Lion Lamb - St. Paul's United Church

Anybody Listening?

2012-01-28T01:12:00.000-08:00

While at the Epiphany Explorations conference in Victoria a man who looked very old and very frail circulated a petition opposing the Northern Gateway pipeline which will cross British Columbia. He walked up the slight grade of the sanctuary as though he was climbing in the Rockies but he was determined to give everyone a chance to sign. I know that this guy has been committed to social issues for a lifetime, motivated by his Christian faith.

The hearings about the pipeline are underway in the first location, Edmonton, and those "radical activists" federal Natural Resources minister Joe Oliver complained about are at the microphones. One of them is Derwayne Buffalo, a Cree father of eight. The Globe and Mail reported his comments this way:

“This is the first time I’ve ever spoken to one of these. All my life, all I ever did was work. Work and hunt,” said Mr. Buffalo, 46, his two long braids coming out from under a Detroit Tigers baseball cap. The proposed pipeline would interrupt animal migration and put the environment at risk, he told the panel. “I’m glad that they’ve let us speak on our beliefs,” he added.

Hmm, sounds like a trouble-making tree-hugger to me. I'm thrilled that hundreds of stakeholders have asked to speak at these hearings. I hope that the process is long and laboured. I wish we had the "precautionary principles" that some nations employ so that those proposing potentially disruptive developments had to prove the safety of their projects. I'm glad that the old guy was gathering names, whatever the outcome. It's time we spoke up.

Thoughts?

Speaking Christian

2012-01-27T01:40:00.000-08:00

One of the presenters at the conference I attended was Marcus Borg, a prolific writer and favourite of so-called "progressive" Christians. It strikes me as a rather smug, self-important way of describing one's self, but Borg is neither smug or self-important. I do not share his conclusions about the metaphorical nature of the gospels and letters, but I have read several of his books and appreciate his thoughtfulness.

For that reason I wanted to actually hear him and he didn't disappoint. His latest book is Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning and Power --AND HOW THEY CAN BE RESTORED. That's quite a mouthful for a book title, but it does describe his mission.

He offered that an increasingly secularized society is one reason that we are losing the ability to "speak Christian" and another is the misunderstanding and distortion of Christian words by those who assume they are fluent.

Borg shared with us that half of his first year students in the New Testament course he teaches have never attended a church service other than for weddings or funerals. He gets these students to take ten minutes to write an essay called Me and Christianity. He gets responses such as "I don't know much about the Bible, but I think there's a story in it about a guy in a fish." And "I don't know much about Christianity, but I think that Christians are really against trespassing." Apparently we Christians have major boundary issues! Borg points out that these are bright students, but they are Christianly illiterate.

He figures that we begin our literacy program "in house" by reconsidering the key words and phrases. I could say more, but maybe you should just read the book.

Are you fluent in Christianity or do you feel that you just have a few snippets of the language? I tell people I speak cereal box French -- I could never carry on a conversation even though I have some vestiges of public and high school French. Do you wish you were more conversant? Does it matter?

Faithful Hope

2012-01-26T01:33:00.000-08:00

Anna, the 21-year-old daughter of the friends I stayed with in Victoria is a lovely, intense young woman with a quick sense of humour. She is passionate about eating well, goes faithfully to the gym, cares deeply about the state of the planet. She is also dubious to the point of being pessimistic about the possibilities for her life given our general disregard for sound environmental practices. She is disheartened by governments which seem willing to squander her future for political power in the present.

Because Green Party leader Elizabeth May is her MP and was an evening speaker at the Epiphany Explorations conference I offered to buy Anna a ticket to attend. She showed up at the last possible moment but was immediately engaged with May's empassioned presentation which included reflections on her own Christian faith. My young friend clapped enthusiastically at various times, then leapt to her feet at the end to lead the rest of us geezers in an ovation. I asked if she wanted to stay for the Q&A and she looked at me as though I was crazy. She wasn't going anywhere!

On the bus ride home Anna admitted she need the shot of hope which May provided. She talked about wanting to live out her faith in practical ways. I encouraged her to contact Elizabeth's office and ask about volunteering in some capacity. She thought she might.

I was struck that this vivacious young woman would need encouragement. She seems to have so much going for her. It was a reminder that thoughtful young adults struggle to find hope with so many dark clouds on the horizon.

What can we do to en-courage our young people? How do we nurture their hope and their faith?

Hopeful

2012-01-25T01:29:00.000-08:00

Just so you know, I hate jetlag. I am back in Ontario after the Epiphany Explorations conference. As with the past two years, there were presenters whose work I knew before attending and some who were pleasant surprises. One of those surprises was Martin Brokenleg, a therapist, and professor of aboriginal theology at the Vancouver School of Theology. He offered insights into what community means in First Nations cultures in ways that it are difficult for our individualistic dominant culture to understand. I really appreciated his insights and his humour.

I thought of Dr. Brokenleg as leaders from 400 native communities gathered in Ottawa yesterday to meet with federal government officials. There are treaty settlements to be negotiated and ongoing discussions about aboriginal autonomy. I wonder if we will ever really comprehend the cultural differences which have led to centuries of misunderstanding and heartache.

Brokenleg acknowledged the brokenness but he is also a hopeful person. he is the co-author of a book called Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future. He offered an approach to healing which was grounded in culture. I pray that something worthwhile comes out of this one-day summit.

Have you followed the news about this gathering? Are you hopeful?

Contagion

2012-01-24T01:59:00.000-08:00

Planes are great places to see movies that you might not otherwise give a chance. On my flight to Victoria I chose Contagion becauseI had already viewed the best options amongst the others available. I was surprised to see that it stars Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law. Yet I hadn't heard anything about it. And there are lots of strong reviews.

This may astonish you, but Contagion is about a contagious disease which sweeps around the world killing millions. It begins with a bat in China, which infects a pig, which is chosen by a chef in a restaurant in Hong Kong, who shakes hands with an American woman there on business, who brings the virus back to Minneapolis, and... This is how it unfolds and it is rather scary, especially when you are watching the film while in a sealed tube hurtling through the air, with the guy in the seat across the aisle blowing his brains out in the throes of a cold.

Of course mayhem ensues in some places as desparation grows, and it is entirely believable. There is no real strategy for this level of contagion. Governments aren't equipped for mass hysteria and our assumptions about civility are naive. Except for one brief scene in which a nun is providing support in a makeshift hospital there is no suggestion that religious folk might be active in addressing an epidemic. In other times and places they have been caregivers based on a sense of a higher calling to compassion. I have to wonder whether that would be the case today. Would I chose to help the helpless or turn my home into a bunker?

What do you think? Would you be selfish or selfless in the midst of an epidemic or natural disaster? Do we have a higher calling as Christ's people or is it every person for him or her self when push comes to shove?

Listen Up...or Down

2012-01-23T01:31:00.000-08:00

This is God's wondrous world

and to my listening ears

all nature rings and round me rings

the music of the spheres

This is the revised first verse of a traditional hymn, and one of my favourites. Apparently it's not a favourite of the US Navy. There is a listening project underway out here on the Left Coast, an eight hundred kilometre "necklace" on the sea floor with sensitive equipment used to pick up the sounds of the sea, everything from whales, to ships, to drilling equipment. That's where the military comes in. Tracking these sounds will include what are perceived as sensitive military operations, so the navy just doesn't like what is unfolding.

Of course we know the world is all about the needs of the military. Take a listen to some of the underwater soundtracks offered up on the BBC website. I figure God delights in the sounds of the whales and doesn't have a lot of time for the cloak and dagger concerns of the navy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-16555916

Thoughts?

Faith Explorations

2012-01-22T01:21:00.000-08:00

I am at a conference in Victoria called Epiphany Explorations, the same conference I have attended the past two years, although with different presenters each time. I find that when I attend conferences it is because of at least one "star" presenter, then discover a bunch of other people who are wise and thoughtful and lead my into a deeper understanding of my faith.

As I have written before, the United Church includes three weeks of continuing education in every year, and thanks to the St. Paul's Schammerhorn Fund I am able to travel to participate in some excellent events. One of the two principle theme speakers this year is Marcus Borg. I really appreciate Borg even though I don't agree with some of his key conclusions about Jesus. http://www.marcusjborg.com/ It is important though to consider the thoughtful and well reasoned ideas of those who don't think like us. Or so I figure. How do we grow and test our own convictions without understanding other points of view?

Not long ago my brother loaned the book Love Wins A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell to a friend. The friend had visitors from her conservative congregation visit and saw the book. They were very concerned and advised her not to read it. Bell has stirred up controversy in the evangelical world by suggesting that some ideas about damnation for non-Christians may be false and inconsistent with the gospel. The friend asked if they had actually read the book and they hadn't. So much for informed inquiry and decision making.

I will let you know my impressions about Borg and others at Epiphany Explorations. http://firstmetvictoria.com/4582

In the meantime, what are your thoughts on all this?

Fracking Crazy

2012-01-21T01:17:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago there was a mild tremor in Southern Ontario because of a small earthquake in Ohio. Now you might not think of Ohio as a hotbed of seismic activity but there have been a number of small quakes in Ohio and Pennsylvania and increasingly experts are asking whether fracking is the reason. What is fracking you might ask? It is the method of oil extraction whereby water and chemicals are forced under high pressure into underground rock formations. It is the short form for hydraulic fracturing. Fracking allows hard to access pockets of oil to be exploited and as oil and gas becomes harder to reach the process is increasingly attractive.

No matter that people who live near fracking sites are convinced that the chemicals end up in their drinking water and that both humans and animals are getting sick from gas releases into the air. Or that there are these pesky earthquakes even in areas that have been viewed as seismically stable.

It does seem as though the assault on creation for the sake of obtaining fossil fuels is unending. If people are opposed to pipelines crossing sensitve terrain then they are labelled "radical environmentalists." Drilling in prime fishing grounds is not a problem. And fracking is increasingly common. The psalm may say "the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof" but it does seems that corporate oil has usurped that role.

Any comments?

Deplorable

2012-01-20T01:14:00.000-08:00

Last week a video was posted on Youtube, the agent of truth-telling for those who are dim. It showed four US marines in Afghanistan urinating on the bloodied corpses of Taliban fighters. Why don't people understand that if they post their misdeeds on the internet it will likely come back to haunt them in a hurry? In this case the desecration of the corpses was labelled as deplorable by the United States government and the marines were tracked down quickly.

I too think this was despicable and hope most people would, even though these Taliban insurgents were the enemy. Rick Perry, the former Republican leadership candidate defended these marines but had won the nomination (terrible thought) he would probably have urinated on his opponents.

It is all a little perplexing though. War convinces us that it is permissable to shoot other human beings dead, we just can't pee on their bodies. As the Devil's Advocate I ask why not? If we are convinced that they are enough of an enemy to destroy them when they are alive, why do we care what happens after they are dead?

We do find ways to uphold our causes and even sanctify them, but the whole bloody enterprise is disheartening and barbaric, don't you think?

Maybe not. What do you think? What was your reaction to this pointless act of desecration?

Same Gender Marriages

2012-01-19T01:22:00.000-08:00

Some of us wondered where the federal government was going with the ruling on same sex marriages performed in Canada for couples from other countries. These couples were told that their marriages were not legally valid for divorce here if they were not recognized in their home jurisdictions, but the ramifications were larger. Happily married couples from outside Canada felt that this undermined the commitment they had made to each other. The alarm was sounded by some that this was part of a socially conservative agenda on the part of the Conservative party.

I saw a letter to the editor in the Globe and Mail newspaper written by a law professor who insisted that there was no subterfuge here. It was simply an application of the existing laws, and I trust that this is true. Prime Minister Harper promised to act quickly to clarify the situation and he did. These non-Canadian couples have been assured that their marriages will be valid.

I find it interesting that in an era when the number of adults who are married in the US and Canada is on the decline, same-gender couples want the recognition of their marriage relationships , including from a religious standpoint for many.I have yet to be asked to perform a same-gender marriage but my colleagues who have tell me that the couples approach their ceremonies and commitment seriously and with joy.

Did you wonder where this situation was going and how it would be resolved? How are you doing with the existence of same gender marriages six and a half years after they were legalized in Canada? Has your outlook changed?

