Truth, Reconciliation, and Dollars

 

Soon I will head to downtown Belleville for the event marking the fourth annual Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada, also known as Orange Shirt Day. In church yesterday we acknowledged this week and day and I figure that 50 or so people wore orange. The sanctuary was decorated to acknowledge this solemn commemoration -- kudos to those who did so. During the service we offered a land acknowledgment and said we were sorry the complicity of the United Church in Residential Schools. I was grateful to see that the Every Child Matters flag was still on the front of the church building given that it has been vandalized three times. 

I saw an article about several Mennonite congregations that have decided to address Truth and Reconciliation through annual financial payments as a recognition that they are situated on what was once Indigenous land. Some would argue that they still are. Here is a portion of the CBC article:

A Mennonite church in Kitchener, Ont., among four in Canada paying reparations to Indigenous people on whose land their church buildings are located, says its payments are part of efforts to "repair past wrongs."

On July 6, Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church made its first payment of $4,000, representing one per cent of the church's annual budget. 

Pam Albrecht, a member of the church's spiritual covenant working group, said the payment went to Six Nations Polytechnic — a post-secondary educational institution in Brantford. "This is in the spirit of reparation and acknowledging that there was harm done," Albrecht told CBC.

It was back in the spring of 2007 that two elders at Six Nations of the Grand River — Adrian Jacobs and Rick Hill — proposed a spiritual covenant between Canadian churches and the First Nations that first occupied the land on which the churches are built.

Jacobs, a member of the Six Nations Haudenosaunee Confederacy of the Grand River Territory in Ontario, said he began having conversations with the Mennonite community that year about "a spiritual covenant with churches."

The United Church has paid millions of dollars in compensation to those who suffered in the Residential School system, really a form in incarceration and cultural genocide. Thirty years ago the UCC established The Healing Fund that supports healing initiatives in Indigenous communities to address the ongoing impacts of the residential school system.

 I've heard of a couple of congregations that have used portions of the proceeds from selling property to support Indigenous initiatives. The notion of apportioning part of the budget of a congregation is new to me, and I'm impressed by this choice. While it may seem like a drop in the bucket it a conscious decision by these congregations to put their money where their mouths are, especially in a time when finding sufficient funds to pay the bills is a challenge. Well done. 

Walk n Roll at Trenton United Church

 

Yesterday we drove the half hour to Trenton so that we could take part in Walk n' Roll, a Trenton United Church sponsored event to raise funds for refugee sponsorship in Canada. There were about 30 of us, not including those who provided lunch at the conclusion of this walking and cycling event. More than half of the participants were from an endangered species in mainline churches -- children from infants to teens. There were a couple of families who were school friends of TUC kids and it was good to welcome them. 

It turned out to be a perfect day along the Bay of Quinte for Walk n' Roll and even though we were the oldest cyclist by about 30 years we had fun. The gathering at the waterfront home of our gracious hosts, Bill and Marie was relaxed and involved lots of play. 

So many mainline congregations have become oldline so its important to provide opportunites such as this for active engagement by young people. Their exuberance is a tonic and they are learning that people of all ages can care others in Christ's name. Rev. Isaac led us in an opening prayer for safety and a blessing over the food but the 'ligion was really in the doing. 

The Wholly Irreverent Maggie Smith

 

Reverend Mother : I shall ask Monsignor O'Hara and Lt. Souther to find a safer, and more suitable situation for you.

Deloris : Oh, no. Come on. Don't send me away. Really. I mean, I'm just startin' to get the hang of this. I mean, look. I'm not gonna endanger anyone or anything else. I swear! What about forgiveness? Isn't that what you preach? There's gotta be something around here I can do that's not gonna chip my nails or annoy anybody.

• Reverend Mother : You're right, Mary Clarence. To err is human, to forgive divine. You may stay. But I shall restrict your activities to a single task.

  Deloris : What's that?

  Reverend Mother : Singing. You will join the choir.

  Deloris : Choir? No!

  Reverend Mother : You will sleep and you will sing. That will be your task until you leave.

