Service of Lamentation

On the Friday of Easter Week, April 14, 2023, a group of clergy and lay from Christ Church Cathedral working with folks from the regional healthcare organizations; Providence and Vancouver Coastal Health, under the oversight of the Diocese of New Westminster presented the second annual Service of Lamentation, a liturgy “for all living through the Opioid Crisis”. The service took place at 2pm in the chancel of the diocesan cathedral with approximately 50 people in attendance, about double the attendance of the 2022 inaugural. 

The speaker was Philip Murray, Spiritual Care Practitioner, Vancouver Coastal Health. He began his address by reminding all those present of the facts:

“It was seven years ago today on April 14, 2016, when the provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall declared a public health emergency “due to the significant rise in opioid-related overdose deaths reported in B.C.” At the time, the rate of deaths caused by illicit opioid use had been rising from 369 in 2014 (or 7.8 people per 100,000), to 993 in 2016 (20.4/100,000).

Fentanyl entered the illicit drug supply in 2017, and the number of deaths increased to almost 1500, or 30.3 per 100,000. Harm reduction strategies were implemented across BC with tentative explorations into providing access to a safe supply began, decreasing the number of deaths by 37% in 2019. It seemed that things were improving until another public health emergency arrived in 2020 resulting in fear, isolation, and orders to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 1767 people died in 2020 (34.3 per 100,000), 2310 people died in 2021 (44.3 per 100,000), and 2293 people died in 2022 (43.1 per 100,000). In March 2023, the BC Coroner’s Service published a report identifying that more than 11,000 British Columbians have died since the declaration of the public health emergency. And in January of this year, the last month for which we have data, 211 people died*. That is almost 7 lives lost, each day, from using opioids. These are the numbers, the statistics.” 

Participants in the service included the Cathedral’s team of: Deacon, the Reverend Alisdair Smith, who read a letter from Brenda Bailey, Vancouver-False Creek MLA; Chaplain at St. Jude’s Anglican Home, Rejoice Anthony who read the Epistle, Romans 8:22-23, 26-27, 31-39 and led the Prayers of Intercession; Susan Cruickshank who welcomed the members of the congregation as they arrived. A sextet consisting of members of Cathedral Choir led by the Cathedral’s Organist and Director of Music, Rupert Lang led the music in worship; the Reverend Clare Morgan, an associate priest on staff played a prelude on the harp; members of the Cathedral’s Healing Touch and Healing Prayer ministries were available for those people present in need of prayers and comfort. Executive Archdeacon for the Diocese of New Westminster, the Venerable Philippa Pride representing Bishop John Stephens welcomed the congregation and offered a blessing prior to the procession out. Elder Glida Morgan of the Tla’amin Nation gave the Territorial Acknowledgement and joined the speaker, Philip Murray at the conclusion of his address to sing a version of “Amazing Grace”.

A significant part of the ceremony was The Lamentation Tree. Branches drawn on presentation board with accompanying paper leaves. People were invited to write names of victims of the opioid crisis memorial messages on the leaves and then affix them to the tree. The Lamentation Tree was available in the narthex until it was processed through the nave and into to the chancel by two Providence Health Care students, who placed it by the Paschal Candle during the chanting of Psalm 13, led by members of Cathedral Choir. Following the order of service established in 2022, the students later read Jan Richardson’s poem, "Blessing When the World is Ending":

Look, the world
is always ending
somewhere.

Somewhere
the sun has come
crashing down.

Somewhere
it has gone
completely dark.

Somewhere
it has ended
with the gun
the knife
the fist.

Somewhere
it has ended
with the slammed door
the shattered hope.

Somewhere
it has ended
with the utter quiet
that follows the news
from the phone
the television
the hospital room.

Somewhere
it has ended
with a tenderness
that will break
your heart.

But, listen,
this blessing means
to be anything
but morose.
It has not come
to cause despair.

It is simply here
because there is nothing
a blessing
is better suited for
than an ending,
nothing that cries out more
for a blessing
than when a world
is falling apart.

This blessing
will not fix you
will not mend you
will not give you
false comfort;
it will not talk to you
about one door opening
when another one closes.

It will simply
sit itself beside you
among the shards
and gently turn your face
toward the direction
from which the light
will come,
gathering itself
about you
as the world begins
again.

Following the reading of the poem, Cathedral Choir members led the singing of the five verses of "Amazing Grace", Archdeacon Pride offered the Blessing, and Pipe Major Andrew Hayes led the presenters out of the chancel and through the nave to the sound of bagpipes.

(Philip Murray’s address is available here on the diocesan website in video, audio and text.)

The Honourable Brenda Bailey’s letter is reproduced above and also linked here and below.  

*On April 17, 2023 it was reported that there were 600 deaths due to overdose in BC January-March 2023

IMAGES

• Philip Murray's address
• The Reverend Clare Morgan plays a prelude prior to worship 
• In the narthex with The Lamentation Tree
• Elder Glida Morgan 
• A view of the northside of the chancel during the Territorial Acknowldegement
• Archdeacon Philippa Pride
• A view of the southside of the chancel during Archdeacon Pride’s welcome  
• Members of Cathedral Choir and Dr. Rupert Lang in the organ/choir loft
• The Reverend Alisdair Smith reads the letter from MLA, Brenda Bailey
• Reader, intercessor and event organizer, Rejoice Anthony
• The Lamentation Tree is processed in by Providence Health students.
• Philip Murray speaking
• Providence Health students reading “Blessing When the World is Ending”
• Pipe Major Andrew Hayes
• The Procession Out