A Dangerous Method

2012-01-18T01:49:00.000-08:00

We saw the movie A Dangerous Method on the weekend, a David Cronenberg film starring Keira Knightly and Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender. It is about the intense relationship between Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, the doctors who essentially invented psychoanalysis and the original concepts of modern-day psychology. Jung's affair with a student, Sabrina Spielrein, who was first a patient also figures prominently in the story. A number of Freud's important concepts originated with Spielrein.
We watch the relationship between Freud and Jung go from professional parent/child to admiring colleagues to wary adversaries. The breakdown in the relationship came, in part, from their growing differences over the role of mysticism and spirituality in the human psyche. Freud, a Jew, considered anything in this realm to be suspect, although he was raised in the Jewish faith. This was something he denied in his early professional life but he wrote a book about Moses as an archetypal figure near the end. Jung on the other hand saw dreams as a portal to mystical experience. Jung was the son of a pastor and had six uncles who were clergymen. He became the darling of liberal spirituality in the 1970's and 1980's.
To my mind this was a good film but not a great one. It was certainly worth seeing and it was a reminder of how powerfully the language and "religion" of psychology have entered into our culture even though it is relatively recent. I often feel that we happily embrace the terminology of what is pop psychology as a new gospel while treating traditional language and concepts of religion with growing suspicion and disdain.
Has anyone else seen A Dangerous Method? Do you ever wonder about the shift in our language of meaning? Do you know much about Freud and Jung?

Farewell to a Friend

2012-01-17T01:32:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday we said farewell to a long-time friend. He was always there for us, seemed to love our company, and when he was happy --which was most of the time -- he purred. Yes our sixteen and a half year old cat Bustopher finally succumbed to the cancer which caused his weight to drop steadily since the Fall.

Sixteen plus is a good run for a cat, and he did have numerous lives. Born in Sudbury, Bustopher flew to Halifax to join us after we had driven there. He disappeared for eight days while we were in our second home in that city and reappeared as mysteriously as he disappeared, meowing at the patio door in a blinding rainstorm. Not long after we moved to Bowmanville he was on death's door due to a serious infection. But the cat came back from the brink, and lived the second half of his life with great contentment.

I'm not going to let on too much about my tears or those of my family, although we just couldn't help ourselves. When he got to the point where he could barely stand and couldn't eat or drink we went to the vet. I hate aiding and abetting an execution but I do feel that his death was merciful. We were forewarned that it could take up to fifteen minutes but it was more like fifteen seconds.

For us Bustopher was a gift from God. I don't say that glibly. He spent countless hours on my lap and petting him was both therapy and a grace. The sound of his contentment brought me peace in troubled moments. Many a time when I slipped out of bed in the wee hours with the weight of the world on my shoulders, he would be there seeking a little TLC. Then the world wasn't quite so daunting. He didn't get it that the good times could all come to an end in a hurry. He just lived in the moment. Didn't Jesus point us to the flowers and the creatures as examples when he told us not to worry?

I do appreciate that he was a cat and that I am a human. Pets don't go on forever, nor do we in this life, and we hear that Bustopher's two remaining siblings are also failing in old age. I also recognize the irony that I have munched many an animal yet decided to love others as members of my family. I can't claim that I am always logically consistent!

All I know it that I have blessed many a companion animal in our annual Blessing of the Animals services but in the end I'm grateful that our companion blessed us.

Any observations about the animals who have been your companions along the way?

MLK

2012-01-16T01:57:00.000-08:00

Today is Martin Luther King Day in the United States, a statutory holiday to honour the civil rights leader whose non-violent movement led to changes in equality for people of colour. King could be called a martyr for the cause, assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39.

In the Fall of 2011 a huge memorial to King was unveiled in Washington D.C. and there is a controversy about the inscription which says "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness." The words, critics have noted, were edited from a longer quotation in which King stressed the conditional: "If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice," the passage begins. By abbreviating the quote King comes across as arrogant, which he wasn't.

This was a decision of the architect and the sculptor and now many are demanding change. Why not choose one of the stirring phrases from his speeches and sermons. MLK was a pastor, a man of God, whose addresses included many biblical quotations and metaphors. Why not use one of them? Or consider these:

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better. An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.

Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Will you take a moment to remember Martin Luther King today? I suppose you are if you reading. What do you think about this controversy?

No Crib for a Bed

2012-01-15T01:24:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve I mused or rambled, depending on your perspective, about the Occupy movement, privilege and power, contrasted with a saviour and religious movement born in a stable. It wasn't my usual Christmas Eve approach but 2011 was an unusual year.

I thought about all this when I heard that two of music's biggest stars, Beyonce and Jay Z have welcomed their first child into the world. Baby Blue Ivy was the only birth on that hospital floor last Saturday because the wealthy mom and dad had rented the whole shebang for 1.3 million dollars to ensure their privacy. Of course --wouldn't we all. The world does seem a little crazy these days, and I'm not just talking about goofy celebrity baby names. How is it possible that in the wealthiest nation in the world thousands of kids have "no crib for a bed," living in homeless shelters and out of vans and cars, while a bizarre version of the Holy Family spends a million-plus for the privacy of a birth. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for this successful birth, but really?

Did anyone else find this unsettling, or just plain immoral? I'm waiting for the press release in which the parents thank God for the healthy arrival of Blue Ivy. Sigh...

Doomsday Revisited

2012-01-14T01:10:00.000-08:00

In 1984, four years into my ministry the Doomsday Clock was moved to 11:57, the closest it had been to midnight and doomsday since in was established in 1947 by atomic scientists, other than during the years in the late forties and early fifties when the first round of the nuclear arms race got under way. I recall speaking about the symbolic Doomsday Clock in a sermon at that time. There were a number of films exploring the consequences of nuclear war and a general anxiety about our inability to step back from the brink. Eventually is was moved back all the way to 11:43 in 1991 because of treaties which curtailed the development of nuclear weapons.

The minute hand has crept forward during the past two decades and this week the Doomsday Clock made the news again after being set at 11:55. Reasons cited include a lack of global political action to address nuclear weapons stockpiles, the potential for regional nuclear conflict, nuclear power safety, and global climate change.

On the nuclear side we worry about the wild impulses of the Iranians and North Koreans. This is the first time I have seen climate change included as a reason to advance the time, although I discover that it has been a factor since 2007. It does make sense. Nuclear weapons are an obvious catastrophic threat. Climate change is insidious and incremental, but scientists want us to realize that it too can be catastrophic.

We know that international conferences seem to get us nowhere in dealing with this threat to the planet. Our faith leaders attempt to address the situation but feel rather helpless. Little wonder they call it the Doomsday Clock. Why can't we act in our own best interests and for future generations?

Did you know about the Doomsday Clock? Is is just sensationalism, or should we be paying much closer attention to this symbol? Are ya prayin'?

Two Years Later

2012-01-13T01:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday marked the second anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti which killed anywhere from 100,00 to 300,000 people and left another million or more homeless. Today there are still an estimated half million homeless and it would be tempting to paint the picture of this country which was destitute before the quake as bleak. There has been a fair amount of criticism of aid and the recovery process from various quarters.

Just the same, there are many examples of recovery, resilience and hope. Thanks to generous contributions from members the United Church has been able to provide three million dollars of relief and is in the process of building two new schools with partner churches in Haiti. One of the schools under construction is pictured above.http://www.united-church.ca/communications/news/general/120105c The Canadian Mennonite Central Committee is in Hait building homes.

Help is being provided by other Christian organizations from around the world. Churches in Louisiana immediately made the connection between Katrina and the Haiti quake and are also involved in partnerships to get more than half a million kids who lost their schools back into classrooms.http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/january-6-2012/red-thread-promise/10071/

I listened to Michaelle Jean, the former Governor General of Canada, speaking about her work in her former homeland of Haiti. While she is unhappy with the way aid has been distributed she used words such as "hope" and "inspiration" in describing the situation and admitted to the interviewer that her perspective has changed considerably since the first anniversary.

The actor Sean Penn took Rolling Stone magazine to task for the negative tone of its reporting last Fall. Penn has been very active in Haiti almost since the beginning of the quake response. Some of his language is what we might call salty but he is direct. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/sean-penn-responds-to-rolling-stone-s-haiti-story-20110930

Have you followed the recovery process at all? Are you glad our church has been as responsive as it has been? What else needs to happen from your point of view?

8th Fire

2012-01-12T01:35:00.000-08:00

Reader Diane sent me an email about a four-part series beginning this evening on CBC's Doc Zone called 8th Fire: Creating a New Relationship with Canada's Aboriginal Peoples.

The title 8th Fire draws from an Anishinaabe prophecy that declares now is the time for Aboriginal peoples and the settler community to come together and build the '8TH Fire' of justice and harmony.

It will be looking at ways to build a new relationship between Canada's Aboriginal peoples and non-Aboriginal peoples. Check out the trailer for the documentary at: http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/

There has to be a different way for Aboriginal peoples to be in relation with others in this country and we have to figure out how to treat them with dignity and respect. The reserve system and the Indian Act are archaic horrors and we know that churches have been complicit in the past with colonialism. Our United Church apologies and reparations for the Residential Schools are reminders of our participation.

I keep hoping that we have learned something only to hear of another Attiwapiskat or Pikangikum in Northern Ontario. First Nations in British Columbia are speaking out against an oil pipeline which will cross their lands on the way to the coast. Last week I read a grim article on the number of native babies born addicted to Oxycontin because it is in their mothers' system. Nurses can tell from their first cries which babies are addicts. What a tragedy.

Do you have hope for an 8th Fire? We do have a Right Relationships initiative in the United Church to build bridges with Aboriginal communities. Should our denomination choose to do more than say sorry?

God-Drenched Simon

2012-01-11T01:55:00.000-08:00

I am ancient enough to be aware of several musical incarnations for Paul Simon, beginning with Simon and Garfunkel in the 1960's. As a teen in the latter part of that decade I listened to their marvellous harmonies and pondered their apparently deep lyrics, although I wasn't always sure what they were about.

After the break-up of the duo I enjoyed Simon's solo work, including his foray into rhythms from African music. In a way he was a forerunner for what is now termed World Music, even if there was a certain amount of cultural appropriation.

I have read a couple of articles lately about an album/compilation (what are we supposed to call this is the digital age?) called So Beautiful or So What which is theological and spiritual and even, some say, Christian. One review called it "God-drenched" and another described it as the best Christian album of the year even though Simon is Jewish. Here is an example from one song:

God and his only son

Paid a courtesy call on Earth one Sunday morning

Orange blossoms opened their fragrant lips

Songbirds sang from the tips of cotton roots

Old folks wept

For his love in these hard times

"Well, better be going"

Said the restless Lord to his son"

There are galaxies yet to be born

Creation is never done."

In another he offers

I'd no idea

That you were there

When I said help me, help me, help me, help me

Thank you, for listening to my prayer

I suppose many of us grow more reflective and tend to ponder the big questions as we age. It's intriguing to realize that Paul Simon is putting some of his reflections into music.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cathleen-falsani/so-beautiful-or-so-what-s_b_887277.html

http://www.sojo.net/blogs/2012/01/06/god-pbs-and-paul-simon-god-chronicler-accident

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/january-6-2012/paul-simon/10056/

Any comments about Simon, theologian and songwriter, past or present?

The Gospel Trail

2012-01-10T01:23:00.000-08:00

I'm intrigued by the opening of a new hiking trail in the north of Israel called the Gospel Trail. It is approximately 65 kilometres long and gives some spectacular views of the Sea of Galilee. I have been to Israel four times, although not for years. During those trips I managed to include some aspects not on the regular itineraries and found a way to get in some unusual scrambles, including a climb up a hillside in Galilee to an ancient Roman fortress. The word is that portions of the trail travel though areas where no people are seen for hours at a time and there is a sense of travelling back in time. I would love to walk this trail, or even a portion of it. The touristy part of Israel can be disillusioning at times. It sounds as though this could take on the nature of a pilgrimage.The article I read mentions another trail of which I wasn't aware:

The Gospel Trail is similar to another trail in the Galilee, the 62-kilometre Jesus Trail, which runs from Nazareth to Capernaum. Critics questioned whether another trail, which partly overlapped the Jesus Trail, was necessary. Some hikers also said parts of the trail were not well marked.
Yet that lack of infrastructure is what makes the trail so meaningful, organizers say.
“This is a trail you can walk with the Bible in your hand and you can meet the landscape, the animals and the flowers that Jesus met when he walked,” said Uri Sharon, of the tourism ministry.
“Until now, following Jesus’s footsteps meant going from church to church. Now pilgrims can have more of an unmediated connection with the landscape.”