  Deloris : No! The choir? I mean, have you heard them?

  Reverend Mother : The choir, Mary Clarence.

You, dear regular readers, will know that I find a way to squeeze religion and/or spirituality out of just about any situation or story. In an increasingly secular society, at least at first blush, I am constantly struck by how enchanted our world is.

I'll concede that I stretch things at times and that may apply to this blog about the great and now late Maggie Smith. If there was an Oscar for scene-stealing roles Dame Maggie would have received a full mantle's worth, although she was the lead  in the powerful The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. 

The religion aspect? She was a nun, a Mother Superior no less, in Sister Act, a ridiculously improbable and fun film. Whoopie Goldberg is a lounge singer put in the witness protection program in a convent where the stern Smith as the Boss Nun tries and fails to keep her in line. 

That's all I've got for Maggie Smith as a religious person, but I really did enjoy her when she came on screen. Her imperious question "what is a weekend" as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downtown Abbey is a classic. 

Reflections on the Beauty of Creation

 

                                              Photo from Anishinaabe Wild Rice Experience

Early this morning we were canoeing on the Bay of Quinte from a launch point less than 15 minutes from home. If the canoe hadn't been attached to the roof of our vehicle last evening we might have decided that we were too creaky to head out. 

Happily, we may be old, or at least I am, but the experience of being on the water gets old. 

We commented on the empty nests of the migratory ospreys and this isn't the season for the turtles and snakes so abundant in Spring. Yet within a few minutes we'd spotted blue herons and kingfishers and egrets. On our return trip a bald eagle flew past and into a tree. We also paddled into a stand of wild rice, always surprising because getting through what appear to be fragile stalks demonstrates how strong and resilient they are. 

This junket of just over an hour on the water was meaningful in a bunch of ways. 

The wild rice is close to the mouth of the Salmon River and the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. It seemed a good place to be during Truth and Reconciliation Week, an invitation to repentance and reflection. 

This is Creation Time in the Christian year and we were surrounded by the wonders of the natural world with a sense that our human hubris must give way to humility and appreciation. 

As United Church members we are always asking where we see the signs of positive change in the midst of environmental despair and I thought of the recent update from the Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan which shared that after 30 years of effort this ecosystem continues to improve, albeit with lots still to do. 

We always feel younger at heart when we are outdoors and seeing creatures lifts our spirits. Even seeing the reflection of the water at play on the shoreline willow trees was a delight. 

Take that, arthritic knees and hips!...Is it time for a nap yet? 

Creation Time Logo 

Gender Equality Week & Jesus

 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb,  and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).

John 20: 11-16 NRSVue Mary Magdalene, 1st witness to the Resurrection & 1st evangelist 

Women, in all their diversity, should be able to fully participate in Canada’s economic, social and political life. Gender Equality Week is an opportunity to celebrate the progress Canada has made to date in advancing gender equality, while reflecting on the work that remains. 

This is a week of Weeks in Canada with recognition of trees, book banning, and gender equality -- how is that for diversity? 

The Gender Equality designation intrigues me for a number of reasons, the good, the bad, and the ugly. South of the border we've seen how misogyny and inequality have taken hold with repressive laws controlling the rights of women to make their own reproductive choices and wretched comments by a vice-presidential candidate who doesn't care for "childless cat ladies." 

Not suprisingly religion is not immune. The Southern Baptist Convention has doubled down on excluding women from leading congregations while offering tepid responses to the epidemic of male clergy sexual misconduct. 

While this is bad and ugly there is some good news. The next president of the United States could well be a woman and this would be a first. We've seen a surge of interest in women's professional sports although a star WNBA player is making 1% of the top NBA player -- hardly equality. 

In our United Church of Canada we have experienced strong leadership from moderators who are women. Several excellent books have been published exploring the role of women in the early church, often hidden in plain sight. I led a study group on Finding Phoebe: What New Testament Women Were Really Like by Susan Hylen and the discussion was excellent. 

I have yet to delve into the recently purchased Women Who Do: Female Disciples in the Bible by Holly Carey but I will get there. Both of these books were published by a company that leaned to the theological right in earlier days but in the past couple of decades has expanded its outlook. I've included a quote from the book below but I'll conclude by saying that we can continue to seek gender equality in every sphere of our lives, including our Christian faith. 

“A closer look reveals that in each of the four Gospels women were with Jesus all along. They followed him as he preached and taught and healed and performed miracles throughout Galilee, Judea, and the surrounding gentile regions. They functioned as his benefactresses, funding his ministry and providing for the others who were part of their community. 

The Gospel writers lauded many of the women whom Jesus encountered along the way, presenting them as exemplary in their faith or for their insight into who he was or what he could do. He uses women as examples of faith in his teachings and parables. Some women went toe-to-toe with Jesus on the interpretation of the Torah and what their place should be in God's Kingdom. 

And it was women who were there at the end, following the body of Jesus as he was placed in a tomb, then returning to care for it only to find that he had risen. It was these same women whom angels first commissioned with the task of “going and telling” of his resurrection to the others who followed him. Women were everywhere in Jesus's ministry.”

Medical Assistance in Dying & Children

Valérie Daigle's 11-year-old son Grégory died in August in a palliative care wing at the Fleurimont Hospital. She says she should have been able to pursue MAID for her son. (Submitted by Valérie Daigle) 

Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcome me.

If any of you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. 

Matthew 18:3-6 NRSVue

This summer a Quebec boy who lived with a number of neurological disabilities including cerebral palsy, was non-verbal and could neither walk nor eat on his own died in palliative care. Although efforts were made to mitigate his pain he suffered in his last days and his mother is convinced this was unfair She loved her child and she also hated to see his distress. She agrees with the arguments about the perils of Medical Assistance in Dying for children but feels that there are exceptions where MAID should be a compassionate option.

"Seven weeks of suffering for a child: I find this abominable. If he had suffered like that in my home, I would be speaking to you from behind bars. My little guy, [all] I could do was stroke him, reassure him the best I could but he was in pain...I don't want a child to die because he's disabled. However, there comes a time when the limit is reached and these children no longer have any quality of life and suffer a great deal."

Although Gregory died what might be considered a natural death those who are fundamentally opposed to MAID would probably point to this situation as another example of the "slippery slope" of acceptance of state sanctioned murder. I hear about Gregory and once again realize that our medical proficiency in prolonging human existence extends well beyond our ability to ensure quality of life in many circumstances.

Think back thirty years when Saskatchewan farmer Robert Latimer took the life of his severely disabled daughter, Tracey. The family couldn't access the services to address Tracey's medical needs and Latimer felt that her suffering was a form of torture. He was convicted of second degree murder and when efforts were made to lessen his sentence this was opposed by the Roman Catholic church and Evangelical groups. 

Do I have clear answers? Nope. As a Christian I will always support palliative care and hospice. I'm convinced that communities of faith have an important role as voices for the vulnerable. This doesn't mean that MAID shouild be opposed categorically, as is the case with some denominations, nor that we should avoid the difficult conversations about when it is available. It's clear that Jesus loved children and warned against causing them harm. But are there circumstances when prolonging life a form of harm? 

I pray for Gregory's family and respect that his mother had the courage to speak out. 

We can pray that with each person approaching the end of life there are efforts to provide a dignified, compassionate death and that they are enveloped in love.

An undated photo of Robert Latimer and his daughter Tracy at home. (Maclean's/The Canadian Press)

Darth Vader Reads the Bible...Honestly!

 

Darth Vader loved reciting poetry and considered reading the bible aloud an honour. Okay, this might be somewhat misleading although not an outright lie.

The actor James Earle Jones died recently at the ripe old age of 93. Jones was a stage and film actor but he was also "The Voice." In the Star War films he was Darth Vader in voice only, with another actor in the costume. He was Mustafa in the Lion King animated film and intoned "this is CNN" for years. He also recorded the New Testament and it was a bestseller. 

Jones grew up on a farm going to church every Sunday but stopped attending because a pronounced stammer left him shy and afraid to speak. A high school English teacher named Donald Crouch learned of his love of poetry and essentially tricked young James into reciting a poem in front of the class. He soon began entering public speaking competitions, the beginning of the emergence of the immediately recognizable voice of the past fifty years. 

James Earle Jones did maintain the Christian faith of his childhood. 

“It was in the Army that a Jesuit chaplain helped me understand who God really was and opened the door to which Professor Crouch had led me,” he said. “Later, on the GI Bill, I signed up with the American Theatre Wing in New York and supported myself between roles by sweeping floors of off-Broadway stages. In 1962 I earned an Obie for my role in an off-Broadway production of Othello, and have been an actor ever since.”

Jones kept up with his mentor Crouch by discussing poetry and what roles Jones would portray next. “Every time we talked it was always, ‘Hi, Jim. Read any good poetry lately?’ He was losing his sight and I remembered his early explanation of why he had memorized poetry… Though my mentor could no longer see, he was still living in a world vibrant with all of the beautiful treasures he had stored.”

Jones recalled: “About two years later I learned Donald Crouch had passed on. I thanked God for all the professor’s help and friendship. “And so, when I was asked to record the New Testament, I really did it for a tall, lean man with gray hair who had not only helped to guide me to the author of the Scriptures, but as the father of my resurrected voice, had also helped me find abundant life.”

This is a wonderful story and one we haven't heard about in the many tributes of the past two weeks. 

Oh yes, Jones was paid $7,000 for the one-day voice gig as Darth Vader in the first film and he didn't receive an onscreen credit for his work. 

                                                                           Field of Dreams 

The Constitution & Honouring the Elderly

Michele Campeau, left, visits with her mother, Ruth Poupard, 83, at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare where she is recovering from a broken hip, in Windsor. on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Poupard also suffers from dementia and requires 24-hour care. (Dax Melmer/The Canadian Press)

Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Exodus 20: 12 NRSVue

 I hope we will all pay close attention to the challenge to the consitutionality of an Ontario law that treats frail and sick elderly people like chattel. The legislation is called the More Beds Better Care Act is one of those chilling, Orwellian double-speak terms (think 1984) designed to take away the rights of our elders and their families.  I have nothing but disgust for the current government which grossly neglected the elderly living in institutions during the COVID epidemic resulting in a disproportionate number of deaths. Below is a description of what is unfolding in this challenge, according to a CBC report. 

Seven years ago my late mother's cognitive and physical health declined because of Parkinson's Disease and we had to make decisions about moving her from assisted living to nursing care. My brother was a friendly but firm advocate for her care and fortunately a helpful administrator and a social worker heard our mutual concerns. We were able to move her into an excellent nursing home situated between the two of us which kept the drive to half an hour for each.

Our elderly loved ones need the support of family and friends and moving them far away from support is cruel, especially when they are confused or infirm. They also benefit from the practical compassion of their faith communities. In many congregations there are wonderful individuals who visit what we once termed "shut-ins" and there are still clergy who visit in care homes, including our son, Isaac and our nephew Michael. They are both in their 40s but they understand the importance of this aspect of ministry. 

In several of the congregations I served we had a schedule for nursing home worship services and I was touched that a number of choir members would faithfully attend, along with pastoral care team members who would make sure our folk were brought from their rooms. In one home in Sudbury we learned to be careful not to schedule services that would coincide with Happy Hour! Words would often put residents to sleep but hymns and the sacrament of communion touched a deep place for many. 

What happened to honouring our elders, a biblical commandment? I wish that the days would not be long for this government but they seem to make these decisions without consequence.  I hope that at the very least this consitutional challenge will bring attention to those who are so often "out of sight, out of mind." 

A new charter challenge set to get underway on Monday will test the constitutionality of a controversial Ontario law that allows hospitals to place discharged patients into long-term care homes not of their choosing or face a $400-per-day charge if they refuse.

The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly and the Ontario Health Coalition argues the law, known as the More Beds Better Care Act or Bill 7, violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.The province disagrees.

One core item the court will address is whether the new law has fulfilled its purpose by improving the flow of patients. Documents filed with court reveal the two sides have reached different conclusions on that question.

