As you may know, Fr. Matt felt the Holy Spirit calling him back over the mountains to serve a Parish closer to his immediate family (the warmer climate doesn’t hurt!)  While we feel the loss of his leadership and pastoral presence within the Diocese of Brandon, we know that God has called him to new ministries and opportunities. 

Fr. ​Matt, thank you for your creativity, patience, editorial “je ne sais quoi!”  You have been the one who has allowed the vast expanses of our Diocese (and beyond) to stay connected through picture and story.  You will be missed. 

God bless you and your ministry.

The post Thank You, Fr. Matt appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

​Our heart as a Diocese recognizes the importance of ensuring that all of God’s children have the truth that they are loved; they are beautiful; and they are uniquely gifted, shared with them until they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are Children of God and as such they are full heirs to God’s Kingdom.  

​The Camp is an incredible opportunity for each of our children to share firsthand experiences of what it is to love and be loved, to laugh and play, to discover God’s Creation in ways that they may not be able to experience in their “day to day” lives.  From North to South and East to West of our Diocese, we invite our children and young people to become Campers and Volunteers and Staff at AMC.

​The “Say ‘Yes’ to Kids’ Camp – Brandon” month of outreach and fundraising is intended to be an opportunity to create pathways and opportunities for our Youth to realize and recognize the call God has on their lives and give them new and unique chances to come to know Jesus for themselves, alongside their siblings in Christ.

​Nationally, people from across the country have the opportunity to donate on the Anglican Foundation website by checking out the article about our camp and hitting the “Donate” button.  All donations made via the National site will contribute to camperships.  There should be no reason a child with limited financial resources within the Diocese of Brandon should miss out on going to Camp!  

​Within the Diocese, and beyond, the Camp is always in need of refreshing, maintenance, food, staff wages, and funds to assist with unexpected “oh wow’s!”  If you or your congregation would like to host an event, pass the hat, or do something creative to assist us, please feel free to go ahead and do so!  Just remember to take pictures, write up a paragraph or two and send it in for the Diocese for The Mustard Seed and the Facebook Page.

​Some ideas may be to:

• ​​host a tea party for a small donation (grandma’s and moms could invite their next generations to get dressed up and come to tea as a Parish!
• ​​for churches with no Sunday School, create a bulletin board with pictures of your children, grandchildren, neighbour kids, etc. and “sponsor” the pictures
• have a special coffee hour and put out a donation basket
• ​​host a neighbourhood barbeque
• ​​offer to babysit your neighbour’s children for a couple of hours for a donation

​Throughout the month of June, I am inviting each and every Congregation within the Diocese of Brandon to think, pray, plan, pay attention to the children and youth in your communities and find ways to promote and support the Camp.  There may just be a child in your community who would love to go to camp even though they don’t come to church … yet!

​Remember, no donation is too small and no word of mouth in support of the Camp is ineffective!  Let’s make June a month when we really do “Say ‘Yes’ to Kids’ Camp” in Brandon!

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However much the architecture and history of the buildings themselves may call upon my heartstrings to do and be more within the Church, it isn’t the building or the trappings that truly call me to serve within the Church and outside the Church.  The true call for me lies in what a Cathedral stands for and what it speaks out into the Community surrounding it – both the city within which it exists and to the Diocese for whom it exists.

​The ‘cathedral” is named that because it is the building which houses or “hosts” the cathedra – the Bishop’s Seat.  I love the reality that every Church I visit and within which I am privileged to “come home and celebrate the sacred mysteries” essentially becomes the “cathedral” when I am there.  It is a reminder to me that where I go, so goes the work of the entire Diocese, and that really means that every single person who gathers to worship with me is an intrinsic and important partner in the work we all do together as the Diocese of Brandon.  We all worship, from time to time, in the Cathedral or a cathedral, as you and I worship together.  And do you know what that means?  It means that our Christian work and call to serve Christ in the community we live in, emanates from each and every one of our various “cathedrals.”

I have been having some powerful and energizing conversations of late about the role of Cathedrals within the Christian Church.  The Cathedral is at one and the same time two very distinct entities.  It is the Parish Church of the local congregation who call it home.  It is that place where congregants gather on Sundays and other days to break open the Word and share the Gifts of God in sacrament and actions.  It is the home of Bible Studies and AA groups.  It is the seat of arguments about whose pew is it or whether flowers should be on the altar or elsewhere.  It is a real, working parish church that does the local work of Jesus within the congregation.  That’s the first identity that a Cathedral holds.