Have you been to Israel? Off the beaten path at all? Would an experience such as this appeal to you?

Good News of Recovery

2012-01-09T02:16:00.000-08:00

We saw friends from Newfoundland over Christmas, a couple whose four teens were in the youth group we began when I was sent to The Rock for my first ministry placement. One of those four is now a United Church minister in Barrie, Ontario and her parents came for a Christmas visit. Thirty years later we still love seeing them (yes, they are the couple we stayed with two summers ago) and catching up on outport life.

They shared good news about the cod stocks which we all know went from extraordinary abundance to virtual extinction due to over fishing. This year the cod were back in a way that was beyond expectations. Along with the individual food fishery there was a limited commercial fishery because there were so many fish. Around Change Islands where our friends have a summer home the cod and caplin (a tiny fish consumed by many creatures) were abundant and the whales were there to feed. A friend of these folks hauled up a 35-pound cod on a hand line another encouraging sign because the larger fish had virtually disappeared.

The decimated cod stocks have been a disheartening example of mismanagement and greed, something at which we humans seem adept. I was encouraged by this small example of the recovery of God's Creation, when given a chance. Apparently the salmon population is recovering as well.

Now, if there could only be a recovery of the minister stocks. The pastoral charge I served and many others in Newfoundland simply can't attract a minister!

Any thoughts?

Passionate Worship

2012-01-08T13:48:00.001-08:00

I have enjoyed two very different worship experiences recently. On Christmas morning just over one hundred people of all ages came to celebrate Christ's birth. I was surprised at the numbers, although I realized our Jammie Challenge brought out many families with kids and young people. They did show up in their pyjamas and it was fun! Our music director, Doug, was at his best responding to carol requests and while there was a brief message the emphasis was on the joy of Christian community.

This morning was another delightful surprise. January can be a bleak month for attendance but on a beautiful morning well over two hundred people were on hand. Today the choir sang and Loaves and Fishes led a couple of contemporary hymns. A big gang of children headed out for Sunday School. So it was much more of a "regular" service yet there was a similar joy, community,and a sense of God's presence, at least from my perspective.

It happened that today I began a series on Vital Congregations by speaking about Passionate Worship. Both of the experiences I describe fit the bill, even though attendance was very different. In my message I affirmed the value of gathering to offer our praise to God, even though there are many options these days. I was so impressed by the commitment of our multi-generational tribe and thankful for the privilege of leadership with this congregation. It tempting to look at some denominations which focus on ministry to a younger demographic and want to be like them, but I feel it is a gift that we experience worship across four generations.
Any thoughts or observations?

Brothers and Sisters in Christ

2012-01-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

I was a little surprised to leaf through my Globe and Mail this fine morning and find an article by columnist Margaret Wente about religious freedom. When she writes about the current state of the church in Canada I find her to be mildly demeaning, relegating us to the role of quaint anachronism. In this article she notes a number of disturbing stories about ther persecution of Christians and points out that billions live in countries where religious freedom does not exist. She even defends the intentions of the federal government and the newly established Office of Religious Freedom.

Regular readers know that I have written about issues of religious persecution, particularly for Christians. I am often puzzled that this is an area our United Church says little about, even though the blood of brothers and sisters in Christ is shed in many places while we live without fear of reprisal. Go to the UCC website and try to find anything about the serious attacks on Christians in Nigeria which began on Christmas day. Why wouldn't we be encouraged to pray for those beleaguered communities of faith?

Take a look at Wente's article and share what you think. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/margaret-wente/we-need-more-not-less-about-religious-freedom/article2294454/

Following the Star

2012-01-06T05:54:00.000-08:00

January sixth means different things to the various communions of the Christian church. For hundreds of millions of Orthodox Christians this is Christmas day, so a merry and blessed Christmas to them.

For Protestants and Roman Catholics who follow the church year this is the conclusion of the twelve days of the Christmas season (yes, as in the song Twelve Days of Christmas and the play Twelfth Night.) The sixth is the Feast of Epiphany and in congregations where there will be worship today the gospel reading is the story of the journey of discovery by the Magi, the astologers/astronomers from Persia who sought and paid homage to the child Christ.

It's a good story because when we use the word "epiphany" we often associate it with an "aha" moment of awareness or discovery. For the Magi the epiphany required commitment and time and even risk.

In a changing church I doubt we are going to have one of those "aha" moments about the transition from a Christendom where just about everyone was on board with the conventions of faith to what will continue to be a community in transition.

Maybe it is significant that artworks often portray the Magi on the backs of camels even though they aren't mentioned in Matthew's gospel. The joke is that a camel is a horse put together by a committee and we do struggle at times to pull together new images of ministry which are effective. I must admit that I sometimes wonder how many more sleeps to retirement because church life can be rather frustrating.

Perhaps my biggest frustrations are the debilitating effects of nostalgia when folk hark back to another era, along with the reluctance amongst some to be committed to the journey of faith in the present. We really need the considerable gifts of a younger generation to be vital, rather than the lumps of coal in the form of excuses. I suppose we simply choose to keep following the star, anticipating the discovery of Christ for this moment rather than mooning over the past or fearing the future. I am encouraged by the faith and readiness of some of our teens. Recently one of our 17-year-olds wondered if he might be a candidate for chair of our congregational board. While he need a bit more seasoning I admire his willingness and we are determined to nurture his leadership skills.

What does Epiphany mean to you? Any observations or epiphanies about the changing church?

Got your camel ready?

Winta Wunnerland

2012-01-05T01:24:00.000-08:00

We slipped out of Bowmanville on the Tuesday following Boxing Day to enjoy some time with son Isaac and daughter-in-law Rebekah. Isaac is now the United Church minister in Cowansville, Quebec, not far from the border with Vermont. Rebekah works as a ecologist and researcher at Mont St. Hilaire not far away The Eastern Townships are beautiful and usually the proverbial winter wonderland. This year they have contended with mild temperatures as we have -- not great for a ski area.

We did manage a couple of hikes, including one in rather blizzard-like conditions. It turned out that my DSLR camera didn't like the cold, so we relied on cell phone photos to record the treks. What I appreciated was that the "kids" initiated these walks, including Emily who in her teen years restricted her walking to purposeful forays into shopping malls. All three were raised with hikes and canoe trips and camping, but you wonder what will "take." It is gratifying that in a family where we attempted to make the connection between Creator and creation they do appreciate the beauty of the natural world.

One of the photos is of daughters Emily and Jocelyn, another of Ruth and I atop a hill looking south to the Appalachians, another of most of us including Ike and Becky, and one artsy shot of snow on trees.

Did you have the opportunity to get outside during the holidays?

In Praise of Tapioca

2012-01-04T01:56:00.000-08:00

I know that some of you are junkies of the American political scene and there is something about the larger than life figures south of the border that often makes our politicians look like luke warm tapioca. Mind you, our tapioca isn't tasting all that bad as we try to make sense of the strange brew of Republican leadership hopefuls.

The candidates were in Iowa trying to say something which makes sense to the public and not doing all that well in the process. What strikes me about the Republicans is that they wear religion --conservative Christian religion for the most part -- on their sleeves, then are "outed" for their hypocrisy. One day's frontrunner is the next day's goat. Frontrunner Mitt Romney seems to be the most sane, without hint of scandal, as well as, most experienced, but his Mormonism is seen as a major impediment by the Religious Right.

Have you been trying to make sense of this race, or stumble, or whatever it might be called?

Freedom of Religion

2012-01-03T05:37:00.000-08:00

I believe in religious freedom for adherents of most faiths. Of course freedoms have their limits. Cults which foment hatred or the subjugation of women can't be tolerated in a civil society. Fringe groups from any tradition have to be reminded that hijacking God for particular causes is false religion and idolatry. And I don't view all religions as being the same or just variations on the same theme.

So, I have been interested in the Conservative government's modest plan to establish an Office of Religious Freedom in this country in the next few months. Some critics, including Amnesty International, have expressed caution even though they acknowledge the serious problem of religious persecution around the world. The concern is that the office could be used to gain political points with minority groups. From my standpoint, I wonder how this will improve on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which already exists in Canada. Perhaps the office will allow us to speak to some of the abuses in other countries.

What are your thoughts about this initiative? Is this a positive action or redundant? Do we need to hear more about the importance of religious freedom?

The Leftovers

2012-01-02T01:32:00.000-08:00

Remember the silly old dude, Harold Camping, who predicted the end of the world and the so-called Rapture not once but twice last year. The poor souls who followed him were not only "left behind" with egg on their faces, but in some instances bereft of life savings when the big event failed to launch.

A novel which appears on a number of Best of 2011 lists is Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers. It is about the aftermath of a rapture-like event which in which people mysteriously disappear. The twist is that they are not particularly religious in many cases, nor are the people who anticipate the event the ones who go. The leftovers call this the Sudden Departure rather than the Rapture because it doesn't fit expectations. A cultish group called the Guilty Remnant springs up, people who live communally, cease speaking, and dress in white. Even those who do not experience direct loss find that the way they think and live is changed as a result of what has happened.

Perrotta is just a good writer, and this is a thought-provoking book. As Stephen King (yes, that Stephen King) offered in a review in the New York Times, it resonates with post-911 American sensibilities.

Anyone else who has read it or heard of it? Are you ready to go, or willing to be a leftover? Why do you think people get caught up in these movements?

Resolve in 2012

2012-01-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year. What else could I say on January 1st!

Yesterday I was thinking about what I hope for in 2012. There are a number of things I want to work on both personally and professionally. From a faith perspective I have decided that I want to return to a more focused prayer life and that I will read more often in the King James Version of the bible, a way of honouring the 2011 anniversary.

The big picture though will be an attempt to be less flighty, more determined to spend the time to develop depth in my understanding of the world around me. I find the deluge of information in our technology based culture does not contribute to careful consideration of patterns and issues. If anything, it creates an illusion of depth rather than actual wisdom.

What about you? Any resolutions you care or dare to share?

Rebel Jesus

2011-12-30T01:01:00.000-08:00

We get enough Sweet Baby Jesus at this time of year to send us into a diabetic coma so I was taken off guard recently when I heard a song which was new to me. Where have I been? It was written by a favorite singer/songwriter of another era, Jackson Browne, but I was listening to a version by members of the Wainright/McGarrigle clan. It's called Rebel Jesus.

The streets are filled with laughter and light

And the music of the season

And the merchants' windows are all bright

With the faces of the children

And the families hurrying to their homes

As the sky darkens and freezes

Will be gathering around the hearths and tables

Giving thanks for all God's graces

And the birth of the rebel Jesus

They call him by the "Prince of Peace"

And they call him by "The Saviour"

And they pray to him upon the sea

And in every bold endeavor

As they fill his churches with their pride and gold

And their faith in him increases

But they've turned the nature that I worshipped in

From a temple to a robber's den

In the words of the rebel Jesus

We guard our world with locks and guns

And we guard our fine possessions

And once a year when Christmas comes

We give to our relations

And perhaps we give a little to the poor

If the generosity should seize us

But if any one of us should interfere

In the business of why there are poor

They get the same as the rebel Jesus

But pardon me if I have seemed

To take the tone of judgement

For I've no wish to come between

This day and your enjoyment

In this life of hardship and of earthly toil

We have need for anything that frees us

So I bid you pleasure and I bid you cheer

From a heathen and a pagan

On the side of the rebel Jesus.

Here are a couple of versions, one by Martha Wainright and the other by Jackson Browne.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBt6CCFqKsI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYbUVJJm2ZU

This song has some kick to it. Have you heard it before? Do you all know it and wonder how I missed it?

The Antidote to Hatred

2011-12-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

On Christmas morning I got up to prepare for worship and heard on the radio that explosions in churches in Nigeria had killed a number of those gathered to celebrate the birth of Christ. Muslim extremists were suspected in these cowardly acts and honestly the news made me feel sick. I was angry -- this is just evil in God's name. Then I read a piece written by Tahir Gara, a Canadian Muslim, and I was encouraged.

I cannot understand why people shy away from saying Merry Christmas to each other these days. It was not like that a couple of years ago. It seems as if people in the malls and public places are avoiding Christmas greetings out of fear that someone may be offended.In our environment of fast-growing immigrant communities, people look into each others' eyes and try to judge whether it's appropriate to say Merry Christmas. This boggles my mind. Why is it ever inappropriate to share Christmas greetings? This beautiful phrase should not be offensive to anyone since it only carries a message of love, hope, peace and celebration...

