Cultivating Good Soil: A Place at the Table. Saturday, August 29

Yesterday was a very full but rich day for all of us. We began the morning by thinking about vocation and calling, and about how we can live into who God is calling us to be now in the Church. There was a real emphasis on recognizing that wherever we find ourselves at this moment, that is our vocation; that is our calling.

Our morning began with the Votive Eucharist of the Holy Spirit, followed by a panel discussion in which I had the opportunity to share something of my own story of vocation and calling.

My own vocational story began in South Africa and continued when I came to Canada. But I think the point I wanted to make was that the seeds we sow—or the seeds that are sown in our lives through mentors, teachers, and guides along the way—all prepare the ground for what will come next.

For me, some of those early influences included my mother, a very devout and godly woman, as well as teachers at school and the mentors and leaders of a youth group I joined in South Africa. Looking back, I can see how those people were sowing seeds long before I could know what they might become.

I also spoke about the willingness of the Church to embrace young people, not simply as the token youth representative on a committee or council, but as full members of the Body of Christ. When I was young in South Africa, I was invited to be part of a parish council. I really believe that was formative for me because it told me that I had a place at the table.

That matters.

In the afternoon, we invited a number of lay and ordained leaders, mostly from the Diocese of Niagara, to share their own stories of vocation and calling with the youth. Sister Elizabeth Anne, the Ven. Ros Elm, and Su McLeod spent time with us, each bringing a different perspective and experience.

Sister Elizabeth Anne spoke about what it is like to live in community and about how her life and vocation are shaped by the discipline of regular prayer and the saying of the Daily Offices in community. It was a wonderful reminder that vocation is not only about what we do, but about the patterns and practices through which God continues to form us.

There was plenty of time for community as well. The afternoon included an outdoor hike and free time, and the evening gave us a chance to laugh together during a Family Feud social before gathering again for Evening Prayer.

Today we turn more intentionally toward imagining what a potential youth council for the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario might look like.

Following this morning’s Pontifical Solemn Eucharist, the youth will begin a session of Youth Council Envisioning. Later in the day, they will spend time thinking about Youth Voice and Leadership, reflecting together on what they have heard, seen, and felt during the gathering. This evening, I will join them for an “Ask Me Anything” session, followed—quite fittingly—by a group activity called “A Seat at the Table.” 

There is something wonderfully hopeful about that.

The youth who are gathered here are extraordinary. They are funny. They are willing. They are open to receiving the gifts God has given them, and they are already using those gifts in their churches.

I am not surprised by this, but I am deeply encouraged by it. The young people of our province are dedicated and deeply committed Christians. They are leaders in their own right.

As we begin this next part of our gathering, please pray for us. Pray especially for these young people as they imagine what it might mean to have a stronger provincial voice and a place at the table in the life of our Church.

I feel very, very blessed to be here.

+Anne

Archbishop Anne Germond

Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario