How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity…
For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life for evermore.  Psalm 133:1,3b

TOGETHER for the love of the world

“The first Joint Assembly of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) will take place in Ottawa, July 3 to 7, 2013. This national meeting will gather more than 800 Christians for worship, fellowship, and important ministry decisions.”

The statement above is taken from the new website created especially for the event next week in Ottawa.  If you want more information now, and ways to be informed during the Assembly, check it out.  You can connect here, at jointassembly.ca .

I’m looking forward to being there as a Member of General Synod for the first time.  I attended four ELCIC National Conventions as a Delegate, including Waterloo in 2001, when the Waterloo Accord was signed, and then worked as National Staff at the next four National Conventions, including the one here in Winnipeg where we shared a whole day together using the Eucharist as the framework for a celebration of our Full Communion life at six years.

Now, essentially, we’re going to spend five days together in Ottawa.  Please, if you’re online, if you have some time, follow along.  Even if you only do e-mail, you can sign up here to get e-mail updates in your inbox.  This is your church, even if you can’t be there in person, it’s your church at work, in Full Communion partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, together, for the love of the world.

We’ve been praying in our worship both for the Joint Assembly as a whole, and for the group attending from Rupert’s Land.  Please keep the prayers flying during the week.  It will be wonderful to have that support as we work together in the coming week.  Thanks very much, on behalf of your Rupert’s Land delegation:

The Rt. Rev. Donald Phillips
The Very Rev. Paul N. Johnson
Mr. Bernie Beare
The Rev. Deacon Helen Hunter
Dr. June James
The Rev. Mary Lysecki
Mr. Ian Silk
The Rev. Canon Dr. Murray Still
Dr. Christopher Trott
Ms. Tannis Webster

Thanks be to God!