Preventing children in some schools from singing Christmas songs for the sake of others' beliefs is an unnecessary measure in building relationships with people of other cultures.Unfortunately, some champions of our hypersensitive, feel-good culture, and our own typical polite behaviour towards Christmas and other celebrations, are actually alarming immigrants.Most immigrants are quite comfortable with Christmas. They take it first as an event of culture and celebration. They are not offended by it even in religious terms. Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and others consider Jesus a messenger of love and peace. Muslims share Jesus as a part of their belief.

It was an important antidote to the cruelty and hatred of a few. What are your thoughts about religious extemism?

Naming the Joys

2011-12-28T01:26:00.000-08:00

My last visit this past week was to a guy named Dave I have mentioned before. I have been visiting Dave for years now because he is a paraplegic, going from a big, strong and, by his own admission, rather brash man to being wheelchair bound. I have watched the transition with Dave from someone who had an edge, still wondering why this had transpired and whether a solution might be found, to a much more accepting and tender-hearted person who is grateful for the gifts of each day and for the people who provide him support and care.

Do you recall that I wrote about visiting Dave in hospital two Christmas mornings ago? I went early that day and read him the Christmas story and prayed with him. He had experienced weeks and weeks of problems which seemed to get worse with treatment rather than better. That day we didn't say what we were both thinking, that this might be his last Christmas.

On Friday I read the Lukan birth of Christ passage again, but I commented that this time we could concentrated on the joy, rather than the angel's assurance "don't be afraid." He agreed whole-heartedly. Two thousand eleven was a good year for him and we prayed 2012 would also hold promise as well. He didn't mind admitting that all this made him emotional.

Hey, this is the good stuff of ministry. There is plenty of disappointment and sadness in the lives of the folk we get to know and care for. But it's important to name the joys.

The Descendants

2011-12-27T01:18:00.000-08:00

If you get a chance, take in the movie called The Descendants starring George Clooney. It is set in Hawaii and is the story of a hapless husband and father (Clooney) who is dealing with the consequences of an accident which has left his wife in a coma. Dad doesn't know how to connect with his daughters, one a surly teen and the other a precocious tween but they muddle their way through the prospect of mom's impending death.

The film isn't perfect -- why is it a "given" that movie kids are lippy? Why does the annoying boyfriend tag along everywhere? And sometimes it feels as though The Descendants it is trying to do too much, but it does get to some of the deeper stuff around families including unspoken resentments, helplessness in the face of tragedy, forgiveness, listening to one's conscience. Even though it is emotional at times it isn't morose or overwhelming. We saw it a month ago and I'm still thinking about it.

Anyone else see it? What did you think?

Still Wonder-ing

2011-12-26T01:52:00.000-08:00

So, are we all wondering why we ate so much yesterday? The party's over...well, let's hope not, if we had our priorites in order.

The New York Times newspaper published a photographic "year in review" at the end of last week. These photos were powerful, as one might expect, but so many of them portrayed violence, death, sorrow, struggle. In the midst of them all was a picture of a baby born in India on the day earlier in the Fall when the Earth's population was predicted to reach seven billion people. Of course the birth of a child involves struggle, and we could even argue violence. Yet birth can be so hopeful, filled with possibility and joy.

I love the story of Christ's birth, a story I read many times through the weeks leading up to Christmas with individuals, small groups, the congregation. It is ordinary, extraordinary, implausible, believable. It's strange, but being Christmasy means less to me each year, yet the birth of Christ still fills me with wonder.

Party Like It's 4 BC!

2011-12-25T01:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! It's off to church this morning for our 10:30 worship and who knows who will be there. It's just important to come together as Christ's people, whatever the numbers.

Every year Ruth and I hem and haw about giving each other gifts, as we attempt to keep the commercialization of Christmas at bay. We feel so blessed and there really isn't much that we can't just go and get for ourselves if we consider it a priority. We tend to have a year where we give to charitable causes instead, then return to gift-giving for each other.

There was a good editorial in the Christmas-ish issue of the Christian Century reminding us about the origins of Christmas based in the Roman blow-out soltice party called Saturnalia. Christians celebrated the birth of Christ under the cover of these celebrations so they wouldn't be noticed, not because this was the actual time of year when Jesus was born. The editorial writer draws on the work of Donald Heinz.

Nobody was as hard on Christmas as the Puritans, notes Heinz. "They argued that December 25 was not biblical but heathen, that Jesus would have disapproved of his birthday celebrations, and that Christmas was just an excuse for . . . gross behavior, social upheaval, and drunkenness, no doubt aided by the lull in agricultural life." The Puritans ordered shops to stay open, insisted that work go on as usual and banned holiday cakes and candles. They also managed to have Christmas declared illegal by the Massachusetts legislature from 1659 to 1681. Heinz reports that the U.S. Congress even remained in session on Christmas Day from 1789 to 1851.
The Puritans did a lot of good things, but banning Christmas because of eating, drinking and celebrating, not to mention pagan customs like kissing under the mistletoe, was not one of their more admirable ideas.
After all, incarnation means that this world is God's creation and that God loved it so much that God came here to be with us. The story could not be more this-worldly: pregnant, unwed teenager, perplexed fiancé, arduous journey, inn full of raucous guests, barn full of animals, labor, pain, blood, birth and shepherds.
It could not be more human or more earthy, and that is the point. Incarnation means that God is with us in this world, the sacred in the secular, the holy in the profane. It is this world that God entered on that first Christmas and enters again and again.

So folks, party like it's 4 BC (estimated year of Jesus' birth) and lovingly embrace the contradictions of this season and this day.

Thank you for reading so faithfully.

The I-lights of the Season

2011-12-24T01:50:00.000-08:00

I am always pleasantly surprised at the cards and messages of Christmas, not to mention a little guilty at times. We have received notes from folk on every pastoral charge served through the years, including one from a friend who is now in midlife, has a family, and is a United Church minister. She was in our youth group in our early days in Newfoundland --actually a tween! The years do fly by.

Another was from a woman I met at the beginning of my ministry in Sudbury. When I first saw her she tearfully told me she had just received a bleak medical diagnosis and the estimate of two to five years to live. That was twenty three years ago.

I also heard from a couple of seminary classmates from days of yore, including long-time friend, photographer, poet, Norm Edson. He wrote this poem earlier this month. It is I-catching, and he has given me permission to share it with you.

iLight

if, tomorrow the Man from Nazareth

were to come a Second Time

would I even notice?

would my iPod, iPhone, iPad lights

reflecting my I back to me

blind me to his I-giving light?

would my I's be so dazzled

as to not recognize

his We-- his Us--

his One for the Good of All?

A Merry, Christ-filled Christmas to you all!

Poinsettia Alert

2011-12-23T01:10:00.000-08:00

Saints preserve us! Oh, wait a minute, too religious. This from Sojourners Magazine:

Forget about that creche on the town green or the menorah outside the public library that the nice folks from Lubavitch Chabad will light for the first time tonight. Now the Special Ops Humbug Unit of the War on Christmas has come for ... our flowers. Well, our shrubbery, technically.Earlier this month, the principal of a grade school in Stockton, Calif., notified his faculty by memo that, in light of multicultural, pluralistic makeup of the community, they were not allowed to decorate their classrooms with any items that might be too religious-specific — including poinsettias.

It used to be that we were concerned that our pets would get sick chewing on poinsettia leaves. Now we have to be concerned that children will be converted to Christianity just by looking at them.
The same memo banned images of Santa Claus as well, also for religious reasons. I have to laugh because some fundamentalist churches are down on Santa, convinced that the jolly old soul has hijacked the real meaning of Christmas. Can we get our story straight here!

This is getting goofy. I don't know whether you noticed that President Obama gave a shout-out to the Christian aspect of Christmas this year while carefully noting the importance of religious freedom and recognition of other traditions.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2011/12/01/national-christmas-tree-lighting-ceremony

So whatever you do, keep those poinsettias carefully hidden.

Is anyone else out there getting exasperated?

Touch Hands

2011-12-22T01:18:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago I got a brief email from son Isaac who is planning his first Christmas Eve service as an ordained minister. His congregation is in Quebec's picture postcard Eastern Townships, not far from the Vermont border. The message read "Hi Dad, Do you have a copy of the touch hands blessing that I could use?"

It refers to a reading I have used throughout my ministry as an inheritance from my father, also a United Church minister. My dad was a singularly unsentimental guy except for Christmas Eve. He had a collection of readings he used every year but it was this one which stuck with me, and I have incorporated it in services for lo these three decades. It sounds as though Ike plans to use it as well. Perhaps he will translate all or part of it into French for his francophone members.

In every congregation I have served folk have asked me for copies and come to expect that I will use it. It is both corny and meaningful, at least from my perspective.

TOUCH HANDS -- anonymous
Ah friends, dear friends
as years grow on
and heads get grey
how fast the guests do go.
Touch hands.
Touch hands with those that stay.
strong hands to weak
old hands to young
around the Christmas board.
Touch hands.
The false forget
the foe forgive.
for every guest will go
and every fire burn low
and empty cabin stand.
Forget!...Forgive!
for who may say that Christmas Day
may never come
to host or guest again.
Touch hands.

Thoughts about Christmas worship traditions?

Happy Hanukkah!

2011-12-21T01:18:00.001-08:00

This past week young Stuart caught my attention as he was leaving for Sunday School: "boy, you sure have a lot of candles!" he offered. True. We lighted four Advent Candles along with our weekly Christ candle.

I'm big on candles and on Christmas Eve we will fire up the two candelabra and the Christ candle and hand out a candle to everyone who comes to our second service as well. There is something warm and alive about an open flame. At this time of the year so close to the winter solstice we need all the reminders of Christ's light with us we can muster.

And even though we are not Jewish and Hanukkah is a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar, bring on the menorah. We have one in our house to acknowledge the miracle of the tiny amount of oil which somehow lasted for eight days when the temple of Jerusalem was recaptured and the menorah rekindled. As with most of them today our menorah has candles rather than oil but the meaning is the same.

As you can see above, some folk get really creative with their menorahs, and who can forget Adam Sandler's infamous Hanukkah Song.
Happy Hanukkah to all of you and prepare for the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Will any of you give a nod to Hanukkah this season? Any other holy pyromaniacs out there?

Not So Silent Night

2011-12-20T06:50:00.000-08:00

On Sunday evening our youth worker Laura and pastoral care worker Beth were a dynamic duo, taking a gang of fourteen tweens and teens to Wilmot Creek, the seniors' community, to sing carols. Beth contacts some of our members who live there and then the Carol Squad zips around to serenade them with songs of the season. Laura's dad, Bill, lives there and hosts the kids for food, glorious food. Parents are great at providing transportation.

The residents love the caroling and are very welcoming. Well, they did end up at one wrong address and watched as the concerned resident stood inside pressing her key fob to lock her car!

The young people love it as well, and see it as a gift to their elders. One of the teens attends St. Paul's but lives out of the community. Her wonderfully committed grandparents drove her home afterward and she commented that her church friends are her best friends and that they are more like family. The grandmother commented to me that it makes the chauffeuring worthwhile to hear her enthusiasm about her faith family.

Any thoughts about this event from participants? Are you glad this is happening out of St. Paul's? What a question!

Many thanks to Laura and Beth for making this happen.

The Brightest Hour

2011-12-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

We watched the television promo for the latest blood, gore and mayhem movie coming our way, a film called The Darkest Hour. It looks awful, as so many of these action pictures do, but we both felt queasy when the ad finished with "Opening Christmas Day!" What the... may the peace of Armegeddon be with you!

I get it that there are other religions than Christianity in this country and that a growing number of people are post-Christian whatever their religious heritage might be, so Christmas ain't what it used to be. But for the love of God --literally -- is this what we have come to? And this year Christmas is on a Sunday to boot.

We deep-sixed the sabbath years ago so we could grab a few groceries and extend the possibilities for acquiring stuff, stuff, stuff. Now we are desecrating a day when folk could actually connect with loved ones and maybe even worship the Baby Jesus.

Yesterday someone kindly expressed his concern that I will be required to work on Christmas morning. Actually, many years I have been at the hospital early on Christmas day to visit parishoners because it felt like the right thing to do, not because it was required of me. This year I will consider our Christmas morning worship experience to be "the brightest hour' because the Christian community has chosen December 25th as the day to celebrate God-with-us.

