals, as faith communities?
We are being invited not only by the
Primate, but by God, to take the time
to stop, to be still, to be aware of God
and God’s vision of how we as the
Church might be in the world. May
we be as aware as possible of God’s
presence with us as we search for
direction for the lives of all the church
community.
❑

The HighWay September 2021 Page 7
By Elizabeth Lewis
Servant’s Heart
from the desk of a deacon
The times of a deacon in today’s context
The Rev Elizabeth Lewis is a deacon for the
people of Fruitvale BC.
One of the commitments taken on
by a deacon at the time of ordination
is ‘you are to interpret to the
Church the needs, concerns, and
hopes of the world.’
Interpret is a word with many
meanings depending on the
context in which it is being used.
Today in the 21st century, maybe
we can use the word communicate
as well as interpret. We need to
understand the concerns, hopes
and needs of the world before we
can communicate these to the
Church (the congregations in our
parishes and Diocese).
Before Covid we could communicate
in person, but this has not
been possible during the pandemic.
Modern technology has
come to the forefront to help with
communication: e-mails, Skype,
Zoom, Facetime, instant access
to those who have the technology.
But this is not always the case.
There are congregants that do not
have access or are unable to use
this technology, so some of the ‘old
fashioned ways’ of writing letters
or telephoning can be welcome
forms of communication.
Whichever way works we still
need to bring the concerns of
people forward so that action can
be taken. Covid times have made
these actions harder to fulfill.
Prayer circles and discussion
groups are active ways in which
we can communicate, as well as
telephone chains to help keep
the congregants in the communication
loop. We need to let the
housebound know they are not
forgotten, although they may not
be seen.
With all the good communication
we have with modern technology,
we also have to contend
with ‘miscommunication’ of which
there seems to be an abundance.
One example of this was sent to
me recently;
Deacon, the Rev. Elizabeth Lewis, Fruitvale, at first celebration together for steak supper to celebrate all the missed birthdays, anniversaries of the past year.
“A man spoke frantically into
the phone: ‘My wife is pregnant
and her contractions are only two
minutes apart.’ ‘Is this her first
child?’ the doctor asked. ‘No!’ the
man shouted, ‘This is her husband!’”
Of course we have heard all
the ‘anti-vaxxers’ decrying the use
of vaccines, although it has been
proved that by being vaccinated
we will get out of this pandemic. Is
this part of a selfish reaction? Or
are they just going against authority
who are trying to protect the
population? At the moment the
infection rate for fully vaccinated
people is less than 1%.
One of the important roles we
have as a deacon is to give unbiased
advice to help people make
good decisions. It is our responsibility
as Christians to communicate
the love of God, and to help
our neighbors in these difficult
times. As in the words, attributed
to St. Francis, “preach the gospel
and use words if you have too.”
Or in the words of the old adage,
‘actions speak louder than words.’
❑
Balfour Church in the
Columbia Basin
Cultural Tour
St Michael and All Angels, Church and Performance Centre in Balfour was included in the Columbia
Basin Cultural Tour this summer sponsored by the Balfour & District Business & Historical Association.

Page 8 The HighWay September 2021
We will be made new by the Spirit. What a surprise!
SURPRISED by the SPIRIT
SEPTEMBER 11, 2021
10:00 AM PDT & 6:00 PM PDT
VIA ZOOM
a
Reflect on our days in the pandemic and listen to the Spirit about the path ahead
a
Facilitated by
Archbishop Lynne McNaughton
To register and get Zoom link email:
SpiritualDevelopmentCommittee@gmail.com