Part 9 — Many ways to pray
by NANCY SCOTT, & FLO MASSON
The Diocesan Committee of the Anglican Foundation of Prayer
I love to bake bread — to feel the dough begin to come alive in my hands. I feel surrounded by holiness as I knead; a holiness that connects me with so many who have done this task for thousands of years; those who poured their energy into dough, transforming flour into food. I think of the many metaphors bread has in multitudes of cultures
and traditions—bread as the staff of life, as money, as community, as food for the hungry, as spiritual food for our journey and most of all, joining me with the whole body of Christ making us one. All this in bread!
Today I am preparing to make buns and I smell the yeast rising in a bowl waiting for me to add flour, honey and seeds. Tomorrow many will come to work here and I want to have bread for our lunch. I could buy buns but there is joy and a satisfaction in making such an ancient food as a thank-you to those who come to help here. It is a symbol of our deep connection — not just through our work outside, but through the ancient history of bread that we all share.
Bread has been found in early Egyptian tombs dating back at least 5,000 years. It is first mentioned in Genesis 3:19 "by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust and to dust you shall return." There are 302 mentions of it in our Bible with the most numerous in the gospel
of John. Bread is deeply entrenched in the Judeo/Christian tradition and we ask for our daily bread when we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us.
Certainly, we have been told that "we are what we eat" so the more healthy, less "processed" food we eat, the more (generally) healthy we will be. As a result, "slow" food is gaining popularity. The human touch is important and
seems to make all the difference in food preparation. Homemade just tastes better. This is why I love to make
bread. I find the kneading meditative and I use it as an opportunity to pray love into it for those who eat it. Though
this is usually my family, it is also friends and helping neighbours who receive loaves as a "thank you." Consequently (or coincidentally), they are always eager to lend a hand.
The hidden process of the yeast at work in bread-making, seems to me, to be just one example of the mystery of prayer. A little yeast performs a seeming miracle to those of us not aware of the science behind it, but we trust the process. Our prayers, and the actions that result from our prayers go out, I believe, with God's grace, and multiply like
yeast, working in ways we cannot see. The sharing of the bread at the Eucharist and in the home feeds that hope for
me. We can do nothing without God or without each other nor can we do anything without being nourished by "our daily bread."
Anyone who wishes to learn the art of making bread would be welcome to connect with one of us.
Order of St. Luke UBC Campus, Kelowna
International Conference
By THE REVEREND VIRGINIA BRIANT
I joined the Order of St. Luke in Philadelphia in 1969 at their North American Conference. I had gone there because their prayers had helped my mother overcome cancer. The conference was life changing and I had hoped to begin a Chapter in Vancouver where I was serving in my own parish, but I did not have enough time for extra ministry. In 1988 I was struck down with a terrible car accident and had to retire from full-time ministry. On June 2, 1990 I attended an OSL conference in Nanaimo, B.C., and while there I prayed that I could start a chapter in Penticton where my husband and I were going to live. The Ven. Peter O'Flynn was the Rector of St. Saviour's and helped me start a chapter here.
In January 1991 we started a chapter with 12 members. Now we have over 60 members from Osoyoos to Vernon. We hold local conferences every two years and today we maintain a Healing Service with the Eucharist at St. Saviour's every Wednesday noon with the assistance of incumbents of St. Saviour's and other clergy from the Okanagan.
The Order of St. Luke is inter-denominational, and we have chapters all over the world with a North American Conference every year and an International Conference every five years. Our members receive the "Sharing Magazine"
each month and several very fine studies on Christ's healing. We pray for many people and have seen many people helped. If you wish more information on the OSL, or wish to join please contact me at 250-492-3347.
On June 21-25, 2010, we are holding an International Conference on Healing for the Person, the Church, and the World, at UBC Okanagan, Kelowna, BC. You do not need to be a member of the OSL to attend. Speakers are coming from Wales, Ireland, England, New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Canada.
To register please go to www.osl2010.ca Registration forms are available, as well as posters to display in your Churches and pamphlets to circulate.
VCP Conference
Vital church planting Edmonton
Planting — West Conference, May 18-20, 2010, at Taylor Seminary in Edmonton, AB. Themed, "Church | Culture | Hope," this church planting conference is the first of its kind in western Canada. Participants from across the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Rupert’s Land, British Columbia and Yukon will gather to explore ways the church can meet the changing needs of society.
Guest speakers will include: The Rev. Canon Phil Potter, Fresh Expressions practitioner, and Director of Pioneer Ministry for the Diocese of Liverpool; and Harold Roscher, Director/Chaplain of the Edmonton Native Healing Centre.
Individuals can register before March 15, 2010, to receive the Early Bird rate of $200/person. Teams of three or more persons can register for $150/person before March 15, 2010. After March 15, fees increase by $50/person. A special student rate of $75 is also available.
For more information on registration and accommodations, please visit: www.vitalchurchplanting.com