Have we made a religion out of consumer choice? Anyone else unsettled by the bizarre drift of our culture?

Song of Mary

2011-12-18T01:55:00.000-08:00

"Magnificat" by Sister Mary Grace Thul, a Dominican nun in New Castle, Delaware.

And Mary said,‘My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,

for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

This is the last Sunday of Advent and we have two choices for a gospel passage, both from the first chapter of Luke. I decided on the Annunciation reading, the announcement of the angel Gabriel to Mary that she was pregnant. It could have been the Magnificat or Song of Mary, shown above. This is such a powerful declaration of a new world order, the promise of God's reign for the meek and lowly rather than the rich and powerful.

I thought of this reading when I heard that Time Magazine's Person of the Year is in fact all the "lowly" people who took to the streets in various and sundry ways in 2011 to declare that true might comes through the passion of the common folk. In most cases these protests and calls for change were non-violent on the part of the participants.

Let's pray that in 2012 the often courageous commitment of these people will be brought to fruition.

Comments?

RIP

2011-12-17T01:51:00.000-08:00

We woke up yesterday to the news that renowned writer and celebrity atheist, Christopher Hitchens, died overnight having succumbed to cancer. Hitchens was the intellectual leading light of the so-called new atheists, a rather belligerent and vocal bunch who certainly have no qualms about declaring religion in all its forms a menace to the planet.

Some of you will recall that Hitchens and former British PM Tony Blair debated in Toronto and by all accounts Hitchens won handily. At one point in that exchange Hitchens acknowledged the importance of the numinous and transcendent, the best of experiences when moved by music and art. Of course he contrasts this with the superstition of religions, assuming for some reason that transcendence cannot occur in religion.

I read a reflection by an evangelical theologian who debated Hitchens on several occasions. As you might imagine Hitchens showed no quarter in battle. However, the theologian says that Hitchens was a delightful dinner companion and never said a critical or unkind word to him outside the public exchange.

There are folk who are no doubt sure that Hitchens is now in hell. Wouldn't it be lovely if he is actually trying to comprehend being in heaven?

Thoughts?

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

2011-12-16T01:18:00.000-08:00

I won't go "Trudeau" on you, but I will issue a grumpy alert. Call me crazy, but I don't appreciate being lied to. I really get annoyed when it is my government with their pants on fire. At the risk of appearing partisan, I'm tired of the lies of our federal government. It began, for me, with our local member of parliament, Bev Oda, who did not tell the truth about cutting funding to a highly respected inter-church agency called Kairos.

Then there was Peter McKay and the Newfoundland fishing trip where he told a whopper about a chopper called in for his convenience. The first pastoral charge I served was right there and I can tell you he didn't need a helicopter at his beck and call, but it was the big fib about what was going on which bugs me.

Now we hear that the Conservatives were deliberately spreading lies about liberal MP Irwin Cotler's retirement. While this has been described as "reprehensible" by the Speaker of the House, there have been no consequences. But of course why would there be? The previous incidents went unpunished as well.

I can remember when politicians who lied were required to fall on their swords for their sins. They weren't exactly forthcoming, but in the end the public reminded them that there is a difference between right and wrong, even for those in the political realm.

I don't care whether it is Green's, the Liberals, NDP, Conservatives. Tell the truth or accept the outcome!
Anyone else share my disgust? Are you wondering how I could be so naive? Just a grim sign of the times?

Demented

2011-12-15T01:36:00.000-08:00

I have been pondering dementia of late, that spectrum of illnesses including Alzheimer's which robs people of memory and eventually the fundamental skills to stay alive. To describe someone as "demented" seems harsh, even cruel, along the lines of "addled" yet we use the term dementia regularly. This is the season for me to visit many of our elders and a considerable number of them have been diagnosed with dementia.

The other afternoon I saw a woman who is in decline. I asked her about reading because everytime I visit she has a book in hand. She admitted that she just doesn't read the same way she did. When I commented that she had been in this particular nursing home for several years now she told me quite firmly that it was only a year and she likes if very much. There was no point in arguing about the time line.

Several other persons I have seen recently were having a good day, clear of the anxiety and intense confusion which often plagues them. Sometimes this is the most we can hope for. I take my bible with me and read the Christmas story from Luke, which is so familiar to most of them. Then I pray. I am often struck by their attentiveness, as though the storm clouds have scudded away for a holy moment and the sun has emerged. I suppose it is the Son. On occasion someone will speak in the midst of the reading offering a commentary or a recollection, as though they are entering into the narrative or reliving their past. I find I am often quite tired after a number of these visits because I am subtlely required to work harder than in other visits.

I suppose a lot of us are at least mildly fearful of becoming demented. We can't find our keys or blank on a familiar name and we wonder if this is the beginning of the end when in fact we just need a decent night's sleep. Surely we hope and pray that those in our circle will continue to love us no matter what road our complex brains take us down.

Do you support someone with dementia? Does it scare you enough that you shie away from those who are suffering from it? I wonder whether we will ever develop a mature practical theology of dementia rather than muddling along as best we can. All I know for sure is that God loves them.

Hot Air

2011-12-14T01:08:00.000-08:00

The Durban meeting on Climate Change has come to a rather discouraging but predictable conclusion. Canada chose to make encouraging noises while failing to offer anything of substance. In yesterday's Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente offers her assessment that these conferences are more about politics and power than commitment to addressing the problems. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/margaret-wente/climate-theatre-of-the-absurd/article2268504/ It's hard to argue otherwise. All that seems to be concrete is Canada's withdrawal from the Kyoto Accord. Kyoto never had much teeth in this country but now we have nothing but hot air, so to speak. I notice that while international news websites carry very little about Canada, opting out of Kyoto has garnered a lot of attention. Great --notoriety.

Here is the United Church press release on Moderator Tindal's involvement:

As the United Nations climate change conference (COP17) draws to a close in Durban, South Africa, The United Church of Canada's Moderator, Mardi Tindal, writes in her daily blog that "the longing to see more leadership than politics runs deep here..."
Tindal is attending the COP17 conference as part of an international delegation of church leaders representing the World Council of Churches.

She writes, "At a religious leaders' press conference this morning a journalist asked me about what is standing in the way of moral leadership from Canada. I said that we as Canadians must convince our minister and our other political leaders that we will follow them when they do the right things; that the political cost of giving climate change leadership is not as great as they might fear."
Tindal and fellow Canadian church leader the Rev. Willard Metzger, General Secretary of the Mennonite Church Canada, met with Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent yesterday to discuss their views on Canada's role in addressing the problem of global climate change.
She writes that there was some reassurance in yesterday's meeting. "The minister understands and accepts the science of climate change and the magnitude of the problem. He spoke of 'real urgency' and 'a disaster in the making.'" She adds, however, that she left yesterday's meeting feeling no more assured about Canada's willingness to give leadership.

"When asked about the moral and social justice frame within which Canada's position can be understood, the minister's answers were political: 'We're proud of our resources, our regulations, and our shared prosperity.' He spoke of how Canada is 'fulfilling our obligations.' There are many who have good reason to take issue with him on this point," writes Tindal.
Tindal concludes her blog by saying that there is still reason for hope and need for prayer.

"This [South Africa] is the land of miracles where leaders have risen in the confidence that when they do the right things the people will follow. South Africa did not achieve what it has with leaders who fearfully calculated political costs. It is up to us as citizens to make it clear that we will support the moral leadership for which we long." To read the full text of Tindal's blog, go to www.wondercafe.ca/blogs/moderator-mardi.
Comments?

Peace Warriors

2011-12-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

In the weekend the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to three remarkable women. This awarding of the prize to three people whose names we don't recognize may be unusual but when we hear their stories it makes a lot more sense that giving it to President Obama for reasons which escaped me at the time and even more so since he has played up his "kill the bad guys" image.

One of the three is a Liberian woman, Leymah Gbowee. Her story is remarkable. Raised in a Christian family she was traumatized by the civil war in her country, seeing loved ones murdered. During a decade as a refugee her faith evaporated.

She eventually went back to the church but had little respect for the male leaders who degraded women. She was inspired by peace activists including Martin Luther King and Gandhi, whose works she read. In 2002 she had a dream in which she was commanded "gather the women to pray for peace." She did, bringing together twenty women to pray once a week. This was the beginning of what came to be called Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace. Now there are thousands of women, Muslims and Christians, rural and urban, educated and uneducated.

The civil war continued to grip the country but Gbowee and her followers pressed for peace with great courage. At one point security officers moved in to arrest Gbowee and others and they responed by stripping off their clothes, which confounded the men who grew up in a culture where it is a curse to see a naked married woman. The story is told in what is apparently a moving documentary called Pray the Devil Back to Hell.

This was the beginning of a fragile peace and the eventual election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as president of Liberia -- the first woman president of an African country. Sirleaf, Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman of Yemen were awarded the Peace Prize "for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work".

Were you aware of the story of these women? Did you notice that this peace award has not received the attention of those in previous years? Inspiring?

Islam and White Ribbons

2011-12-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend many GTA mosques promoted a White Ribbon campaign, speaking out against domestic violence. This initiative seems to be tied to the horrific situation of the alleged highly dishonourable "honour killings" by a father and mother and brother perpetrated against three daughters and a second wife.

I listened twice to an articulate young imam in Toronto who decries domestic violence for any reason. When asked about the Quran's mention of wife-beating for insubordination he pointed out that the bible has disturbing passages as well. He argued that religions can and should change to apply their broader principles as times change. I couldn't agree more.

Sunday morning I listened to an interview with two women working for Interval House, the first shelter for women and children in Canada. Although it was the first, it is less than forty years old. And when it opened one newspaper article described it as an effort by radical feminists to support "runaway wives." So our supposedly progressive society isn't exactly light years ahead of other cultural backgrounds.

Did you hear about the White Ribbon initiative? What are your thoughts?

Gifted

2011-12-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

I was in the back row of the sanctuary for most of worship this morning and it was a great vantage point on a full church. It was the annual White Gift service, the one where folks bring gifts that aren't white. In another day gifts were wrapped in white tissue. Now we don't bother. This year the recipient agencies were Bethesda House and the Salvation Army.

Our young people and those who prepared them did a great job again this year. The service was based on what is billed as Canada's first Christmas carol, the Huron Carol. It was informative and lovely and timely given that our attention has been drawn to First Nations communities in the North.

Our children and youth are confident, gifted young people who flourish in our multi-generational setting. We had the youngest kids who are pre-schoolers right through to the older teens in grade twelve taking part. I could tell that the entire congregation was proud of them. Mind you, Joseph seemed a little perturbed that his mother was snapping photos of him.

When I was finally was given a chance to get a word in near the conclusion of worship I praised the children, the leaders and the congregation. I'm glad that we are a four-generation church family and I hope everyone else is as well.

Comments on the service?

Saint Tim

2011-12-10T01:20:00.000-08:00

Along with this whole Christmas thingy there is the other American religion, NFL football. Even if you avoid watching football for the most part, the devotion and reverence of fans is something to behold. The television production values for the NFL are arguably the most sophisticated of any program. It's only a matter of time before we see a football in a manger.

Now, football is permitted as a quasi-religion, but football players may be criticized for being too religious. Take Tim Tebow, the rookie quarterback for the resurgent Denver Broncos. Tebow is the best worst QB this year, a guy who just doesn't throw like a big-leaguer, and just has an ugly style. But he has scrambled and scratched and inspired his team to the top of the division after assuming the pivot role.

Tebow is also an evangelical Christian -- well, a fundamentalist Christian. He has publicly spoken for Focus on the Family, an organization I have no time for, and is generally extremely conservative in his religious expression. He has probably undergone more analysis for his religious convictions than for his style of play, although he has been scorned for both. Why, there is Tim charicatured as Jesus in the image above.

Tebow has also received some unlikely support. Comedian Bill Cosby, of all people, has spoken in his defense. I do wonder why some feel Tebow should keep his trap shut. I don't agree with his perspective on Christianity, but does that mean he should be silenced or mocked? And I see that many mainline churches, such as ours, are disappearing like the Cheshire Cat. We decided a few decades ago that we would eliminate dirty words such as evangelism from our vocabulary and now we are reaping what we sowed. We aren't exactly shining examples of "keeping the faith."

