The tenth Graduation Eucharist for the Diocese of New Westminster’s, EfM group took place on Wednesday, June 4th at St. Timothy’s in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Burnaby and it would be the first EfM Graduation Eucharist during the episcopacy of the Right Reverend Melissa Skelton. During the course of the liturgy, 12 new graduates of the now 230 total grads of the D of NW program received their certificates from Bishop Melissa Skelton.
The nave of the church filled-up early and was completely full by the commencement of worship at 7:30pm. There were many in the congregation with connections to the graduates and to the EfM community but there was certainly a contingent present to take advantage of the opportunity to hear Bishop Melissa Skelton preach. For her text the Bishop’s primary focus was the Gospel, John 17: 11b-19. She began her sermon by taking the congregation with her back in time to a party in Tennessee in 1978 where and when, she as a new member of the Episcopal Church, spouse of a first year Episcopal seminarian and mother of two young children was seeking a “real experience of community” first heard about EfM. As the program was described to the young mother by another guest at the party, she realized that this was what she was looking for at this point in her life and in her faith journey and she committed to the program. Needless to say, Melissa became very much a part of EfM, immersed herself in it and after three years she was asked to become a trainer. She agreed, which at the time gave her the distinction of being the youngest EfM trainer in the Episcopal Church. Bishop Melissa stressed the importance of “community” and how EfM students study, read, pray and participate in theological reflection TOGETHER.
She then continued to examine the Gospel text and its relevance to EfM. This passage contains Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer,” his final prayer for himself, for his disciples and for all those who in the future will be brought to faith by the disciples. The Greek word “COSMOS” is repeated 18 times and Jesus uses the word in three different ways.
1. To mean in the world, the world as a physical location.
2. The world without the love of God in Christ. That is not the kind of world we want to live in and therefore we (the disciples [people of faith]) are not of the world.
3. To be sent into the world, as we have been made “odd” by our faith in Christ, we have been changed, transformed.
EfM is the education of those who are to be sent into the world to further God’s mission. The graduates honoured on June 4th made the commitment to learning and formation for four years and are now prepared to live into their Call to Christian service.
If you are interested in learning more about EfM in the Diocese of New Westminster please contact the Reverend Anne Anchor, and to keep in touch with the D of NW EfM check out the Facebook page.
Images: Top and homepage, Bishop Melissa congratulates Linda Bourne of the St. Paul’s, Vancouver EfM group as her mentor/classmate Ross Bliss looks on. EfM Graduate, Polly Betterton of All Saints, Mission, the Server for the Eucharist in the background. Upper right, Bishop Melissa hands the certificate to Ross Bliss. Ross was both an EfM Mentor and a student in the St. Paul’s, Vancouver group. Ross will travel to Eastern Canada to begin his seminary studies later in the summer. Ross is a postulant for ordination to the priesthood in the Diocese of New Westminster. Middle left, the Reverend Jennifer Burgoyne, St. Thomas, Chilliwack mentor and deacon gets a special greeting from the Bishop as days earlier Jennifer had suffered a fall and will be in recovery for many weeks. Lower middle, an enthusiastic and prolonged passing of the Peace. Below, the 2014 EfM grads, mentors and the Bishop.
