A Word from The Rector: National Indigenous Day of Prayer
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Friends,
June 21 is both National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada and the National Indigenous Day of Prayer in the Anglican Church of Canada. At its heart, this day invites us into wonder.
We are entering those long June days when the beauty of the earth is fully on display, when the light lingers late into the evening and creation seems to open itself before us. The mountains, the water, the cedar, the shoreline, the creatures, and the sky all bear witness to the Creator whose glory fills the earth. It reminds me of the words from Isaiah: “Lift up your eyes on high and see,” nourishing reminders to look at the beauty of God in our kin, brother sun, sister water, and our neighbour, in a time when people are so easily divided from one another.
I am reminded of this again when Psalm 19 tells us that long before we were born, and long before this parish had a name, “The heavens are telling the glory of God.” This is a truth Indigenous peoples have lived, prayed, sung, taught, and carried on these lands for generations. Their cultures, languages, stories, artistry, wisdom, humour, kinship, and prayer are living gifts, carried forward with strength and beauty.
National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day to honour and celebrate the richness and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, including the Indigenous neighbours and communities with whom we share this land. Their lives and cultures bear witness to the Creator’s glory in ways the wider church is still learning to notice and honour.
In the Gospel of John, we hear that “the Word became flesh and lived among us.” God’s love did not remain general or distant. It became local, touchable, and particular, in a body, a place, a people, a language, and a home. Because of that, Christian faith cannot hover above the world. It must touch the ground. It must live here, on this land, among these neighbours, with gratitude, humility, honesty, and love.
I also commend to you the Anglican Church of Canada’s reflection for this day from Archbishop Shane Parker, Primate, and Archbishop Chris Harper, Presiding Elder of Sacred Circle. They describe June 21 as a time “to celebrate the diverse expressions of Anglicanism in Indigenous communities across Canada” and to recommit to healing, right relationship, and renewed life in Christ. You can read their full message here:
Join me this weekend, as you are able, as we give thanks for the Creator’s glory in creation, and for the cultures, prayers, and gifts of Indigenous neighbours.
May this day deepen our gratitude, widen our love, and give light to our eyes.
Blessings,
Alex+