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An electronic daily update of events
from the Anglican Church of Canada's
General Synod 1995 in Ottawa Ontario
___________________________________
S y n o d N E W S l i n k
by tod maffin
wednesday, may 31, 1995
___________________________________
t h e f i r s t w o r d
Hello from 32,000 feet above Canada. Across the country
today, two hundred Anglicans are gathering in Ottawa to
spend ten days praying, listening, and deciding -- helping
shape our common future as worshipping communities. I'm glad
you'll be following our work in this way.
Although the actual business of Synod doesn't get underway
until tomorrow (June 1), many groups and committees will get
a jumpstart on their work this evening.
I want to express thanks to all the kind comments received
after the first mailing yesterday. Some people offered very
good suggestions, and I'll be incorporating them into the
mailing as we go along. The first such addition, the
"snickerings" section below, will give us a chance to laugh
at ourselves. Got any good Anglican jokes? Let me know!
Some people wanted to know what the section headings meant.
Here's an overview of what I hope to present each day.
first word The "first word" section will serve as
an introduction to the newsletter,
perhaps an update on the list itself.
quick takes Brief notes of interest about General
Synod, this list, or other items which
you may be interested in.
reflections I see this as sort of an editorial about
General Synod and the church in general.
Consider it the closest thing to a
sermon this will ever have. Caveat
reader.
snickerings Your chance to share your best Anglican
jokes with the rest of the list. I
especially like Bishop jokes, so haul
'em out if you've got 'em. :-)
glances ahead A detailed review of tomorrow's agenda
on the floor of Synod, including
television coverage on Vision TV.
your turn Exactly what it says: YOUR turn. Use
it as either letters to the editor, or
if you'd like to wax eloquent about
something on your mind about the church,
send it in by e-mail.
This is in addition to the official church report of actions
taken on the floor of Synod. I don't know precisely the
content of this, as it will be prepared by Church House
staff, but it will offer more of the "news" content, while I
hope this list will help you get a sense of the sights and
sounds of a Synod. Consider this the carbohydrate content
in your meat and potatoes. :)
And because you and I are making this up as we go along, I'd
be delighted to hear your suggestions. I *do* have a secret
agenda, by the way, with this list -- to help demonstrate to
the wider church that electronic communication can be used
as an effective means of sharing and getting information out.
Okay, enough rambling. On today's Synod NEWSlink.
___________________________________
q u i c k t a k e s
SYNOD95 HITS THE BIG LEAGUE
Just heard this morning that both Compuserve and America
Online have selected this list, along with the Anglicans
Online! website as a featured resource in their forums.
Welcome to everyone from those two services -- we're
delighted you're with us.
MAKING IT EASIER TO SPREAD THE WORD
Many people have offered to help spread word of this list to
others -- in parish bulletins, newsgroups, and more. To
help you do just that, feel free to use this text:
Synod NEWSlink is a mailing list on the Internet, free
of charge, offering news and views from the Anglican
General Synod in Ottawa, June 1-9. To subscribe, send
e-mail to "synod95@infomatch.com" with the words:
"subscribe synod-list" (without the quotes) in the body
of the message. You'll get a welcome message back in
a minute or two. Published live from the floor of Synod,
the daily newsletter is a super way to keep track of
the national church's decision-making conference.
SYNOD ON THE WEB
Some of you already know about the Anglicans Online!
website, but I thought I'd give it a free plug here as well.
If you have the ability to browse the Internet's World Wide
Web, point your browser to this URL address:
http://infomatch.com/~haibeck/anglican.html
This website offers a number of resources about the General
Synod, its issues, agenda, a schedule of TV coverage, and
more -- plus pointers to other Anglican/Episcopal resources
on the Internet.
SYNOD NEWSlink "EXTRA"
With so many important issues and discussions coming to the
floor of Synod, trying to present everything in this capsule
form will do somewhat of an injustice to the issue. For
that reason, I'm wondering what you think about receiving an
"extra" edition of Synod NEWSlink each evening. It would be
likely be equal or shorter in length than the regular
mailing, and would feature verbatim text of an important
speech, report, or resolution. I am very conscious that
some people pay for the e-mail they receive and I don't
intend to swamp e-mail boxes. I'll send a sample with
today's mailing -- be sure to let me know if you would
appreciate such an extra or if you'd like it dropped.
ECUNET/QUEST FORMS THREE ONLINE MEETINGS
Those of you with access to the Quest/Ecunet online service
may want to check out the three meetings set up specially
for General Synod -- "chat", "news", and "reports". If you
are on Ecunet, please let people know how they can subscribe
to this mailing list if they would like.
