Jen Klimack of the Russell Alliance Church with the support of the Rev’d Chris Pilon of Christ Church and others in the community has brought the red mailbox program to Russell. The program was started in the Diocese by the Rev’d Jann Brooks of Christ Church, The Pas. 

St. George’s, Brandon & St. Luke’s, Souris
as submitted by Janet English

In the photo on the left, Marlie Slack is delivering hampers to the Christmas Cheer program in Brandon on behalf of St. George’s, Brandon and St. Luke’s, Souris. 

The other photo is a sample of what was in the hampers. 

St. James’, Rivers
as submitted by Kathy Roberts

Some time ago, Beth Schafer conceived the idea that she would like to see a permanent memorial in the Roseville cemetery to honour the many veterans laid to rest there. (Beth grew up in the area and attended Roseville church as a child. It is in this cemetery that Beth’s husband and many relatives have been laid to rest.) 

Beth discussed her idea with her family, brother-in-law George Roberts and Gordon Allen and plans were made. George and friend Wes Turner built a steel six foot cross and Beth had a suitable plaque engraved on black granite. In October 2021 a willing crew gathered at the cemetery and the cross was erected, just in time for Remembrance Day. 

The installation crew (from left to right): Gordon Allen, Bob Klassen,
George Roberts, Susan Klassen, Beth Schafer, Wes Turner, Ethel Turner.St. Paul’s, Dauphin 

as submitted by Sandy Pacey 

St. Paul’s, Dauphin celebrated the Conversion of St. Paul (transferred from January 25 to Sunday, January 30), and marked the 133rd anniversary of the congregation. We rejoiced and remembered the parishioners who came before us stretching back to 1889; our present members; and those who are to come. Our present building, the third church, is 108 years old. Thanks be to God! 

The post News from the Pews appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

I was raised in a different denomination that saw conversion to correct belief and interior commitment to Jesus as the only manner of being saved. However, this parable was about being received into the kingdom because of the good works of mercy that had been accomplished in life: “I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me drink, naked and you clothed me, sick and imprisoned and you visited me.” It could be confusing. 

All my life I had been warned that just being a ‘good person’ wasn’t enough, that faith and accepting Jesus as my Saviour was the only way to salvation. Nothing I did in the list of acts of mercy above would make me right with God. 

On the one hand, preachers have agonized over this text because it implied that our care for the poor, sick, hungry, naked and imprisoned mattered with regard to salvation. On the other hand, preachers later in my life were undone by the thought of God making any judgement at all. They could not fathom that God’s inclusive love could end in condemnation. 

But we must remember, that Jesus is only days away from his betrayal, trial and death. This is his last public teaching; given in the precincts of the temple. Jesus is very aware of the shifts and politics around him and he has warned his disciples that the Son of Man must suffer and die in Jerusalem. So in light of these hard parables and teachings, the contemporary desire to make Jesus more loveable or at the least more pliable to our sensibilities is a terrible temptation. We must not give in, but instead, look again. 

Both the sheep and goats are surprised by the judgement of the Son of Man. The goats clothe themselves in injured ignorance when the Son of Man indicts them for the unrelieved hunger, thirst, want and loneliness they had observed and to which they did not respond. Their objection is that if they had known it was Jesus who suffered hunger, thirst, want or loneliness, then they would have stepped right up. But they hadn’t seen Jesus in the suffering and so they are lost. 

The sheep will also wonder at when it was they saw the Son of Man in any of these disguises. They had seen need, but hadn’t see Jesus – and they reacted to the need by acting with compassion. The goats are condemned because they saw suffering but did not see Jesus. The sheep are welcomed into paradise because while they didn’t see Jesus, they saw suffering, and responded with compassion and love. 

We are only a short way from the beginning of Lent. It is time for us to engage our faith while we use our eyes so we can see Jesus in all those around us, but most especially in those who are suffering. We must not turn away. In the parable of the sheep and the goats, though neither group saw Jesus, the sheep saw the hunger, thirst, want, and loneliness as demanding compassion even if they did not perceive that they were doing it for Christ. We must take the time now to be sure our eyes behold what our faith can and will perceive: Jesus in all those around us. We have an advantage over both the sheep and the goats. 

