Slideshow image

The bell of St Peter’s, pulled by Bishop Anna, rang 130 times across the town of Comox. The first of six groups of people, over 100 in all, embarked on a guided walking tour, created by the rector, that illustrates the role of St Peter’s in Comox’s history. Dozens crowded into the Blessings Boutique in the church hall where others’ surplus became treasures without cost for whomever chose them. A parish picnic concluded the day with the Church Street Taphouse across the way providing food as a gift for the occasion.

Thus, St Peter’s celebrated 130 years of service on Saturday, September 11.

Church members and townspeople gathered in the back garden in the afternoon to hear Bishop Anna, parishioners, and rector, Sulin Milne. The following are excerpts of what was said.

Bishop Anna Greenwood-Lee

I don’t think that any of us will forget this period of time. We’re living in what they call liminal time, when what we knew has gone and something else is coming but we’re stuck in the middle. It’s a hard place to be in, liminality.

The good news is that God only works with people when they are in liminal space. If you read your Bible, when people are not in liminal space, God works to put them there,

The people really wanted an express ticket, first class, out of slavery in Egypt into the promised land. God said, “Yes, sorry, there’s going to be 40 years of liminality right in the middle and you’re really not going to like it.” Jesus had to spend 40 days in the wilderness. Peter kept trying to rush into the next thing, was always in trouble with Jesus. It took Peter a lot of time in liminality before he really arrived.

Here we are in liminality and celebrating 130 years, but God is not finished with you yet. My job as your bishop today is to tell you – look forward with faith. We’re in this liminal space and we’d kind of like it to end. But God is saying, “Hmm… not finished with you yet.”

One of the great things about today is you have not spent much time talking about this building. All your stories are about each other, about people, about God working through you. Covid has helped the church remember that the church is not a building. It is people. I get the feeling that you in St Peter’s know that. We don’t go to church; we are church.

So today we celebrate 130 years, but what we really do is to faithfully commit ourselves to walking into the next months, the next years, the next decade, the next century as faithful servants, knowing that the one God of all time and all space, will be present and faithful to us no matter what joys and what struggles come.

Reflections on the relationship with Indigenous people

Neil Crouch recalled prayer meetings held at the church in the 1980’s. “Anyone who had native heritage was required, suggested, nudged to give up any hint of that spirituality so they could fully experience Christianity. There is so much to be forgiven. None of us who have settler roots can imagine not knowing what became of our children when they were taken away.”

He said that a good friend, Julianne Kasmer, formerly a street minister for the United Church, advised settler descendants to “be involved in conversations that are safe, honest, without outrage or shame and without the rush to fix that we as the powerful and privileged like to jump to. This is not a problem to be solved but an ongoing part of our lives to be lived.”

Ingrid Joy Braathen, a member of the parish with strong Indigenous roots, read an “honour song” written by Abigail Echohawk in honour of the missing children.

When they buried the children

They didn’t know they were lovingly embraced by the land,

Held and cradled in a Mother’s heart.

The trees wept for them, and the wind sang mourning songs….

Mother Earth held them until they could be found.

Now our voices sing the mourning song with the trees, the wind and sacred fire

To ensure they are never ever forgotten, as they sing – “Justice”.

Bishop Anna followed and said, “The time for apology is past. It is time for real acts. It is not enough to feel bad, to feel guilty, we actually have to do something – a change of heart, a change of consciousness but more important a change of life. We need to come into this with open hearts and open minds and build relationships of trust. The history of beautiful places like this is wrapped up with colonialism in ways we are just beginning to understand.”

Reflections of past and present parishioners of St. Peter's

Trish McCaffrey – Teacher

St Peter’s has been my church since 1960. Initially chosen to fit in with golf, a good thing, too, as God knew I would meet my husband there! Emphasis was placed on being the body of Christ and worship, liturgy, prayer (both personal and communal) and lay ministry.

Joan Holmes – Staff Associate

One of our sons became a full-blown addict, losing everything. At this time, we shared what was happening with our church family. Several years later it was Thanksgiving Sunday, and the Old Testament reading was from Habakkuk 3 v 17-19. “Though the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail ..yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”

At that very moment I knew this was a word from God to me. Black as things were, that was not to be the final word. God had his “YET”. Thank you, all our praying friends. Thanks to you we have had a wonderful homecoming with our prodigal son who has come home to us and our family.

Helen Dawson – Teacher

Over time we have seen many changes. To quote Isaiah 40, “We have soared on wings like eagles, we have run and not grown weary, we have walked and not fainted. Our hope and strength are in the Lord.” Despite differences, we are learning how to extend grace and focus on our love for the Lord.

Brad and Jan Minton – Business Owners

gWe arrived at St. Peter’s in the fall of 1979 with the desire to have our son baptized. New in town, new job, new home. We encountered this group of people who weren’t like any we’d met before – excited about God, talking about Jesus as a real person and moving powerfully in the power of Holy Spirit.

We cannot overstate the gift of St. Peter’s in building our faith. It’s been an amazing journey and we are so grateful for the seeds of faith planted, watered, and nurtured by all of you. When God looks at St. Peter’s, He says, “Well done, oh good and faithful servants”.

Vicki Boswell – Project Manager

We chose St. Peter’s Church as our spiritual home because we were welcomed unconditionally. We know that this is the place where we can continue to grow in our faith and in turn, engage with our community.

Jocelyn Bystrom – Teacher

I’m grateful for my connection at St. Peter’s, which is evolving and shifting as I grow and mature in my faith. Whether I’m in the church, the forest, at the beach, strapped into an ambulance, waiting in emergency for care, or on my knees in the darkness overwhelmed, He knows me, draws me near and holds me there.

Ian Oldaker – Nuclear Physicist

Having been a life-long traditional Anglican, I have been challenged by St. Peter’s more modern approach to worship with contemporary music. Although it has sometimes been a challenge, I find the services meaningful and the sermons eye-openers into the Bible. Thanks be to God.

Alison Knowles – Nurse

I have asked people over the years why they walked into the door at St Peter’s and why they stayed. It is amazing how often the answer is that they were searching and when they walked into St Peter’s they were home.

For me: It was back during a very difficult time for my family. I had a deep desire for a place to kneel and hand over to a higher power. I wasn’t Christian but people accepted me where I was. Here’s to the future – renewed by the Holy Spirit, blessed by God and walking with Jesus. The Trinity. All that we need.

An Uncommon Treasure

(Reflections by a parishioner on becoming a church family)

This is fleeting, seen only rarely

But when observed, wondrous in its worth.

 

A loyalty communal, a set of bonds that hold,

A substance substantial, glimpsed, felt, assured.

 

When friends and not-so-friends merge and become a harmony, a whole

Who share their love,

Who have the other’s back to the limit of each one’s personhood.

 

A life communal, shared, constant but veiled.

 

Born of willed patience, learned respect,

Embracing difference, divergent paths

And now lived not as one but plural

Beyond the bounds of family, friend

To those embracing the Transcendent, loved and shared.

 

Uncommon. Treasured.

 

Reverend Sulin Milne

How can we gain a vision for the future when almost every day things are changing? We’re living on shifting sands.

At our church we have been going through a process to help us discern God’s vision. It has been a process of holy listening.

Something remarkable happened, a consistency arose that we were not expecting, something clear. Fresh ideas and strong themes emerged. It was a drive towards outreach and a vision statement to be our guiding light, something to align everything that we do, that we could travel by.

“To reflect the love of Jesus, being caring, inclusive and just.”

We don’t know what Covid will do to our church. But we do know the way to our future. We do know the way because we know Him who is the way and the truth and the life. the way is Jesus Christ.