THE REVEREND FATHER EDWARD SIMONTON OGS

RD, M.A.(Hons), M.Th., FRAI, FRSAI, FSA Scot  
REGIONAL DEAN OF THE LAURENTIANS

RECTOR OF RAWDON
PRIEST IN CHARGE OF MASCOUCHE

MONTREAL DIOCESAN YOUTH CHAPLAIN

CHRIST CHURCH, THE RECTORY, 3365 THIRD AVENUE, RAWDON, QUEBEC J0K 1S0

OFFICE & RECTORY TELEPHONE (450) 834 4457 OFFICE FAX (450)  834 8923
E-mail: esimonton@ogs.net

Harvest Letter for the Beginning of the Church Year 2006

Feast of St Mathew, Apostle & Evangelist

21^st September 2006

Dear Friends,

I begin this Harvest letter with a quick review of the parish since my last letter. The Holy Week and Easter services went well and were well attended. The Easter breakfast was also a well attended community event. We held two Saturday workshops on prayer and on using a Rule of Life. We dedicated the new Ascension banner on the Feast of the Ascension and the new green hangings on the first Sunday after Trinity. When we have a Pentecost banner the teaching windows of the church will be complete and when we have new Lenten purple hangings the fabric of the church will have been completely restored. The youth Bible study group spent the spring and summer studying the Gospel of St Mark in time for them to leave for CEGEP. In June seven members of the parish went on the first annual parish retreat to the Monastery of the Holy Cross Fathers in New York State. It was wonderful weather and a beautiful setting looking over the Hudson river across to the old Vanderbilt mansion. The services and retreat talks were inspiring and provided a good break from the daily grind. There will be an article in the next ‘In Touch’ about the experience. Unfortunately there was vandalism in the church yard twice this summer. My thanks goes to the cemetery committee and especially to Tom and Doug Asbil for their work in repairing the damage. I would also like to thank the committee and their helpers for the spring churchyard clean up. The Family Fair was a delightful day this year with good weather, if a bit hot. Thank you to all of those who worked so hard to make the day a success especially Merle Campbell and Al Parkinson, the co-chairs of the planning group. The Rev’d Professor Peter Hibbert OGS, the Oratory Archivist visiting from England, preached a fascinating sermon for Vocation Sunday in July. I was pleased to attend the 50^th Anniversary of the Russian Orthodox parish this summer and spoke at the reception about the relationship between our two denominations. The annual Wexford service and the St John’s Evensong and BBQ went well although the former had glorious weather and the later did not. During the month of  July and August the church was completely repointed and the chimney restored. It was a long time coming and looks great. My thanks to Earle Moore for his dedication to the Restoration of Christ Church. We ended our summer activities with a friendly softball game with the United Church parish. After a great deal of speculation about what exactly had gone on at the end of the game, a tie was announced.  Members of our parish attended both the Diocesan Youth Synod as well as the Diocesan farewell Mass for the Vicar General of the Diocese, the Venerable Peter Hannen. I am pleased to announce that the money that the ACW, myself, the Diocesan ACW and members of the congregation raised for the Orphanage we support in Mutare, Zimbabwe was used by the nuns to purchase land to build a new orphanage. It is amazing what can be accomplished with a little help from us. I have resigned as Youth Chaplain for the Diocese as well as not standing for Diocesan Council after spending the last year as Vice Chair. This is partly for health reason and family concerns as much as a desire to focus more time on the Deanery of the Laurentians during the revitalisation project.

The new year is as packed as always. There are a number of adult education options to choose from. There is the regular Bible Study on Thursday and the Lenten Book Group. This year there is also a video series on Christianity for four weeks during Lent and four weeks during the Easter season. There is a monthly Movie Evening and a monthly Book Group. The Book Group will read novels and is not in the traditional ‘Christian education’ model. We will also try and start a Young Adults Group which will decide for themselves what they wish to do with their time together. There will be four Saturday Workshops this year. The autumn workshop will look at church architecture and design and how to ‘read’ a church building.

The weekday Masses begin in October and run until Corpus Christi (the Thursday after Trinity Sunday). The weekday Mass is a quieter more focused service than the Sunday service. It is for those who find it difficult to attend church on a Sunday morning as well as for those who prefer a quieter more peaceful service. There is always a short sermon which is more focused than the Sunday sermon. There will be a contemplative Sung Compline on the second Friday of every month. This is a time for quietness and reflection. It is a beautiful service and is especially good for those who find most Church services too busy and feel unable to really lose themselves in the Presence of God. There will be a Mass for Healing with anointing and the laying on of hands on the last Saturday of every month. Those who are familiar with this service know that it is a great comfort for anyone suffering physical or emotional pain or stress. It is designed to concentrate on wholeness and peace. It is not only for those who are ‘sick’ but for those who are seeking and feel they need guidance and refreshment. If you are not familiar with these services please try and attend once or twice and see they make you feel and whether they help focus your life. You may be surprised by what you will discover.