​The second, and equally important identity a Cathedral holds, is that of being a shining light of Christ out into the community.  The Cathedral may be one of many, or simply a few, Anglican churches within a region, but it should always strive to become the heart of the Christian-Anglican presence for the entire community and Diocese.  It should do the work of serving the homeless, comforting the inconsolable, feeding the hungry, speaking truth to power on behalf of the powerless.  The Cathedral should be a safe harbour in a stormy sea for its own people (congregation and diocesan) and for all those who are Christ among us seeking to know that we are actively looking for Christ among us.

Some of you may be aware, and all of you should become aware, that our Cathedral Church of St. Matthew’s – like many of our local and smaller churches – is finding itself in a difficult financial place.  It may seem to many that the Cathedral is treated differently.  And oftentimes it is … as it should be.  It is the physical and geographical centre of our spiritual home as Anglicans in the Diocese of Brandon.  It is not more important; it is not more spiritually powerful; it is not more beautiful than any other of our Diocesan churches.  It is simply that touchstone which every single Anglican within Western Manitoba is encouraged to call their own.  The Cathedral is yours – it belongs to all of us.

​To that end, I would ask two things of all of you.  First, I ask that you share the following prayer together and individually each week.  Second, I ask that you take the time to read the monthly article that will be in The Mustard Seed entitled “The Cathedral Cloister” beginning in September.  You are also encouraged to send in your own thoughts, memories, hopes, dreams, possibilities for the relationship you have had or hope to have with your Cathedral.  St. Matthew’s needs you and we all need St. Matthew’s.  Together we will support and encourage our Cathedral to be both the congregational home for the regulars at St. Matthew’s and we will support and encourage our Cathedral to become all a Cathedral is meant be as a Beacon of Light and Hope in the Community and our Diocese.

A Prayer for Our Cathedral

 Creator of life, hope, and service, we uphold our Cathedral of St. Matthew. Open our hearts, eyes, minds, and hands, that we will know how You wish us to support our Cathedral.
May it truly become home for all of us. May it truly serve Your people in ways we cannot yet see. In Christ’s Holy Name we pray.  Amen.

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​Over the past month, I have been learning how to be a Bishop.  How does one learn to be a Bishop, you might ask.  Well, it is a lot of trial and error.  Much repetition.  Tons of laughter.  It involves a lot of prayer.  It helps if you know how to wield a mop when the basement of the Cathedral floods.  A good GPS for the car is an asset too.  Essentially, it seems that learning how to be a bishop is a lot like learning anything new.  You have to be willing to ask questions, observe, try, fail, try again.  There’s no “right” way but there are some “wrong” ways.  Through it all, the learning Bishop needs to have trust and encouragement – from God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and from the people gathered around them.

​One of the things that I will have the privilege of doing as a bishop will be confirmations.  I have the privilege of meeting people – young and older – who are intentionally discerning how God is leading them to grow in faith.  When they make that decision to affirm their Baptismal Vows for themselves in Confirmation, they are taking that next step in becoming all God is calling them to become.

​Confirmation is not simply that fancy church service when the Bishop lays hands upon someone’s head and “presto” spiritual magic happens.  It’s more like the consecration of a bishop: hands are laid upon your head and prayers for the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you in new ways and along a new path are shared.  And then the hard work begins – the learning of a new thing.

​I don’t know about you but way back when we still travelled by horse and carriage and I was confirmed, there was a bit of a joke that confirmation was graduation from church.  For me, that was a prophetic statement.  At almost 14 years old I was confirmed in a fancy dress with important people at the service.  We had a cake, and photos were taken with the Bishop of Niagara, and I was off … to hockey on Sunday mornings, lazy-sleep-in days, no more Sunday School unless I was roped into teaching with my mom.  I was confirmed and that meant I was a Christian grown-up.

​And then one day, a few years later, I realized that God didn’t stop speaking into my heart just because I thought I had “graduated” from church.  Apparently I was called to be a lifelong learner.  And the education of being a Christian – or becoming a Christian – got good!  Possibilities, dreams, and adventures came fast and furious.  Once I realized that God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit were real “people” in my life, everything became more interesting.  Life didn’t get easier.  As a matter of fact, some things got harder as I realized that the “easy” decision isn’t always the “right” decision.  The Trinity became my partners in life.  I didn’t always listen to their advice, even though I should have.  Sometimes I wandered off and tried to leave them behind … and yet whenever I stopped and recognized how much I needed them, there they were – Companions on my Journey!  

​That journey with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, has led me through times of discerning who God was calling me to be.  Was I called to be a nun?  Nope – thank heavens.  (And yes, we do have Anglican nuns.)  Was I called to be a teacher?  In a way, but not how I thought.  I was called to be a deacon … and a priest … and a bishop.  But that is just my path.  

