Leaving with a ‘heart overflowing with gratitude’
Archbishop Linda Nicholls
August 30, 2024
One of the ways we deepen joy in our lives is by the practice of gratitude. The worries and pains of daily life can easily
One of the ways we deepen joy in our lives is by the practice of gratitude. The worries and pains of daily life can easily
On Sept. 15 I am beginning a transition of vocation after almost 39 years of ordained ministry. I will still be an ordained bishop but without a particular role in a parish or diocese or national office. I will be “retired.” In the past months of reflection on this transition I’ve begun wondering, first, what it will be like to not have the responsibilities of the primacy or a diocese to occupy my heart and mind. I’ve begun to acknowledge the losses of role and identity I’ll experience—losses I both long for and anticipate with sadness.
As I write this in late March, I’m mindful that we recently passed t the fourth anniversary of the start of the lockdowns due to the pandemic. In March 2020 we were suddenly confined to our homes, shocked at the speed with which COVID-19 caused chaos. We wondered whether the church would survive being unable to gather in person.
Recently I spoke with a group of new clergy at a post-ordination gathering. They are all in the early years of ministry and bring enthusiasm and energy to their desire to serve the gospel. I was envious as I recollected my own enthusiasm in ministry 39 years ago. However, I also recalled times when I was too sure that I knew the “right” way to do things and held too firmly to one perspective, missing the grace of needed nuances or of different ways of being or doing.
Human beings were created by the love of God for love of God and neighbour, expressed in a variety of ways through friendship, marriage, family
There is great excitement when someone in your family or parish is ordained. A sense of pride and joy permeates the congregation and there are
As a student I loved September! The beginning of a new school year meant a fresh start with a new teacher and a stack of
The outbreak of war in the Holy Land began with the horrific attack by Hamas on civilians in Israel and escalated to an attack on—and,
In September the internet was flooded with “first day of school” pictures—the photos parents had taken of their offspring standing on the porch, backpacks filled
When I moved to London, Ont. I was immediately struck by the community spirit here, something I’ve rarely experienced in much larger cities. Almost everyone
Writing only days after the conclusion of the Assembly and General Synod 2023 held in Calgary, let me reflect on some aspects of this synod
One of the joys of travelling again for me is the opportunity to see the diversity of our church from sea to sea to sea.
We live in a world of acronyms—especially as Anglicans! BAS, BCP, PWRDF, ACoC, CoGS, HofB* … All are ways to refer quickly to something that
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where will my help come?” (Psalm 121:1) This cry speaks to our hearts as we look
On Ash Wednesday we committed ourselves to a season of “prayer, fasting and self-examination.” We all know that we fail to fully live into our
The conversation about medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada began out of a desire to ease the transition to death for terminally ill people experiencing intractable pain and suffering. After discussion and debate, Canada in 2016 legally permitted access to MAID for adults facing imminent death due to terminal illness, if they were deemed to be suffering intolerably.
Teachers quickly discover there are a variety of learning styles in any classroom. Some students need to move; they experience learning through their bodies. Others
In 1979, 16-year-old Jadav Payeng dreamt of reforesting an island in the Brahmaputra River near his home in India. More than 40 years later, 550 hectares of forest now is home for wildlife and lost biodiversity has been restored. He did that by planting one tree every day since 1979.
During the summer it was announced I had been elected to the Anglican Communion’s primates’ standing committee as the regional primate of the Americas, succeeding
At the end of the Eucharist we often are dismissed with the words, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,” reminded that the
Anglican News Canada is a ministry of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada
© 2025 Anglican Journal. All Rights Reserved.