The three big services this Autumn are Harvest Thanksgiving, All Saints Sunday and the Patronal Festival.  I remind you that there will be the blessing of graves and the Churchyard after Mass on All Saints Sunday. It is a good time to do a quick tiding up of your loved one’s grave and place flowers there before the snows come. The Patronal Festival and lunch is a time to bring guests or family members to church. It is particularly good to try and reconnect with members who have drifted a bit from regular church attendance. Please try and think of at least one person who you think needs us and invite them along for our Festival. The two big social events are the Harvest Dinner and the Wexford Card party. Mark the dates on your calendars.

I am sorry to announce that we will be losing our organist, Mr. Ralph Purser. He and his wife Margaret have been a great addition to our community and they will be sadly missed. Ralph has been offered a position playing at the Veteran’s Hospital near to where they live and it is safer and easier for them to try this new road than to make the long trek to Rawdon in the winter weather. We have prepared an advert for a new organist but it may be some time before we will be able to replace Ralph. Organist are notoriously hard to find these days, especially in a rural area. Please pray for us as we seek a new organist. Until then, we will have to sing acappella or, if that proves too hard, with the help of a CD.  Mr. Stephen Mathews, the former organist at St Mathias Westmount, will be playing for us on All Saint’s Sunday, the Patronal Festival and Christmas Eve. Those of you who have heard him play our organ before know that we are in for a real treat.

This year the parish embarks on a reexamination of the parish and the ministry and mission of its people. I have asked the Archdeacon to conduct a formal ministry review of both my ministry and the ministry of the congregation. At the same time we will begin looking at our immediate past and our goals for the future in the light of the Deanery Revitalisation Project and the Diocesan Strategic Plan. This will be spearheaded by the Advisory Board which is made up of the heads and Chairs of the various parish committees and groups as well as committed parishioners active in the life of the parish. There will be a lot of time needed to perform this task well and I thank all of those willing to commit to this process. It may have been twenty three years since this was last done as I am the first Rector in that time to have remained here long enough to initiate the process. Some of you may have suspected that I am getting ready to leave you as this spring brings me to the five year period that I promised. This is not the case. Rather I am at a crossroads in terms of discernment of my future in this parish. When I came I was asked to provide stability by remaining here for at least five years, to do youth work and to finish the restoration of the church. By this spring I will have come to the end of this mandate. I have stayed. The youth group, which once had twenty two members, is now down to a handful. Only two of them are Anglican and they will both join the others either at CEGEP or in the workforce next year. The Restoration is almost complete. I need to know where this congregation believes God wants them to go next and see if it is a path I discern God also wants me to travel with you. I have some questions regarding my resources as an educator being best employed in this setting. I have made no decision and will not make any decision until this process has been completed. I hope that both my own discernment and that of the congregation will be similar enough for me to remain here for the foreseeable future. If you are not actively involved with this process I would ask that you pray for the Holy Spirit to work within this parish during a time of important discernment.

I am very aware of the recent situation at Dawson College. Instead of taking the space to reiterate last Sunday’s sermon here I would simply like to direct you to my thoughts on the shootings in the next Montreal Anglican. You can also access the paper at: http://montreal.anglican.ca/z7nec/pr_paper.htm

I hope that many of you will recommit yourselves to being more regular in your Sunday observance as the new season begins. We are not losing church members but many of you are attending much less frequently than in the recent past. For some it is because of health and for others it is the old story of just getting out of the habit. Many, many people work hard to keep the church not only running but running smoothly and with a degree of excellence. Our Corporation is dedicated and hard working and seeks to provide you with the best services and options for your Christian life. It is dispiriting for people trying to forge a future for our community to see so few faces at our main gathering. Please try to come as regularly as you are able, especially during this year of parish discernment. If you are unable to make the Sunday service you can attend the Wednesday evening service. If you need a ride there transportation can be arranged. If Wednesday evening do not work well for you there is usually at least one or two other services a week available. If you are unable to make any services please let me or a member of the pastoral Care Committee know and you will be brought Communion on Sunday afternoon.

The options available to this congregation are unequalled to any other rural church in this Diocese. These options, both liturgical, and educational are not meant to be ‘extra’ stuff that you are committed to do but rather a broad range of options so that at least one of them will suit you to help you in your spiritual growth. It is not intended as ‘overkill’ for the few dedicated members that regularly attend education groups and services. It is to try and get a few more people to join something. I hope that many of you will have the courage and adventurousness to explore at least one of these other ‘church’ options this year.

I am aware that the Autumn Rector’s letter is always packed and is a long read. I am also aware that the amount of information that I need to pass along to you means there is little theological content. For this I apologise. You will have to wait for Christmas and Easter for that. I hope that you and your loved ones are well and that the new Church year provides you with nourishment to bring forth the fruits off God. This is the harvest that He awaits. I wish you a fruitful harvest.

 Yours in Christ,

Edward OGS