Are celebrities free to share their ideas and convictions, or should they "shut up and play?" What is reasonable witness on the part of any individual in a pluralistic society? Do you wonder how a guy who passes for about a hundred yards per game manages to keep on winning?

Simple Goodness

2011-12-09T01:16:00.000-08:00

This evening we will begin our second year with The Gathering Place meal at St. Paul's. This is a Bowmanville ministerial initiative and it wouldn't happen without the hard work of volunteers from a number of congregations, including ours, who make the meal and set tables and run the dishwasher.

Just the same, I will be a "homer" and express my appreciation of a number of our folk this week. A St. Paul's couple approached me recently about providing a Christmas gift for every person who attends today. They showed up with three big crates of chocolates, one hundred and forty gifts for our guests. I had a chat with Santa Claus yesterday (the Bowmanville Santa Claus Parade Santa worships with us) and he will be here to hand out the gifts. And yesterday someone came to my study door saying that her extended family makes a gift to a worthy cause each Christmas so The Gathering Place would be the recipient this year.

Good hearted people who don't ask for recognition -- it's downright Christian.

Comments.

Two or Three, Gathered Together

2011-12-08T01:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we finished our study series based on the DVD The Power of Forgiveness. http://www.thepowerofforgiveness.com/ I obviously have trouble with math because the three-week series took four weeks to complete. This was actually a reflection of the need to stretch out our viewing and discussion because of the depth of the material and the subject itself.

We had two sessions each week, one in the morning and one in the evening. A total of 31 people came to at least one session, although there were never more than 25 on any week. Some folk came to a morning session one week and evening the next. This is a reminder of the complexity of our schedules in this era and I'm grateful that people come as part of the juggling act. I do find that planning becomes more of a challenge -- even knowing whether to go ahead with groups some times. There is a lot of preparation involved even when using a video resource.

In the end it is gratitude I feel once again. There is a dynamic to group discussion which transcends musing on one's own. I watched portions of the DVD several times before our sessions and still saw more and learned more as a result of our discussions. I also experienced a depth of emotion in watching the fascinating stories of forgiveness by doing so with others.

Here is plenty of advance notice: we decided that we would continue our forgiveness discussion during Lent 2012 using another worthwhile DVD Forgiveness: A Time to Love and a Time to Hatehttp://www.pbs.org/programs/forgiveness/ Join us!

Any thoughts about being in discussion about issues of faith with others? Are you reluctant to go to a study group because of the unknown? Any comments about The Power of Forgiveness specifically?

Faith in Durban

2011-12-07T01:44:00.000-08:00

I mentioned last week that our United Church moderator Mardi Tindal is in Durban, South Africa, as part of the religious contingent at COP17, the international conference on climate change. As many of you well know, Canada is the country which seems to come under the greatest fire for its lousy record on creating greenhouse gases. The Alberta oil sands have given us a tarry black eye internationally and the current federal government is at least honest in saying that it has no intention in changing its policies soon. Environment minister Peter Kent is a master of evasion but we get the picture that Canada will not be a leader in this regard.

Check out Moderator Tindal's latest blog entry. Click on this link, then on the header for her blog entry. She points out that African nations are calling on Canadians to be courageous for the sake of their continent which is experiencing disastrous effects from climate change. Protesters took to the streets, as seen above.

http://www.wondercafe.ca/blogs/moderator-mardi-tindal/epicentre-earthquake

I find that my blogs on environmental issues get limited response (maybe we feel a bit overwhelmed), but I really would like to hear from you. What do you think folks?

An End to Domestic Violence

2011-12-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

As the years go by I wonder whether I should acknowledge the Montreal Massacre, the senseless murder of fourteen bright young women at the Ecole Polytechnique by a young man who had no provocation for his crime. After all, this terrible act occurred twenty two years ago.

I wrestle with whether I should revisit this anniversary, then I listen to my wife, Ruth, tell me the dark stories of domestic abuse which come out of her work as an outreach counsellor for the Bethesda House shelter in Bowmanville. She is careful not to reveal identities but some of the details are deeply disturbing.

Not long ago columnist Margaret Wente wrote a newspaper piece pointing out that the number of violent acts against women and rapes in this country have declined steadily over the past couple of decades, which is true. Training for police, different laws, and the option of shelters as a safe place have all worked to a degree. But Wente wrote from the position of a privileged, upper middle class person who just doesn't get it that this is so much more than statistics. Many of the clients of shelter counsellors have been psychologically abused and threatened with violence without a hand being raised to them. The scars are not visible, and these situations don't show up in violence statistics, but they are violent and destructive just the same.

To be fair, it isn't just women who are the subject of violence. I have talked with two men recently who are struggling with the relentless verbal abuse heaped on them by partners who become different people under the influence of alcohol. But the preponderance of reported incidents are abuse by men against women and children.

I should add that in these tough economic times governments at the provincial and federal levels are reluctant to fund shelters and provide adequate staff. The expectation for direct client service hours has more than doubled in the past four years in work that takes a huge emotional toll.

This Sunday some of our White Gifts will go to Bethesda House and I know the shelter is very grateful. I hope our children have some understanding of why Bethesda House is important in our community?

Thoughts and comments?

A Christmas Carol

2011-12-05T12:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday three choirs totalling eighty members, as well as two actors/readers, presented Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at St. Paul's. TThey were from the Westben theatre and the readers did an excellent job, while the choirs accented the text with traditional carols and music written for this classic. The childrens' choirs were impressive -- actually everyone was. We were wondering whether is was going to be a meagre audience but in the end somewhere between 160 and 170 people blew in from a dark and stormy night to enjoy the presentation.

As I listened for the umpteenth time to a variation of A Christmas Carol I was struck once more by the strong message of social justice in the story, the concern for the poor and sick in Victorian England. Of course there are multiple references to the spirit of Christmas and even a quote from one of the gospels about Jesus tenderness toward children. There is an invitation to generosity and an attitude of abundance which are quite heartwarming.

Some of you were present. Any thoughts about the presentation and the message? What about those of you who know the story from other presentations?

Christ Be Our Light

2011-12-04T01:07:00.000-08:00

The magificent Salisbury Cathedral in Britain begins the season of Advent with an evening service which begins in total darkness. The choirs process in with candles and eventually 1300 candles are lighted as the source of illumination for worship. I don't know that I would put attending this service on my Bucket List, but I would love to experience it.

A group of colleagues chatted about Advent recently, the challenge of moving toward Christmas with patience rather than being goosed along by the commercialization of the season. There is also the pastoral responsibility of supporting those who are struggling with this time of year because of the physical darkness of our Northern Hemisphere home and the emotional darkness of events which rob them of "good cheer." Brightly lit malls and "all Christmas music, all the time" just don't do it for a lot of people.

The refrain of Bernadette Farrell's song Christ Be Our Light is meaningful at this time of year.

Christ, be our light!

Shine in our hearts.

Shine through the darkness.

Christ, be our light!

Shine in your church gathered today.

Do you look forward to the passing of the solstice and the lengthening of days? Does forced jollity get you down? What and who lights your way through Advent toward Christmas?

Our Elders

2011-12-03T01:16:00.000-08:00

Our Pastoral Care worker and general "force of nature," Beth, created a list of all the people who we might consider shut-ins recently. The list included those who live in seniors' residences and nursing homes, as well as those who are seldom able to get out and about. It was so long I did a count and there were over fifty names. So we have a small congregation of people who don't actually come to worship for the most part but still feel very connected to St. Paul's and to their faith.

We do our best to provide spiritual support for this gang but it is a growing challenge as the congregation ages. I often do battle with the guilt of not keeping up. Thank God for Beth! Not only is she a caring visitor, she has done an exceptional job of connecting pastoral visitors with these individuals so they aren't "out of sight, out of mind."

I had lunch this week with one of my evangelical colleagues who has started a new congregation in Bowmanville in the past five years. He is a very likable guy and we chatted about the similarities and differences in our ministries. I mentioned this group of seniors and he replied that he doesn't have one person in this category. No one.

I believe that we must honour this group of people who are, after all, more than a tenth of our congregation, even though we don't see them. I feel that as a society we should respect our elders and even more so in the church. Once again I have used the image created by artist Gary Crawford for the New Creed booklet and the phrase "In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone."

What are your thoughts?

The Final Frontier

2011-12-02T01:27:00.000-08:00

Recently an Oshawa Presbytery committee I chair completed its business earlier than usual so the assemble clergy and laypeople chatted for a few minutes after adjournment. Somehow we got on to "end of life" issues and I mentioned the seminars we held in October on End of Life Issues and Funeral Planning. I have now shared the outline and information we used with several colleagues. One of those colleagues asked if we addressed assisted suicide and euthanasia, which we didn't. While I am confident that Dr. Debra Jefferson could have spoken about this thoughtfully we realized that this was an aspect of the discussion which could easily be an evening or two in itself.

This past week the Globe and Mail newspaper has offered a worthwhile series of articles on end of life issues, including assisted suicide. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/end-of-life/

Have any of you followed these articles? Have you given much thought to euthanasia -- being a frustrated parent doesn't count! Should this be the next frontier for discussion at St. Paul's?

Keep the Promise

2011-12-01T01:51:00.000-08:00

This is World Aids Day and I can't help but reflect on my experience with individuals living with HIV and AIDS. It occurs to me that I haven't actually been in conversation with someone living with AIDS in more than a dozen years, since my time in Sudbury. In the late eighties, early on during my time there, I was invited to a meeting of the AIDS Committee of Sudbury and ended up as a member. As clueless as I was, I found myself visiting HIV/AIDS patients in hospital and conducting funerals and memorial services for young men who succumbed to the disease.

At that time there were no drug cocktails to prolong life and contracting AIDS was a death sentence carried out fairly quickly. I met family members who were in total denial in some cases, angry in other. Some, usually mothers, continued to love and provide parental support and care, even when they didn't understand and accept. I admired them and learned alongside them.

Today there is much better AIDS education and while it is still a terrible disease, in North America many live well for years thanks to medication. One of the high profile individuals living with HIV is Magic Johnston, former NBA star, who announced his diagnosis and retirement twenty years ago in November.

In other parts of the world AIDS is still a killer because of poverty and the lack of drugs. We aren't "there yet" by any stretch.http://www.worldaidsday.org/

Any thoughts about your own journey of understanding through the years? Have you known people who died of AIDS or live with HIV now? Parents, have you talked with your children about AIDS?

Can we Change?

2011-11-30T01:14:00.000-08:00

Last week I had a brief conversation with a member of the St. Paul's congregation who is an RCMP officer and often works in the Ontario North with native communities. He was on his way once again. Our family lived in Northern Ontario for eleven years so we touched on the seeming inability of people to connect the plight of aboriginal individuals and communities with the root causes of oppression in this country. I appreciated his sensitivity because he often sees the worst. I saw some of it as well, as the minister of a downtown Sudbury church.

Since we talked the terrible circumstances in Attawapiskat have made their way into the news. Even though winter approaches and many people in this remote community are living in tents without adequate clean water or food, governments have been slow to respond. Even now as aid arrives the government officials who are responsible have not visited the community.

At the same time there have been meetings across the country to consider the grim realities of education for First Nations children. While governments and churches have apologised for the Native School system of the past, the truth is that many young people must still leave their communities to attend high school and their departure from familiar surroundings often results in tragedy.

I really do consider this the shame of a country which is such a leader in human rights in other parts of the world. To add to it all, some band leaders have betrayed their own people, taking huge salaries and siphoning money away from essential services for their gain.

On White Gift Sunday our children will do a presentation based on The Huron Carol. I wonder if they know that native communities still exist, something that didn't come home to our family in a very real way until we lived in the north. I have mentioned before that our kids went to a school where native children attended but some people suggested we might want them to go elsewhere because of that.

Any thoughts or comments? How can we keep these issues before our southern Ontario congregations without just piling on a load of guilt?

Left to Their Own Devices

2011-11-29T01:50:00.000-08:00

I had to laugh on Sunday after being part of a problem solving moment before worship with three Sunday School teachers. The Three Perplexed Ones were huddled together with their mobile devices -- two smartphones and a tablet-- trying to connect with a website which would provide a video for the class one of them was teaching. Our new curriculum, Feasting on the Word, includes suggestions for online resources and the teacher had found it on her home computer but these devices weren't cooperating. Solution? The class moved to my study and used my laptop.