Premier Doug Ford's government rammed Bill 7 through the legislature within days in September 2022, bypassing public hearings. The law allows hospital placement coordinators to choose a nursing home for a patient who has been deemed by a doctor as requiring an "alternate level of care," or ALC, without consent.

They can also share the patient's health information to such homes without consent. Patients can also be sent to nursing homes up to 70 kilometres from their preferred spot in southern Ontario and up to 150 kilometres away in northern Ontario. The law sparked outrage among seniors.

Chosen, Blessed, Broken, Given

 

While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

 Matthew 26:26-29 NRSVue

This is one of two scripture passages I'll be reading in worship this morning, a Sunday on which we'll be celebrating the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or Communion. 

Now let me share what happened yesterday. I discovered the binder of notes from from the Spiritual Direction leaders program I entered into in 1990 when I was in my mid-30s. I wasn't looking for them, I haven't seen them in years, and the binder was disintegrating in my hands.

This program began with a week-long residency involving several guests, including the late Christian theologian and mystic, Henri Nouwen. He had been a theological superstar, teaching at prestigious universities and writing popular books including The Wounded Healer but he left this behind to work in a L'Arche community. 

The day Nouwen came to us I ended up sharing lunch with him, one on one, a meaningful conversation. In my point-form jottings from that day I see that Nouwen reflected that during this last meal with his disciples a) Jesus took the bread b) Blessed it c) Broke it d) Gave it.

He went on to say that all of us are taken, or chosen by God. We are all blessed, whether we realize it or not. We are broken in some way, but we can still live out God's blessing. Then we can be a gift to the world in the name of Jesus.

Then I wrote in capital letters and with a star:

WHEN WE KNOW WHO WE ARE, WE WILL FIND OUR NEIGHBOURS , OUR NEIGHBOURS ARE IN THE HEART OF GOD. 

This is still a powerful message in a world that seems more fractured day by day. 

The discovery of these notes seemed almost providential, and then  a random tweet told me that yesterday was the anniversary of the untimely heart attack death of Henri Nouwen in 1996. He was en route to see the Prodigal Son painting by Rembrandt housed in the Hermitage in Moscow. 

Holey Moley! I'm just reading scripture this morning but I'm primed for the sermon!

Jesus Said, Feed My Million Sheep

 

Food Banks Mississauga says food insecurity is reaching 'historic highs' in the city, with one in 13 residents accessing its services. (Submitted by Food Banks Mississauga)

He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

                                      John 21:17 NRSVue

I have been trying to recall when I have been hungry in my life because I couldn't afford food. During my first year of university in Guelph I would go without eating some meals so I could scratch together enough money for a train ticket to visit my girlfriend Ruth in Kingston. We've been together for 50 years now so I'm going to say it was worth it. 

When I was a "free man in Paris" at age 19 I would sometimes walk until I was faint, only then seeking out a cheap meal. Since those early days I've never had to worry about being able to buy enough food for myself or my family. Even in the years when Ruth was clipping coupons as a smart grocery shopper there was more than enough to eat for the five of us, as well as various dog and cats along the way. We have been blessed. 

The latest report from Feed Ontario, a network of more than 1,200 food banks and hunger-relief organizations, said Tuesday that just over a million people visited a food bank in the province between April 2023 and March 2024.This isn't a million visits but a million different people who accessed these services, a dismaying record number.

Along with this, 50 percent of these agencies report concerns that they don't have the resources to respond to the soaring need. A prosperous society shouldn't force people to rely on food handouts at all -- everybody knows this. This provincial government is cold-hearted when it comes to the poor. But what would happen if food banks and meal programs just ceased to exist? 

I have mentioned that four of the congregations I served as a minister through the years ran food banks or served meals. The congregation we attend now, Trenton United, has a regular meal ministry and Ruth volunteers weekly at the Bridge St UC meal ministry that offers lunch seven days a week. A lot of the volunteers are seniors who have the time to do so and the conviction, often based on their Christian faith. I always wanted us to call them meal ministries, not programs, and created prayer schedules which included guests and workers. 

