Hello,
Coming Up!
The next $5 Monthly Meal is Fri., Nov.6, 5pm in the Trinity Centre. We’re having beef roast with potatoes and carrots, and lemon squares for dessert. Call 705-254-1692 or email me (susan.montague2@gmail.com) to let me know you’re coming.
The Guild of St. Joseph breakfast will be Saturday, Nov.7, 9am in the Trinity Centre. A $10 donation is appreciated.
The annual Snowflake Tea and Bake Sale is Saturday, Nov.14, in the Trinity Centre, 11am – 2pm; $15.
Elvis is in the Building! Saturday, Nov.21: Come enjoy a couple of hours (2pm – 4pm) of fabulous tunes and fellowship for just $5. Elvis impersonator, Mike Catling, will be sharing his talent with us. Hotdogs $2 and other snacks and drinks available. In the new Trinity Tower Common Room. Enter through the church doors (north entrance of 360 Northern Ave. E; off Old Garden River Road). Call 705-254-1692 or email me (susan.montague2@gmail.com) to reserve your tickets – they’re going quickly!
Next movie night is Friday, Nov.27, 6pm in the Trinity Centre. We’ll be watching “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. $5 entry and all the snacks you can eat.
“Muffins & Market” is Saturday, December 5 in the Trinity Centre, 10am – 2pm; with various vendors, “new to you” table, baking, etc. Come enjoy a coffee (or tea) and muffin and browse the tables.
A Liturgical Note For You: Translations and their Trip-Ups
Since we’re acknowledging John Wyclyf this week, we should talk a little about bible translations. Not all translations are created equal (to borrow some pop culture type phrasing). Perhaps you already know that, despite the fact that there are dozens upon dozens of translations out there, only eight have been approved for use, by the Anglican Church of Canada, in our worship. (You can find this PDF on their website).
There are pretty decent translations and there are some not-so-great translations. Absolutely no translation is “perfect” since languages do not easily convert into other languages while maintaining the intended meaning – especially when the meaning is subtly nuanced. Therefore, every translation involves interpretation at some level.
Scholars have noticed that there are four basic “text-types” for all of the various translations. One of these is the “Byzantine” text-type which scholars have deemed to be the least reliable of all four types. Unfortunately, translations (such as the King James Version) that were widespread and dearly loved, were created by men who only had access to the Byzantine text-type. The most reliable is the Alexandrian text-type and, in the last century, all translations have been based on this text-type. This, clearly, leads to differences between earlier and later translations. One of the things that more recent translators did, in order to not upset the multitudes who had grown accustomed to specific wording in older translations, was that they used the older wording – knowing that it was less accurate – but they created a footnote so that readers could discover the better translation. However, most people I know don’t read the footnotes until they are pointed out to them. Most audio translations and Prayer Office websites/apps don’t provide those more accurate footnotes at all.
One such mistranslation – later corrected with a footnote – has led us into a theology not shared by the early church. What is it? Let’s talk about that next time…
For Your Devotions:
Monday, October 26th is the commemoration of Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, who died in 899. Alfred had wanted to become a monk but, with the successive deaths of the heirs to the throne ahead of him, he became king of the Anglo-Saxons in Britain instead. After defeating the invading Danish army, Alfred made a deal with their leader – “swear allegiance to Christ and be baptized and I’ll let you keep some land.” Deal! Alfred turned his efforts to repairing the cultural damage done to his people by the ravages of war and is the only English monarch to be called, “Great.” For more info… http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/60.html
Wednesday, October 28th is the Holy Day of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles. We actually know extremely little about the apostles we celebrate today but they are both thought to have come from the Zealots (the uncompromising and aggressive Jewish nationalist group who were opposed to pagan Rome). Simon is only mentioned on the lists of the apostles but Jude (actually, “Judas, not Iscariot”) is recorded as asking Jesus (in John’s Gospel) why he will choose to reveal himself only to the disciples and not to the world after his resurrection. For more information… https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saints-simon-and-jude/
Thursday, October 29 is the commemoration of James Hannington, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa and his Companions, Martyrs, 1885. This is, sadly, a short story. James spent a few years serving a parish in England but then heard of two missionaries murdered on the shores of Lake Victoria in Africa. This turned his thoughts to mission and, after being consecrated as bishop, he arrived on the shores of Lake Victoria in 1885 only to be murdered, along with his colleagues, a few days later by order of King Mwanga of Uganda. An important member of the king’s household – Joseph Musaka (a Roman Catholic) – reproached the king for the massacre and was beheaded for speaking up. This was just the beginning of the atrocities. We remember additional martyrs of Uganda on June 3. For more info, see p.320: https://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/ForAlltheSaints.pdf
Friday, October 30th is the commemoration of John Wyclyf (died 1384) and Jan Hus (died 1415), both Reformers. We’re more familiar with “Wycliffe” as the spelling of his name. John Wycliffe was disillusioned by the power and wealth of the Church. He questioned the Church’s authority and believed the ‘common people’ should have access to the Scriptures to read them for themselves in their own language. He and others translated the Bible into English and began circulating it. Wycliffe was expelled from Oxford University but, because he had the favour of some very important people, he was not burned at the stake as a heretic. One of his followers, Jan Hus, was not so fortunate. The burning of Hus provoked a rebellion among the Czechs and, after 10 years of fighting, they prevailed. For more info… http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/rel-christ05.htm
Saturday, October 31st is the commemoration of the Saints of the Reformation Era. Today we remember all those – Anglicans and Roman Catholics – who were painfully executed in the name of the Church during the Reformation Era. We remember with humility and repentance as both sides, believing their side to be “right”, did what should not have been done. The link here is a Church of England site and so the date is not the same as ours but the information is good: https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/english-saints-and-martyrs-of-the-reformation-era/
In the joy of Christ,
Susan