What a different world from the one into which I was ordained! I literally could not have imagined the possibilities available today back in the olden times when I started in ministry --1980. As it happens I used a two minute video in worship as well, set up for me by one of our teens for use in the sermon.

Are these absolutely necessary? Of course not, but using images and videos can be helpful, especially with our young people who take all this for granted. Why would the technology used at church be any different than home? The teachers tell me that the recommendations in the curriculum are good and well received.

I figure that if this stuff opens them to a conversation about God then we should be using it. What are your thoughts? Several Sunday School teachers are readers. What are you finding?

Bye the bye, this is blog number 1500!

Hope for Positive Change

2011-11-28T01:21:00.000-08:00

Here we go again. Another international climate change conference, this one in Durban, South Africa. http://www.cop17-cmp7durban.com/ It's hard to know what to think about these conferences. Lots of representatives from countries around the world create a hefty carbon footprint getting to the event, dither and squabble for a few days, then fly home without an agreement. Wait, did I say that in print? I realize how cynical that reads but it's fairly close to the truth in my estimation.

Our United Church moderator, Mardi Tindal, will be there and she has raised the issues around climate change with Canadian church leaders:

Our Canadian Interfaith Call for Leadership and Action on Climate Change, released October 25, 2011, has been lifted up by many global church networks and reproduced in Embassy magazine. Signatures have been added to it, including those of the Canadian Religious Conference and many religious congregations of men and women. A couple of Catholic papers, for example, picked up a recent article by Joe Gunn. This week I accepted an invitation from the World Council of Churches to make a presentation about this statement during the WCC's event within the COP17.

I remain dubious about the motives of nations at these conferences, yet how can I ignore the theme of hope which began our Advent season yesterday? I encourage you to stay aware of the events from a United Church perspective by following the moderator's blog. http://www.wondercafe.ca/blogs/moderator-mardi

Were you aware this conference was taking place? Are you hopeful about a positive outcome? Are you okay with the moderator taking part in Durban?

Advent Conspiracy

2011-11-27T01:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not big on conspiracy theories, the paranoia and fear which seems to fuel some folks' daily lives as they find boogey men under every bed. But I like one conspiracy being promoted by a coalition of people of faith in the U.S. and which is now spreading into Canada.

It's called the Advent Conspiracy and it invites us to "conspire" against the commercialization and secularization of Christmas. While the Advent Conspiracy advocates for water projects in the developing world as an alternative to Xmas spending, it is much broader in its approach.

As a couple Ruth and I have been talking about our yearning for a Christmas in which Christ is the focus and centre. For some reason the early assault on my senses this year from advertisers and media has got to me. I want the richness of the simple message of God's incarnational love in Christ, not all this other nonsense. How did we do so far off the rails?

Today is the first day of the Advent season and we will watch a two-minute Advent Conspiracy video in worship. http://ac.wcrossing.org/

Are you doing any conspiring toward a spiritual, simple, Christ-focussed Christmas?

The Right Decision

2011-11-26T01:19:00.000-08:00

Thank God a British Columbia court decision upheld the laws on polygamy this past week. I say the "thank God" part sincerely. We all have issues which push the proverbial buttons and this one has angered me deeply because a group of men have masked their paedophilia and abuse of women under the guise of religion. In the United States Warren Jeffs, the leader of the breakaway Mormon sect which promotes this supposed polygamy has been convicted for having sex with his fifteen underage "wives" and sentenced to life in prison.

It will be interesting to see what happens next in the community called Bountiful in B.C. While the government has been reluctant to lay charges this decision may force prosecutors to summon the courage to end this abuse. The problem is that according to the law the women have also committed a crime, even though many of them were children who were forced into these relationships. The children of these polygamous families could suffer the most if they are taken from both parents. In a strange twist one of the women told reporters to f___ off and leave them alone.

As with so many people I am disheartened by the way religions can distort their message to support the subjugation of women. I'm glad to be part of a denomination which has wrestled with this dark reality for decades, although its not as though we have "arrived."

What is your reaction to all this, or have you been aware of what's happening out there on the Left Coast?

Buy Nothing!

2011-11-25T01:19:00.000-08:00

The magazine and website Adbusters has pointed out that Occupy encampments have been dismantled across North America in the past week. Meanwhile, people in the United States are camped out in anticipation of store openings today in the hope of scoring the big bargain on consumer items as part of Black Friday, the craziest shopping day of the year. Good point!

Actually, I do think it was time for the Occupy movement to rethink its strategy even though the message remains important. I like the contrast though, and the campaign by Adbusters to counteract Black Friday with Buy Nothing Friday. That's the day in the U.S. and tomorrow, Saturday, is the international Buy Nothing day.

Can you do this tomorrow? I'm honestly trying to figure out if I can get through an entire day without spending money. No gasoline fill-up, snack, grocery purchases...nada. An interesting way to approach Advent with an invitation to simplicity as an antidote to Xmas consumerism.

Could you establish a personal "no buy zone" for a day? Have you tried to simplify Christmas? Successful or unsuccessful?

GratiVent?

2011-11-24T01:09:00.000-08:00

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States, the beginning of a four-day family gathering unsurpassed by any other celebration in America, even Christmas. Along with being Thanksgiving Sunday in a lot of U.S. churches it will also be the first Sunday in the season leading to Christmas called Advent. There are themes for each of the weeks in Advent beginning with hope, followed by peace, joy, and then love. So what will American pastors do with the crossover between gratitude and hope?

One suggests that the two go together well and I'm wondering about exploring the mash-up of Thanksgiving and Advent hope myself. As I muse away I realize that when I am grateful to God I am inclined to have hope for my life and the world I live in, and vice versa. When I am ungrateful for the simple gifts around me I am more inclined to pessimism and cynicism.

Even though most of you are Canucks, can you muster some gratitude today? What are you grateful for and hopeful about in your life?

A Cold Arab Fall

2011-11-23T01:06:00.000-08:00

The death toll continues to mount in Syria as the Assad government brutally crushes any efforts toward free speech and the possibility of democratic reform. If you have seen Bashar al Assad in television interviews it is chilling. He speaks of the "unfortunate accidents" of these deaths in a calm voice as though he is referring to a harmless fender-bender rather than the fatal crash of repression. Thousands have died and the international community which decided to launch bombing missions against Libyan dictator Muamar Gaddafi is doing next to nothing about Syria. I'm not advocating military action, but once again I am puzzled by the decision making processes of political leaders.

Earlier this year we were given hope by the uprisings in various Arab nations in North Africa and the Middle East. Was change really on the horizon, an Arab Spring? Today Egypt is in turmoil and Coptic Christians there are living in fear of a militant Muslim regime. In Iran the crazies in leadership seem hell-bent on developing nuclear weapons and the tiny minority of Christians are being persecuted for their faith. http://www.christiantoday.com/article/retrial.for.iranian.pastor.sentenced.to.death.for.apostasy/28757.htmIn Libyan moderates and secularists are concerned that the imposition of Sharia law will set back women's rights in the country. It is deeply discouraging.

Have any of you got a clearer picture of all this than I have? Democracy and religious freedoms weren't built in a day, but I'm sure not impressed by what I'm seeing. How about you?

Real Faith, Real Lives

2011-11-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

I thought I would move Laura's response to today's blog from comment to "front page" status. Very encouraging!

A fabulous weekend with fabulous kids, truly. I know pride is a no-no but at times this gaggle of goofy, United Church kids with all their energy, antics and courage (to head off on a retreat with friends and strangers to talk about their faith) makes my heart sing. The weekend was called Real Faith, Real Lives and the kids got to choose a stream for their workshops from Pop Goes Your Faith (pop culture based, including an infamous episode of Glee)to Where is God When Life Sucks? to Our Whole Life (sexuality and faith, for older teens only)all key issues for our youth in living their faith.

Saturday evening proved to be a huge hit. We began with a simulation game based on basti (slum) living in India, where the youth were put into random families, and circumstances and they had to survive. It was both fun and meaningful, and a bit crazy at times, when they got desperate.The evening closed with an hour of silence.Who knew it possible?

A dozen plus spiritual practice stations were set up in the sanctuary, lit by candle light, and we moved in silence through different areas with guided spiritual meditations of all kinds including movement,touch,taste, journal writing,scripture reflection,art,etc. Some youth were moved to tears and comforted by their peers,others reflected on the silence and sense of peace and safety they felt and most evaluations remarked that spiritual practices should be a part of every retreat. Life skills introduced,I believe.

There was lots of beautiful music and the youth led worship for St Matthew's congregation on Sunday AM, including one of St Paul's, senior youth Chris, who shared a God-some moment in his life with eloquence and faith-filled wisdom. We ate lots (thank you food committee of St Matthew's Belleville), slept a little and were a little sad to see it end.Thank you St Paul's for supporting our youth to this life-changing adventure. You'll be hearing from us.

Youth Ministry

2011-11-22T05:27:00.001-08:00

There was a big hole at the front of the church on Sunday in the area where our tweens and teens hang out before heading off for their respective Sunday School discussions. It wasn't that they were playing hookey. Fifteen of them headed away on Friday afternoon for a youth event at St. Matthew's United Church in Belleville which is the congregation of our former child and youth minister, the Rev. Cathy Russell.

We have several dedicated volunteers with our youth but Cathy's ministry in our midst put the paddles on a fading aspect of our congregation and jolted us back to life. After Cathy's departure one of those volunteers, Laura, has stepped into a paid role and has provided excellent leadership. Is this worth it financially? Well, Bay of Quinte Conference stretches from Pickering to Brockville, and north from Pembroke to Perth. While this is a huge geographical area, a third of the participants at the event were from St. Paul's. Another third were from Pickering Village UC which also has a paid youth worker.

United Church congregations have tended to pay lip service to youth but are reluctant to shell out the bucks. And it shows. Cathy and now Laura have nurtured these young people in their Christian faith, not just entertaining them. This approach hasn't scared the kids away. If anything it gives them a sense of meaning. Two of our older teens have been selected to be part of a mission/exposure trip to El Salvador next March. Congratulations to Jonathan and Madeleine.

It will be good to hear how the Belleville event unfolded.

Comments?

Unhate

2011-11-19T01:48:00.000-08:00

The clothing manufacturer Benetton is known for its controversial ads, and here it goes again. The latest campaign labelled Unhate features a number of world leaders bussing one another, including the pope in a lingering smooch with a Muslim cleric. Personally I find it disrespectful and unnecessarily provocative. The Vatican has threatened legal action causing Benetton to pull the ad, but the milk has been spilt in the age of the internet.

Personally I find it disrespectful and unnecessarily provocative. Hey, if they made me pope I would be offended. This ad did get me thinking. Pope Benedict's recent gathering in Asissi, bringing together representatives of the world's religions as well as atheists committed to peace was at least an "air kiss" on the cheeks of those who had formerly been viewed as enemies. It was an Unhate initiative which should have received much more attention.

The Christian story has at least one vignette of a kiss of betrayal (Judas in the garden) and a beloved parable about a father who welcomes his wayward child back home with a kiss and embrace. We have a long history of the "kiss of peace" as a form of greeting, although we Protestants are a tad frigid when it comes to that one.

What do you think about the Benetton image? What about the imagery of the kiss of reconciliation and peace?

Holy Books

2011-11-18T01:44:00.000-08:00

As you have figured out I always have my eye out for art exhibits. The connection between art in its various forms and spiritual expression is strong and my undergrad degree was in art history. I noticed that the Morgan Gallery in New York City currently has an exhibit of Islamic art. In earlier centuries Islam nurtured science and mathematics, architecture and art. When people were still living in thatched huts in much of Europe Muslim scientists and artists were leading the way. Sadly, both the sciences and the arts are viewed with suspicion by fundamentalist practitioners of Islam.

The Morgan exhibit includes a selection of covers of the Quran. The intricate designs are fascinating from my perspective. http://www.themorgan.org/collections/works/islamic/default.asp

Take a look and tell us what you think.

The Power of Forgiveness

2011-11-17T01:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday two dozen people in total took part in the morning and evening sessions of our series on forgiveness based on The Power of Forgiveness an award-winning DVD and book. http://www.thepowerofforgiveness.com/ At each session there were plenty of people who have taken part in other studies on forgiveness but we agreed that we need the repetition of the subject because there is nothing easy or straightforward about forgiving and reconciling.