Jesus fed the hungry and told others to do so, even after his death and resurrection.  What will happen when these compassionate people aren't around to give their time or when the church buildings they support financially are closed, as is happening so often? 

Have you been blessed with food security? Jesus said, feed my million sheep. 

What Happened to Generosity?

 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 

 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NRSVue

1 We give thee but thine own, what e'er the gift may be;

all that we have is thine alone, a trust, O God, from thee.

2 May we thy bounties thus as stewards true receive,

and gladly, as thou blessest us, to thee our first-fruits give.

                                     Voices United 543

 In the earlier years of my ministry in the United Church I had generosity envy regarding our Evangelical neighbours. Mainline denominations such as the UCC were statistically parsimonious when it came to financial giving, and only the Anglicans were cheaper. Evangelicals were encouraged to contribute a biblical tithe, ten percent of their income, so the Baptists and the Pentecostals always looked good in national surveys. Were they giving ten percent? Who knows, but they gave more per capita?

I saw an article about recent stats from the United States indicating that Evangelical giving 

 According to a recent study, the proportion of evangelicals giving to church fell 13 percentage points from 2021, constituting a 17% decrease in giving.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of evangelicals gave to their local church in the 12 months prior to the study. Unfortunately, that percentage is down from 2021, when 74% of evangelicals gave to the local church. The percentage of evangelicals who gave to a nonprofit or ministry outside of church also fell from 58% in 2021 to 50% in 2024.

Among the more important discoveries in the report:

 The average evangelical donor gives 2.8% of household income to church, down from 3.2% in 2021.

· Between church and charity, the average evangelical donor’s generosity is 3.3% of household income, down from an average of 4% three years ago.

 Evangelicals who regularly read and study the Bible, pray, attend worship, and attend small group are about twice as likely to give to charity and three times as likely to give to church as those who infrequently or never engage in spiritual activities.

Average total generosity among donors is 5.1% of household income when spiritual engagement is full; 3.6% when it is high; 3.1% at moderate; and just 1.8% when spiritual engagement is low/none.

The average amount given to church or charity (or both) over the past 12 months was down 15% from 2021.

While there are likely a bunch of factors contributing to this decline I have to wonder if the fact that a growing number of people in the States who identify as evangelical are using quasi-faith, what has been described ominously as Christo-facism, to justify their negative views toward minorities and the LGBTQ2S+ community. Many do not darken the door of a church, nor are they do seem to pay attention to the teachings of Jesus. 

I highlighted the one finding that those who actually worship and pray together are far more inclined to be generous. I never wanted church to be a place where people were pressured or coerced into giving. At the same time, it is the community where we hear the Good News about God's ultimate generosity in Jesus and apprentice to be generous ourselves in every aspect of our lives.  

We can all consider how we are living love through our gifts, including what we do with our money. 

Indigenous Lives Matter

 

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout

There have been far too many deaths of Black men and women in the United States at the hands of police officers. We hear of Blacks shot dead during traffic stops or choked to death or killed in their own homes, sometimes during wellness checks. In most instances they have been unarmed. The death of George Floyd sparked the BlackLivesMatter movement, an uprising of indignation and resistance to the status quo of racism on the part of those who are expected to uphold the law equally. 

It's easy to be both indignant and smug in Canada, even though there is a disproportionate number of deaths for racialized groups in this country as well. 

Since the end of August, roughly a three week period, there have been nine deaths of Indigenous persons with police involvement across Canada. At least two were struck by police vehicles and one young man died during a wellness check. Obviously we don't know the details of these interactions yet the number is alarming enough that an emergency debate was held in the House of Commons on Monday evening. Here is a portion of a CBC report on that debate. Since then three more deaths have been identified

A New Democrat MP urged the House of Commons to put politics aside and find immediate policy solutions on Monday night, as legislators held an emergency debate following six incidents in just two weeks where First Nations people were killed by police.

The first day of the fall parliamentary session saw MPs sit until midnight in Ottawa, where they described the deaths as a tragic reminder of Canada's history of colonialism and systemic racism. 