PRAYER VIGIL UNDERWAY AT 2pm EST TOMORROW
Members of the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer will join with
people around the country to begin a continual prayer vigil
throughout General Synod beginning at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow
(June 1). The prayer tent will be located onsite, just
outside the Plenary hall.
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r e f l e c t i o n s
The first thing you notice about Ottawa is that it's hot.
Quite hot, in fact. It was 31 degrees at the peak today,
and humid. Then, you get the scenery. Ottawa is a
beautiful city of parks, canals, and river views, and
driving in to Carleton University campus, where Synod is
being held, is quite spectacular.
Most members of General Synod are arriving tomorrow.
They'll spend their time in the campus' residences, a series
of red brick buildings, connected by an amazing labyrinth of
underground tunnels. The rooms are small and somewhat run
down, but comfortable and air-conditioned. Unlike the last
Synod, dioceses are not housed in together; floors are
separated by gender, as there's only one washroom per
floor.
And then there's the Plenary room. It is, in a word, tiny.
Probably about the size of a small basketball gym. Inside
that room, they'll somehow manage to pack 30 dioceses, 350
members and staff, a presentation stage, large head table,
and a television production studio into it. Media and
guests will have to watch from a closed-circuit link piped
into another room. Luckily, it's air conditioned.
The "Commons Lounge" as well probably represented an
interesting challenge for Synod planners. It will be where
services will be held (daily Eucharists, opening
service, etc.) The Commons is a multi-level hall, with a
recessed centre block and raised seating areas -- all at
different levels -- surrounding it.
___________________________________
s n i c k e r i n g s
Q: "How many Anglicans does it take to change a light bulb?"
A: 114. (That's eight to form a committee to study the
implications of a light study, four to form a task
force to determine the make-up of the Light
Fixture working group, 30 to form the working
group.....)
-- Submitted by Patrick Fowler
Nelson, B.C. Canada
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g l a n c e s a h e a d
THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1995
7:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Registration opens for members
Daytime - Sessional committees begin work
- Video crew goes through rehearsals
12 noon Lunch
2:00 p.m. Pre-Synod orientation for first timers
and orientation for group leaders
5:00 p.m. Dinner
7:15 p.m. Gather in the Commons lounge
7:30 p.m. Opening Eucharist with Primatial address
and presentation by the Governor General
9:30 p.m. Reception
Tomorrow's highlight will be the opening Eucharist. His
Excellency the RIght Honourable Romeo Leblanc, Governor
General of Canada and his wife, Diana, will enter the hal
accompanied by the children of General Synod. The Governor
General will be with members to present officially a coat of
arms, flag and bade as developed by the heraldic Authority.
Grandfather William Commanda, a member of the Algonquian
First Nation, will be among members to pray for the
Creator's blessing upon the gathering and proceedings of
General Synod.
The Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Michael Peers,
will give his Primatial Address during the opening service.
___________________________________
i n t e r c e s s i o n
As you plan your Sunday services, or spend time in private
prayer, please keep the members of General Synod close to
your hearts this week. This prayer is taken from the
General Synod 1995 circular.
"Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and
understanding, be present with those who take counsel in
General Synod for the renewal and mission of your Church.
Teach us in all things to seek first your honour and
glory. Guide us to perceive what is right, and grant us
both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish
it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
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y o u r t u r n
"May 30 e-mail received with full clarity. Most easy to
read. I appreciated the short, precise and concise notes on
the various subjects. I am really excited about this media
for following Synod95 news. You are to be commended for all
your work. I will be sharing the subscription address with
other clergy I know in Calgary who are on-line. Hopefully,
they, too, will benefit."
-- The Rev. David Guthrie
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
(Like to add your own thoughts? Just e-mail tod@direct.ca
with the words "your turn" in the subject header.)
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CONTACT INFO: Synod95 is a read-only mailing list; any
messages you send to the list will be politely returned.
If you'd like to contact the editor, e-mail tod@direct.ca --
be warned, you may not get an answer back until after Synod.
SUBSCRIPTION INFO: To subscribe to Synod NEWSlink, send an
e-mail message to "synod95@infomatch.com" with the words
"subscribe synod-list" in the message body. To leave the
list, send an e-mail message to "synod95@infomatch.com" with
the words "signoff synod-list" in the message body.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Many thanks to Infomatch Internet, who
have donated the use of their mailing list server for
distribution of this newsletter.
THE LEGAL STUFF: You are encouraged to distribute this text
to people known to you, provided no automated mailing list
software is used to perform this forwarding function. No
fee may be charged for distribution of this text, nor can
this text be bundled with other information or programs if a
fee is charged for such package. The views expressed herein
are not necessarily those of the Anglican Church of Canada
or any sane person for that matter.
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