Cultures and Parishes Intersect at the Cross
Monday, January 18, 2010 at 12:00PM 
Braeden Edwards works with the table saw, under the watchful eye of Munden CoatesWarden Munden Coates calls it “the making of an Anglican.” Sixteen-year-old Braeden Edwards considers it a fun wood-working project and a cool way to take up his own style of service in the church after his recent confirmation. No matter how you look at it, wood-workers Mr. Edwards and Mr. Coates are quite literally serving as the hands of their church. Both are members of the Church of the Ascension in Arborfield, a small town an hour northwest of Melfort. Mr. Coates is also a teacher of wood-working at the local school, and Mr. Edwards is one of his grade ten students. Together they are building a six-foot-tall cross made of walnut and maple.
The result will be Church of the Ascension’s gift to the people of St Stephen’s Church, on the nearby Red Earth Cree Nation reserve, who are currently constructing a new church building.
Mr. Edwards and Mr. Coates work intently to clamp together the arms of the crossChurch of the Ascension, with an average Sunday attendance of 20, has always been paired with another parish partner. Their current partner is St Patrick’s Church in Hudson Bay, and past ones have included the churches in Red Earth and Shoal Lake.
In 2009, Church of the Ascension realized how disconnected they had become from their Christian brothers and sisters in the surrounding Cree communities, and decided to reconnect with them. Groups of parishioners began visiting the congregations and extended invitations for them to come to Arborfield. They promise more ideas and initiatives in the coming year.
A teaching moment: Mr. Coates refines the cuts in the walnut wood, as Mr. Edwards watches carefully
When Church of the Ascension heard of the new church building being built in Red Earth, they contacted the Reverend Rita Nawakayas, priest-in-charge of St Stephen’s Church, and asked to become involved in some way. She suggested the cross for the east wall, and Mr. Coates and Mr. Edwards set to work. They hope to be able to install the cross shortly before the consecration of the new building.
Their design includes a rectangular background cross in dark walnut, overlaid with a tapered foreground cross in pale maple. The choice was made in part, according to Mr. Edwards, “because of their darker colour and our lighter colour skin” meeting at the cross.
Under the watchful supervisory eye of Mr. Coates, Mr. Edwards took the lead in making careful cuts in the fine wood, crafting a beautiful final product. Mr. Edwards has been practicing wood-working since grade seven. When asked if he plans to pursue wood-working as an optional grade eleven course, Mr. Edwards answered affirmatively, stating enthusiastically, “I like wood-working.” Besides the cross, during this school year alone Mr. Edwards has also crafted a dinosaur toy for some younger children, as well as a large, decorated storage chest.
Mr. Coates, the creative mind behind the project, consulted with the men of Church of the Ascension to settle on the design for the cross. While the original idea called for a simple cross, either straight or bevelled, in one type of wood, church member Kris Gendall suggested using both cross types in two different woods, and the other men affirmed this idea. The stronger, collaborative final design demonstrates well how we as the community of Christ are strongest when we are together.
The design, crafting and gift of this cross form an innovative way for Mr. Edwards, Mr. Coates, and Church of the Ascension to “take up their cross” and follow Christ, reaching across generational and ethnic lines.
Reader Comments (4)
Good carpenters are always needed to help build the Church.
This story is an inspiration.