​Your journey will be as unique as you are.  Have you already been confirmed?  How are you walking in your Confirmation Vows and discerning where the Trinity is leading you?  If you haven’t yet been confirmed, what are you waiting for?  Put me to work!  I am your bishop and I want to share with you in that beautiful sacrament.  However, make sure you put your priest, or deacon, or lay reader to work as well.  Discerning confirmation is a commitment of the whole community!  Like becoming a bishop, you have to have trust and encouragement – from God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and from the people gathered around you.

​When you’re ready, let me know!  I really do want to share in the sacraments with you!  Any and all of them, as you are so called.  May God bless you on your Journey of Discernment.

The post A Word from the Bishop – May 2024 appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

​When we breathe out deeply, we allow our bodies to expel the heaviness that can get caught in our souls. When we stretch our necks and shoulders as we look up, we open our chests and stretch those muscles that hold tension and worry. The very acts of stretching and breathing deeply are actions we take that facilitate wholeness and health. The season of Easter is our season of wholeness and health. It is the springtime of our souls, and we should relish the gifts of newness and hope that come with it as we say, Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Over the past year our Diocese has lived what may have seemed like an exceedingly long Lenten season. As a community of faith, you pulled together in a strength you may not have known you had but of which God was always aware. You elected this new Bishop who asked that you might wait for her as she prepared her own parishioners for her leave-taking. And then finally, she was here – in time to walk through Lent with you! It seems fitting that the consecration of your new Bishop would be smack dab in the middle of Lent, reminding all of us that hope, and new life, and divine possibilities are indeed coming … in due season. The season in which we can sing out together: Christ is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

​Your due season is here. Jesus Christ is risen, and we have risen with him! The Diocese of Brandon is poised to begin a new Easter adventure with storytelling, faith-sharing, memory-making, family-expanding. Through our preparatory (and extended) season of Lent we have gained new perspectives, dreamed new dreams, and promised the Creator that we will walk in gentleness and peace into this Easter future unfolding before us.

​As a newly minted Bishop, I can tell you that there are times when the light of our Risen Christ is blinding. I am caught in my tracks as I consider the call that I share with you as we prepare to explore the Easter Garden that is our beautiful and expansive Diocese. I wonder if I can do this … I wonder if we can do this … and then I hear a quiet voice in my ear whispering, “Christ is risen indeed.  Alleluia!” As that insistent voice keeps whispering, I realize that I am being called to step out on my front porch – and into the parishes across the length and breadth of this Diocese, into AMC, north and south of this land Creator shares with us – and I am called to stretch out the fustiness of muscles tense with Lenten fears and breathe out the worries that come with new things, and I am called to yell out, “Christ is risen indeed.  Alleluia!”

​This Easter Season brings with it all sorts of brand-new things, but it first brings with it the truth that we are walking together into a new thing that Christ himself has prepared for us.  Right now, it is our call to stretch those muscles, take those deep breaths, and together cry out to the world, “Christ is risen indeed!  Alleluia!”

Editor’s Note: This column appeared in the print edition of the Mustard Seed under the heading “A Word from the Bishop-elect.” As of March 18, Bishop Rachael is no longer the Bishop-elect, but the duly consecrated eighth Bishop of Brandon! My apologies for the error.

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This month of March brings with it some rather important celebrations in the life of the Church. On the 18th I will be consecrated your 8th Bishop of Brandon and finally able to officially begin the work I have been longing to do since last November. The 2nd and 3rd parts of Lent will be upon us, with Holy Week looming large. Easter Day falls on the last day of this incredible month when we are truly invited to live into the Resurrection lives we experience each day. (More on that in the April edition.) 

This Lenten season is one in which we, as a Diocese, are being invited to pray ceaselessly, ponder deeply, discern faithfully as we recognize that our Diocesan Lent is one which is changing all our lives. It will bring about  he formalization of new episcopal leadership. It will grant us an opportunity to break our Lenten fast and celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph as we participate together in the next generation of our Church Family becoming … 

This Lent I invite you to consider that word “becoming.” Who is it that God is inviting us to become as we establish new relationships one with another? How are we growing into who we will become? What will become of our Diocese as our shared ministry unfolds with a new bishop who brings a different perspective to the Family? How are you called to help me, as your new bishop, become who God is calling me to become? How am I called to help you live into the beauty and potential of who God is calling you to become as Christians, congregations, as a Diocese? 

As I approach the Consecration on the 18th of this month at the Cathedral, I do so with a healthy sense of wonderment and questioning who it is that God is helping me to become. I can see the changes that have begun in my own heart, mind, and soul since the election in November. In many ways, I feel as though I have been living in a season of Lent since then. I am aware that life cannot go back to the way it was. Nor would I want it to. I am cognizant that I can take not one step forward on my own steam, but only by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. I am living in a vulnerable, yet gentle, space in which Jesus’ presence is palpable, comforting, and challenging. I am in a very Lenten season. 

