Consumerism Versus the Real Meaning of Christmas

During the holidays there is the constant push to find the perfect gift. Department stores and product lines inundate us with the message that we must purchase expensive or unique gifts in order to display our love and affection. Commercials love to tell us that the meaning found in all gifts is in its extravagance. As last year’s Canadian Tire commercial unabashedly declared, “Why purchase an ordinary looking sweater when you can purchase a snow-blower?” The lesson was clear, the purchase of a $150 snow blower for my wife would be a more thoughtful, romantic and meaningful gift than a $60 sweater.

Sadly, this is a lie that so many by into. It is a lie upon which the frenzied chaos (and sometimes violence) of Black Friday. Cyber-Monday, and Boxing Day is built upon. Recently, the company Cards Against Humanity attempted to highlight this lie, and expose the manner in which blind consumerism hijacks the true celebration of the holidays.

Anglican Voices in Defense of the Planet

Anglicans are being urged to join the global conversation on climate change. The online campaign Our Voices: Bringing faith to the climate, "is a profound invitation to people of all faiths around the world to raise their voices and add their perspectives in political discussions about climate change," says the Rev. Canon Ken Gray, secretary and communications manager of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network (ACEN).

Anglican, Lutheran leaders offer a Pastoral Message on Climate Change

A Pastoral Message on Climate Change from the heads of Anglican Church of Canada, The Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America , and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada published on September 19, 2014.

We are united as Christian leaders in our concern for the well-being of our neighbors and of God’s good creation that provides life and livelihood for all God’s creatures. Daily we see and hear the evidence of a rapidly changing climate. Glaciers are disappearing, the polar ice cap is melting, and sea levels are rising. Incidents of pollution- created dead zones in seas and the ocean and toxic algae growth in water supplies are occurring with greater frequency. Most disturbingly, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising at an unprecedented rate. At the same time we also witness in too many instances how the earth’s natural beauty, a sign of God’s wonderful creativity, has been defiled by pollutants and waste.

Answering the Call to Environmental Stewardship

The Anglican Diocese of Montreal's Stewardship of the Environment committee is proud to announce the launch of its social media platforms. This launch signals our efforts to play a more active role in raising awareness about environmental issues and provide a platform for action across the Diocese. This initiative is informed by the Anglican Communion's fifth Mark of Mission: "To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew life of the earth."