We have been warned. We can use our faith to seek and serve Christ in those around us, loving our neighbours as ourselves. Be on the lookout for Jesus, for he is in the suffering around you and reach out in compassion. 

The post A Word From Our Bishop appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

Lepine was the right person to call because in addition to all of her work with the An- glican Church nationally and in the Dio- cese of Brandon, Freda also serves as the vice-president of IPAM-N, the Indigenous People’s Alliance of Manitoba, north. IPAM works primarily with non-status, off- reserve, and Metis people, and Freda recognized that many of these folks needed additional support in the midst of the Omicron wave of the pandemic. So, with her connections and the fact that she is respected in so many communities, Freda was very well positioned to spearhead and manage the distribution of the funding.

So Freda went shopping!

Of course, she had some good friends helping her, particularly Darlene Mulholland, and they purchased $35,000 worth of masks, cleaning supplies, toilet paper and tissues to make up dozens of hygiene hampers for elders, families, and those who needed ex- tra support. Buying such a large amount of goods was only the first challenge though, making sure people in the communities got their hampers was the next task.

Many of us in Manitoba understand what it’s like to measure our travels in hours, not kilometers. But travelling throughout the vast land between communities in north- ern Manitoba, gives you an appreciation of the distances between communities. Freda, Darlene, and others travel led for hours from Winnipeg (where the best deals are to be had, making the PWRDF money stretch as far as possible), to communities spread throughout the north. They travel on high- ways, secondary roads, icy gravel roads and even winter roads across frozen lakes and rivers, to make sure that these communities get the supplies that they need. These trips require careful planning, co-ordination with contacts in the communities, and of course – gas. Lots and lots of gas! In fact, if you look at Freda’s carefully crafted bud- get, 30% of the donated funds have to go to travel expenses. This is another reality in the north, where costs of basic supplies skyrocket the further you go from major centres, primarily due to transport costs. That’s why these hygiene hampers are so welcome for some elders and families who can then use their limited resources on oth- er household needs.

People all across our province are becom- ing more aware of the supply challenges that northern communities face, and many people really want to help. When Freda and Darlene were shopping in Walmart, drag- ging multiple carts overflowing with hy- giene hamper supplies, a woman stopped them to ask what they were buying for. When she heard what the project was, she opened up her wallet and gave them $50! Right there in the aisle of Walmart. She didn’t want a donation receipt and didn’t give her name. She simply felt compelled to give to the folks in the north

Through her network of contacts, Freda connected with clergy and lay leaders from the communities to arrange distribution of the hamper supplies. After dropping off hampers in Grand Rapids, Freda and Dar- lene were off to The Pas where Henry Budd College became a temporary distribution centre for the communities of Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Easterville, Cormorant, and Moose Lake. Clergy and lay leaders these communities came into The Pas to load up their vehicles so that they could make sure the hampers got to those who needed them most.

Freda and Darlene still have their work cut out for them – deliveries are planned for the following communities: Wabowden, Thompson, Thicket Portage and Pikwitonei (on the Bay line), Leaf Rapids and Lynn Lake, Brochet and Sherridon.

We have all felt the effects of the pandemic, we have all felt the isolation, and maybe even some of us haven’t been able to get the supplies that we need, when we need them. The generous funding from the PWRDF will go a long way to alleviate some of the pressures felt in remote or isolated communities in northern Manitoba, especially those who don’t have support from bands or ex- tended families. But generous donations are only one side of this story. It takes people like Freda Lepine to make sure the aid gets to where it needs to go. The countless hours shopping, driving, and connecting with community leaders shouldn’t be taken for granted. Freda, Darlene, and the clergy and lay leaders who serve their communities are incredible examples of service in the name of Jesus. We give thanks to God for their generous and tireless service!

The post A Pandemic Shopping Adventure appeared first on The Mustard Seed.