For Nunavut MP Lori Idlout, who requested the debate, the question was not just whether these problems exist, but what lawmakers intend to do about them. In a letter to the Speaker, Idlout stressed the need to discuss "immediate measures that can be taken to save Indigenous lives, today."

She was the first to take the floor when the discussion began, telling MPs that colonialism and genocidal policies in Canada are not a part of history because they are still happening now."Those genocidal policies and the colonial attitudes we see are systemic. We see them throughout Canada," Idlout said."We see them in the education system, the health system and of course the criminal system. They resulted in the call for this emergency debate."

At the end of this month many Canadians will acknowledge the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, a recognition of the shameful history of Residential Schools. In our congregation, Trenton United, lots of us will wear orange the day before during Sunday worship. The Every Child Matters flag at Trenton UC has been vandalizes several times but it has been replaced and will fly that day. 

I have to wonder whether the House of Commons debate will be another exercise in virtue signalling rather than a step toward change. The ongoing loss of life reminds us that we haven't achieved reconciliation. Creator God, help us get there. 

Trenton United Church

Remembering Lois Wilson, Good & Feisty Servant

                                  Rev. Lois Wilson in 2010. (Photo courtesy of Hugh Wesley/Broadview)

 I'm not surprised to hear of the death of former United Church moderator Lois Wilson but her passing is a solemn moment for our denomination. I heard Ms. Wilson speak in person on several occasions and while she was tiny in stature she was a feisty, engaging, inspiring presence, filling any venue. I was surprised and delighted when she was named to the Canadian Senate. I figured she wouldn't do stodgy well and she only served four years in that role.

In many respects she embodied the United Church ethos as described in this tribute sent out from my seminary alma mater, Emmanuel College. Well done, good and faithful servant!

Remembering Lois M. Wilson, 1927–2024

Victoria University in the University of Toronto mourns the passing of the Very Rev. Hon. Dr. Lois Miriam Wilson Hon. 7T8, who died in hospital in Fredericton, N.B., on Sept. 13 at age 97.

At the time of her death, Rev. Wilson was the Distinguished Minister in Residence at Emmanuel College, a position she held since 2010. She also served as Ecumenist in Residence at the Toronto School of Theology and was a Fellow at Massey College. She received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Victoria University in 1978.

Born in Winnipeg on April 8, 1927, Rev. Wilson achieved many firsts over her long and remarkable career in ministry. She was the first woman to serve as president of the Canadian Council of Churches (1976–1979), first woman Moderator of the United Church of Canada (1980–1982) and first Canadian president of the World Council of Churches (1983–1991). In 1998, she was appointed to the Senate of Canada, where she served until 2002.

Rev. Wilson was also the author of 10 books, and in 2022 was the subject of a collection of essays written by her former colleagues called For the Sake of the Common Good: Essays in Honour of Lois Wilson.

Presenting an honorary degree at Emmanuel’s 2019 Convocation, Rev. Wilson offered the following advice to the new graduates: “Remember you are the salt of the earth—and not called to be the whole stew! Your calling, then, is to equip the laity to bring distinctive flavour to their several worlds, and to ensure the voice of the United Church is raised effectively in the public square on issues critical to the common good.”

Victoria University extends “deep condolences to Rev. Wilson’s family and loved ones, and to the many people whose lives she touched over the course of her life and work,” said Principal Kim-Cragg.

“Rev. Wilson made her mark as a fearless and creative feminist theologian, bold global justice activist and Christian prophet,” said Rev. Dr. Kim-Cragg, principal of Emmanuel College. In her various roles, Rev. Wilson “brought a passion for peace, ecological justice and human rights and helped the church focus its attention on nuclear disarmament, gender justice, interfaith dialogue and its relevance to the public.”

She also made her impact on theological education, said Principal Kim-Cragg, who described Rev. Wilson as having a “considerable influence on the students and faculty of Emmanuel College” through her leadership, compassion and wisdom.

Read more about Rev. Wilson’s extraordinary life: 
 
The United Church of Canada