I invite you to join me in this intentional season of Lenten becoming … We are on a journey together which will change who we were and into who God is calling us to become. Our Resurrection Day is almost upon us, but we need this season of preparation to become ready for what God is preparing for us next. I believe what God is calling us to become is glorious! 

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​Our world seems pre-occupied by the “idea” of love that is wrapped up in Valentine’s Day: chocolate, gifts, cards, jewelry. These all offer lovely sentiments, but they are quite temporal. Chocolates are quickly consumed. Gifts and cards can be forgotten or disposed.  Jewelry can tarnish. Of even greater import though is the fleeting nature of some of those “relationships” which begin on Valentine’s Day. Too often we get swept up in the romance of the moment and we look ahead into the future with cherubs and hearts dancing on the periphery, as if we’re wearing silly heart-shaped glasses.

​For many, that consumer “holiday” can be one of loneliness and pain as we look at others preparing for dinner dates and possibilities from a vantage point of singlehood or having lost a loved one ourselves. What is deemed the most romantic day of the year can become the most difficult day of the year for some in our communities. Valentine’s Day may not be all it’s advertised to be.

​This year, however, we have been given an incredible gift of stars aligning to provide us with another, greater opportunity to celebrate love on the 14th of February, as we will gather across our Diocese to share the truest, most intimate, and everlasting love that human beings can share – that of Jesus’ love for us recognized, acknowledged, received, and embraced on Ash Wednesday.

​This holy and gentle day on which we gather in solemnity within community is an opportunity for each of us to kneel at the feet of the One who reaches out His hand to raise us up.  It is that quiet and reverent liturgical day which invites us to come away for a while to pray alone and with others, that we might recognize that we have sinned, but we have not been lost. 

We will gather and listen to those gentle words: “Almighty God, from the dust of the earth you have created us.  May these ashes be for us a sign of our mortality and penitence, and a reminder that only by your gracious gift are we given eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.”  (Book of Alternative Services pg. 285)

​The outward and visible sign of the ashes traced on our foreheads is a symbol to all who see us, and to ourselves when we look in the mirror, that the most powerful form of love has been given to us as gift. Our valentine from God is that of the divine love God’s Son has shared, and continues to share with us, every single moment of our lives. The ashes we receive and show the world is the greatest reminder to us that we are loved.  We are loved completely.  We are loved as we are. We are loved eternally. Who could ask for a better Valentine than one which lasts for ever?

​As we prepare to dance to the music that has Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day tunes harmonizing together, may you feel the love of Jesus leading you as you dance in his loving arms.  And always remember that you are loved.  You are simply and wonderfully loved.

The post A Word from the Bishop-Elect: February 2024 appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

As my husband Rob drove past the outskirts of Brandon at the end of the day on 25 November, that thought kept coursing through my mind.  “I pray that this decision the Synod of the Diocese of Brandon has made will be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.”  As I write these words, I truly believe that they will be realized.

​At the Episcopal Synod in November, your delegates – clergy and laity – granted me the privilege and honour of what feels like the greatest invitation I have received in my vocation.  In your decision to call me to be your servant shepherd, you have issued the call for me and my husband to be part of the Brandon Family.  (And in case there was any question, we say “absolutely” with no hesitation!)

​In my post-election words, I spoke of adoption and my sense that I have been adopted by the Diocese.  I am not a child of Brandon.  I have not yet served in this vast and glorious geography. I admittedly know very little of it, but I am eager and giddy with joy to know that the Holy Spirit allowed our paths to

cross and encouraged us to come together as family.

​In the months since +William was called to serve in Ontario, I had been praying for him and for all of you.  I knew that there would be tears of joy that he had been called to serve in a new and exciting way, but I also knew that there would be tears of grief as one who had loved you and walked beside you was being called from your midst.  Not knowing that the road I was walking would join yours, my prayers were simply for a beautiful people walking a hard road through difficult times.  Through the summer I carried you in my daily prayers and simply asked that God would guide you and the one who would be called to join you.  Little did I know where my own road was leading.

​At the time of writing, I do not yet know when I will be consecrated 8th Bishop of Brandon.  My hope is to be on the ground the first of March as your Bishop-Elect, learning the diocese, meeting people, celebrating with joy when we can, and coming alongside those who are in sorrow.  My plan is to spend time in the first while sharing in what my Padre husband calls “a ministry of presence.”  My greatest desire is to learn who you are, what you love, what you don’t, and to witness the ways that each of you seek and serve Jesus Christ in the place where God has planted you.

​I believe that I have been placed in your Diocese by the Spirit in much the way my sister was placed in my parents’ arms the evening she became part of our family: with gentleness and a true call to love you and to be loved by you.  Together our Brandon Family will continue to seek out the will of the Lord and do His bidding right where we are.

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