TRP2661 –The Church of the Margins

Tuesday 19 MarchWeek 10

St John the Compassionate Mission

CONTEMPORARY MODEL OF CHURCH TO THE MARGINS

Michael LuciukSaskatchewan to Toronto for St John’s (2009)

LTS Student & Full Time Missionary for 4 years at St John The Compassionate

6 Years in Catechist & Liturgical Ministry

Experience with other missions

Director of Tech at a Software Company

Agenda1. St John Compassionate Mission Background

1. Foundation 2. History3. Current Ministries4. Ethos

2. Applying Mission to our context1. Church Wide2. Our Life

FoundationFr Roberto Ubertino + group of mostly Eastern Catholic Pain de Vie members

Patristic Foundation

Blake Street ~1987Near school Fr Roberto worked in as a Nurse

One months rent and no money for utilities

Children centered focus

Chapel + Common area (800 sq ft)

Homeless Phase 1994-95Moved to church at Jane and Finch – Kicked out due to people of ill-repute

155 Broadview (1995-Present)Rooming House – wifes dream

Edge of Regent Park / Immigrant Neighborhood

Gradual Transition to Single Men as primary service

Prison Ministry

Most Ministries Develop During this time

Orthodox Phase (2002-Present)Mary Morocco – Executive Director (2 years)

Fr Roberto Converts in France

Board asked Fr Roberto to come back, resigns, joins Orthodox Church

Taxis - Order

CommunityBreakfast (5-9a M-F)

Lunch (W-S)

Supper (W & Su)

Prayer Life

Drop In

“Volunteers”

Bakery

Youth and Families

St Xenia HouseTCHC Partnership

6 Room Community House

St Macrina Counseling2 full time counselors

Subsidized counseling for beyond confession

Liturgical LifeSimplified Hours and Vespers during day

Full Liturgical Cycle

St Mary of Egypt Refuge

Scarborough Mission (2015+)

St Maria of Paris LTS & St Elizabeth Brothers of Mercy

Ethos: Poverty of Loneliness and Purpose

“This is the vision of St John the Compassionate. Compassion isn’t just doing things for people, it’s revealing to people: You’re beautiful, you’re a child of God, you have value. Our society is a competitive society. We want to be the best, strong, powerful, efficient; the marginalized have become lonely and redundant. “ – Jean Vanier

Many forms of poverty

The bait and Switch of Food

Resurrection to bedbugs

Ethos: The Poor are our Masters

“'Those whom you call poor and beggars, these I proclaim my masters and helpers. For they, and they only, are really able to help us and bestow upon us the kingdom of heaven.‘” – St John the Compassionate

Ethos: Encountering God in the Other “Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” – Philippians 2

“The poor man is God” – Maximus the Confessor

“What you did to the least of Me you did unto me”

“Christ loves Joe, so I can just love him as he is. This often means suffering with, loving, and letting the suffering in! I need to hold in my heart this truth and joy, especially if Joe has forgotten it or never known it. What an immense privilege this is! "Καὶ πάντων καὶ πασῶν" ("for each and every one"). ” –Fr Roberto

(Edna)

Living Faith“Orthodoxy does not need more professors, but confessors.” – Met. Nicholas

“Ill see you at the Church” – Street Person

Two Altars“You have fallen into the heresy of social justice like the Catholics” – Priest

“The poor are a greater temple than the sanctuary; the poor are an altar that you can raise up anywhere, on any street, and offer the liturgy at any hour. If you do not find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you wont find him in the chalice. Remember the two altars…” – John Chrysostom

Lessons and Thoughts on Applying Mission

Why cant we seem do this in Orthodoxy?Charismatics

Response to Social Justice

Poverty of Resources

Systematize and bring to a parish? ◦ The problem with sandwiches◦ We need to re-learn how

The Missing DiaconateDeacons job is not liturgical role on Sunday

There is a need for waiting on tables

Lost concept of Advocacy (The Bishops Seat)

Combat Clericalism

Opportunity for women in the church

Need for Openness “They don’t realize the world is on fire outside their doors” – St Maria of Paris

Love for the world is the logical conclusion of love of Christ – Anthony Bloom

Its not about language

Trusting in God (For Real)They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?” – Ps 78

“If Only I could win the lottery”, you don’t know what your asking for…

Trusting in the Bountifulness of God (Bike)

“My strength is made perfect in weakness”– Power Destroys (Surpluses kill churches)

Mission != bums in seatsMission is an abject failure (dozen converts from the poor)

Not Preaching for their supper

God will send who you as much as you can handle

“We cant preach if we aren't among the unchurched, and that means filling their needs” Fr. Justin Matthews (FOCUS)

Serving the Weakest Among UsServe the weakest link and the rest will be taken care of – Pope Shenouda

Sermons – Speak to the weakest in confession

Amil in Saskatoon

Mission is Relational = Hard WorkGoing deep means that we really can only serve 3-4 people at a time. (Myke& Steve)

Many hands make light work (Catherine & Elizabeth)

“The most challenging person is probably the one in the most in need and sent by God” (Treva)

Its worse to have a superficial relationship than no relationship at all –Travesty of Charitable Tourism

“Be for the people, with the people“- James Bradow in Gautemala

Relationship in Tension with Boundaries- Impossible to have deep relationships with everyone (shallow in the moment)

- One needs limits

- Emotionally, Physically and Spiritually drainign

- Importance of having community as a mission and a partner (“Sent two by two”)◦ I would have quit….

Our Core Wound/Brokenness is Our MinistryAl Rossi – God prepares us for the be able to encounter another the same way he is able to encounter us. Through Suffering

“Our scars are our crowns of honor of the race in front of us”- Fr Andrew Piasta

He didn’t ask you to be perfect

Michael the Outcast

God didn’t make us to be happy…God said feed my sheep …

Fr Tom Hopko and Elaine Rossi – Are you being Fr Tom or Tom

Joyful Sorrow: Our world needs the message of the Resurrection the Good News

Your heart will break if you follow the reckless raging fury they call the love of God

Conclusion: Bringing this to your ministryWhat is my wound

Who is your weakest most awkward person – that’s probably your calling

Meet people in your neighborhood, find out what they need

The power of words, Christ could heal with one phrase

Remember the incarnation

Look through the eyes of the Resurrection