In our culture and society today the church is considered a non-profit organization. Which is absolutely true when you look at the church through the lens of our consumer culture. The mission of the church to proclaim the good news of Christ, to encourage the restoration of right relationships between us and God and between us as human beings, is not for monetary gain. Our mission is driven by a foundation of compassion and generosity.

I was reflecting this week on how the good work we do here at St. George’s reflects that foundation how we together as a church family act with generosity in our hearts to compassionately reach out to those in need in our community both physically and spiritually.

“Our mission is driven by a foundation of compassion and generosity.”

It is with generous compassion that we reach out to the physical needs of our community through our work with the Halton Fresh Food Box and the Georgetown Bread Basket.

It is with generous compassion that we reach out to the spiritual needs of each other and our neighbours through our regular worship services in the church and in the community, through our pastoral visiting, our monthly Messy Church gatherings, and summer kid’s camp program.

Together through our volunteering and through our generous donations we support a ministry that reaches out with kindness and care physically and spiritually. All these things, for our ministry here locally and our support of the work of the greater church, combine as part of our compassionate response to the needs of the wider community around us.

I also was reflecting on the ongoing of reconciliation and healing between us as a church and as a nation with indigenous peoples in Canada.

This past Sunday, Canadian Anglicans marked the National Aboriginal Day of Prayer. Two years ago, we marked that day by participating in special gathering called the Blanket Exercise. It was a powerful rite that helped us grow in compassion and understanding for Canada’s poor treatment Indigenous people.

As a result we organized a parish visit to the Woodland Cultural Centre guided by Fr. Norm Casey of the six-nations parish and his parish. It was a powerful and informative visit.

Also many of us, myself included, signed a petition to encourage the Ontario government to encourage education in our public school about Indigenous people, following a recommendation from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“we must humbly seek, with compassion and generosity, to return to right relationship with this continent’s indigenous peoples.”

The work of our national church and Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has helped us see, both nationally and as a church, that to love our indigenous neighbours we must humbly seek, with compassion and generosity, to return to right relationship with this continent’s indigenous peoples.

Just as I commend to you the good work we are doing together here at St. George’s to build right relationships with each other, I commend to you today the continuing work of our diocese and our national church in compassionate ministry of reconciliation and healing between us and indigenous peoples.

Our consumer culture may only find value in dollars and cents, but that’s not how we work. Our currency is the Good News of Jesus Christ. It’s richness is founded in God’s generosity and Christ’s compassion. Our greatest profit is the restoration of right relationships.