The subject of forgiveness is so central to Christian faith. And it is so practical because many people seek out their minister to talk about alienation from loved ones, anger about old grievances, being "puppets of the past" to use one person's term. There are folk who would never argue with a partner or neighbour yet resent and despise them. These were the fourth and fifth times I have seen the first sections of the DVD and rather than growing bored I have found them increasingly meaningful.

I am somewhat surprised that more people didn't sign up for the evening session. I do think the speakers in the documentary and the conversation involving lots of thoughtful people might have helped those who are "spinning their tires" when it comes to forgiveness.

Any comments from participants? Thoughts about why people who struggle with forgiveness don't necessarily want to address it?

Key to Justice

2011-11-16T10:16:00.001-08:00

A couple of months ago I commented on the rallies in Washington protesting the building of the Keystone pipeline connecting Alberta oil sands with Texas refineries. When I was in Colorado for my course in late August this was all the talk amongst my American ministry colleagues. Of course this was an eco-faith conference so it shouldn't have been surprising that they were paying close attention.

At the time I wrote the Occupy Movement had not begun, let alone captured the widespread attention of the media. I asked whether there was value in these anti-Keystone rallies and the reaction was mixed. There was some suggestion that the efforts were well-meaning but futile. Well, it turns out that there was weight to the protests. Keystone hasn't been shut down by any means, but it has been delayed. The people of Nebraska have been assured that at the very least it will be re-routed around the huge Oglala Aquifer, an essential underground water source.

Does this mean that Americans will consume any less fossil fuels? Maybe not. Will the oil companies just sell to China instead? Could be. Still, there are times when public protests for righteous causes stand in the face of the powerful and effect change. While Occupy encampments continue to be dismantled throughout the world there has been a tremendous amount of attention and governments don't deny the importance of freedom of speech. We can't say yet what effect this grassroots movement has brought about.

I'll ask again about your thoughts on these public demonstrations and calls for change. Worthwhile or whimsical?

Paternalism

2011-11-15T07:57:00.000-08:00

A quick reflection during a busy time and full day. I have been following with bemusement and disgust the situation at Penn State University in the United States. During the past couple of weeks the football program has been in the spotlight because of allegations that one of the coaching staff sexually molested boys. While another university employee saw and reported an incident it was never reported to the police or adequately addressed. The head coach knew what had happened, as did university officials, but the vaunted football program was protected.

If these allegations are true this is a chilling abuse of power and trust, with the vulnerable being sacrificed again. As soon as I heard I thought of the years of cover-ups in the Roman Catholic church. Often college football in the States is described as a religion and if there ever was a college game pope it was now fired coach Joe Paterno. In his eighties Paterno has been at Penn State forever and there were riots after his firing by those who supported him despite the disturbing allegations. The abuses are disgraceful, if true, but so was the response of students.

The nickname Joe Pa is chilling because it suggests a paternal trust that was apparently not warranted. I have always struggled with terms such as Holy Father or "father" to describe religious leaders for similar reasons. Respect for authority is reasonable as long as that authority is reasonably exercised.

Incidents such as these point out the terrible outcome of vesting unlimited power in certain individuals whether they be priests or the pastors of megachurches or sports coaches or political leaders.

Have you been paying attention to this story? What are your thoughts?

United Voices

2011-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Last evening roughly 200 people gathered at St. Paul's for a rousing choir concert and hymn sing. The senior choirs from Trinity United, our neighbour down the street, and St. Paul's sang three anthems each and joined together for a seventh. The two junior choirs sang together as well. In between we sang some of the classic hymns of the faith and wound it all up with The Day Thou Gavest Lord Has Ended, a wonderful evening hymn which is hardly ever sung because we don't worship at the end of the day anymore.

Everyone in the congregation sang enthusiastically and great credit goes to Doug and John, the two music directors who organized the event. Doug graciously relinquished the organ to John and accompanied on the piano --and did so marvellously in my estimation.

So much about this was good. The opportunity to sing in this way is a tonic. The choirs were at their best. And of course the cooperation of the two congregations is essential, and what better way to do so than in the shared gift of music. It proved that we can "make nice" together and wrap it all up in just over an hour!

Any comments about the evening itself and the spirit of cooperation?

Youth Wasted on the Young?

2011-11-12T01:10:00.000-08:00

The other morning I listened to an interview with the dean of St. James Anglican Cathedral in Toronto. The Very Reverend Douglas Stoute has been a busy man because the Occupy Toronto encampment is in St. James Park, co-owned by the cathedral and the city of Toronto. He was firm and patient and eloquent in the interview -- I was very impressed. I notice that their website includes a letter about the Occupy protesters which includes these thoughts:

We have asked that the protesters respect the members of the community who live and work in the area. The overwhelming response from the members of the community to the Cathedral’s position on this issue has been positive. They share, as do we, the protesters’ message of justice and equality.
We fully appreciate the frustration of some of the neighbours to the disruption. Their anger at the Church, however, is misplaced. We have no power to evict the protesters. We cannot speak for the City, but even if we did have that power, we would be very reluctant to invoke it. We believe that we are blessed to live in a society where peaceful conversation can take place publicly and here citizens are free to voice their concerns without fear of violence or reprisals.

It seemed inevitable that municipalities across North America would eventually lose their patience and send the police to break up the encampments. We could say that they couldn't last forever and that these predominantly young people are brash and naiive and quixotic in their ideals.

I hope we remember that yesterday we honoured young people who were brash and idealistic and probably naiive as well because they were willing to head off to conflicts in distant places on our behalf. That's the way young people are, and we should thank God for this because we often become complacent and make concessions claiming that we are realistic about the world.

When we gather for our annual meeting of Bay of Quinte Conference it is the young people who infuse a ridiculous amount of energy into the proceedings. There are times when we oldsters are thinking "you don't understand" as they go to the microphones but its good that they don't accept the status quo.

Some of you might think that the Occupy Movement should not be mentioned in the same breath as those who fought for freedom during our international conflicts but I do think there are parallels in passion. They want to create a better world and address the injustices around us.

Thoughts?

Call of Duty

2011-11-11T01:11:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week people lined up hours in advance of store openings to get the latest version of one of the most popular video games ever, Call of Duty.http://www.callofduty.com/mw3

I have never been a video game person, which is an indication of my age, but I know that this is a huge industry. In fact the release of a new video game or its latest version can be bigger than a blockbuster movie. We're talking about billions of dollars here. The cost of developing them can exceed a Hollywood movie and the failure of a single game can send a company into bankruptcy.

It had not occurred to me that war games including Call of Duty:Modern Warfare 3 are intentionally released in the week leading up to Remembrance Day to draught in behind the patriotism many people feel at this time of year. There are veterans' organizations which have protested this trend, feeling it is disrespectful to in effect use the sacrifices of military personnel to promote these games.

In contrast, last week our tween youth group spent time with one of our two remaining WWII veterans. Rae Abernathy is a remarkable elder statesman in our congregation, a person our children and youth can look up to regardless of his war service. I was pleased to hear that Laura, our child and youth worker, arranged this. Rae was also our representative veteran in last Sunday's service. He is always supportive of the peace aspect of that worship service. We don't post photos of our children for security reasons but there is a great shot of Rae bedecked with medals in the midst of a dozen young people on our bulletin board.

What are your feelings about this on Remembrance Day? What will happen in the schools where some of you teach? Will you be attending a Remembrance ceremony somewhere? One thing for sure: war is not a game. I am grateful for those in the past and present who answered the true call of duty.

Hidden in Plain Sight

2011-11-10T01:11:00.000-08:00

After worship on Sunday a member who has been travelling for the past month commented enthusiastically about the service. He started out with "maybe it's because I've been away..." and then expressed his appreciation for the involvement of so many people in different ways.

It got me thinking. Of course there were two dozen choir members, a group of committed volunteers we could easily take for granted. A senior and a child brought the wreath forward as part of our Remembrance portion of the service. We had a scripture reader and three young people led the Prayers of the People. Our Loaves and Fishes group added another five participants, other than the two choir members, three of them youth.

But as the commercials say "wait, there's more!" One guy each on the sound board, projection, and video recording. Ushers and greeters. A committee served us coffee and juice after worship. Sunday School teachers. And the junior choir practiced at 9:30 even though they didn't sing in the service. My guesstimate is between fifty five and sixty volunteers, which was about a quarter of those in worship on Sunday. The member who jump-started my brain is right -- this is impressive.

Given that the average attendance in a United Church congregation is about sixty, this was an important gift of time. And this is just on Sunday morning.

Congregations wouldn't be congregations without the active involvement of members. Call them volunteers or disciples, their activity should humble every paid staff member.

Thoughts?

Priceless

2011-11-09T01:18:00.000-08:00

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust* consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust* consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

Last week a painting by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt owned by a Montreal family was sold at auction. The pre-auction estimate was twenty five million and the actually selling price was forty million. This was a bit of bargain, Klimt-wise. Other paintings by the artist have sold for eighty seven and one hundred and twenty five million. I'm an art history grad and a big Klimt fan, but these prices border on obscene to me. I have to wonder whether the final bids have more to do with ego than value.

That said, how do we place a value on good and services? One of the stars of the World Series winning St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Pujos, is now a free agent and the rumour is that he is seeking thirty million a year for a decade. Remember the blog where I pointed out that Pujos is a Christian and wondered how he could expect such an enormous contract or see this as consistent with his Christian faith. Some of you thought this was fine in the open market. Wouldn't it be interesting if Christian Albert offered to take a paltry million a season and to direct the rest to charitable causes. He could probably get by.

I have been known to say that we have our values upside down in our culture. The people who look after children and the elderly are paid peanuts. Meanwhile, the stars who play games to distract us are immensely wealthy, we pay a fortune for baubles, and those who probably wouldn't know one end of a hammer from the other but shuffle money around in computers live the proverbial "life of Reilly" (who was Reilly?)

What say you, wise readers? Is this just the way the world works, or do we expect change a la the Occupy Movement gang? Or the way Jesus taught his followers?

Can We Be Bought?

2011-11-08T01:20:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago a television commercial production person showed up at St. Paul's asking if his camera crew could use the front lawn of our church to take some footage across the street. Our building was not going to be in the commercial but they needed the distance from the small used car lot on the south side of Church St. I said sure and they later stopped in with a hundred dollars as a thank you. It turns out that it was a Crown Royal whiskey commercial (we didn't know this) and if you pay close attention to this commercial on Hockey Night in Canada you will see the manse --our home -- down the street. And no they didn't pay us "in kind!"

Churches do get asked if their halls and sanctuaries can be used for films, television shows, commercials. A while back St. Paul's made money when the crew of the Wind at My Back TV series filmed across the street at the museum and used our hall to feed their folk. When I was in Halifax This Hour Has Twenty Two Minutes wanted to use our sanctuary for a segment but we quietly said no, even though at that time I loved this satirical CBC program.

I read a piece recently written by a minister in the States who was offered $10,000 for the use of their worship space for three days to film a big scene in an Adam Sandler movie. It was to be a wedding ceremony where a priest punches out a worshipper who won't turn off his cell phone. Now, this might be a fantasy of many clergy, but in the end the minister said no, not just because of this scene but the whole premise of the film. Then the production company came back with an offer of sixty grand! For three days filming!

This time the deacons came together and while they talked for two hours they turned it down. Could they use the $60,000? Is the pope Catholic? In the end they decided that this wasn't a fit for their values, nor did they want to upset their congregation. Another church did say yes.

Do you agree with this decision? Would you hope we would make a similar one, or would your response by "lighten up?" Has there ever been a good Adam Sandler movie?

We Are Not Alone

2011-11-07T01:07:00.000-08:00

Last week the health specialist on CBC radio's Metro Morning spoke about the effects of loneliness. He pointed out the obvious connection to depression and other mental health issues but went on to say that new research makes the connection to heart attacks, strokes, diabetes -- loneliness makes us sick. The studies also show that in our supposedly connected world people report having fewer confidantes than even a decade ago. Hey, anyone on Facebook knows that "friend" has become a rather demeaned term and that social media can leave us lonely in a crowd. http://www.cbc.ca/metromorning/episodes/2011/11/02/effects-of-loneliness/ I wondered if the conversation would speak about ways of addressing loneliness such as, say, being part of a loving, caring family of faith. Nope.

Not everyone who comes to church feels that they belong to be sure, but I am regularly touched by the circle of support and care provided by people of all ages. A group of our tweens talked on Sunday about the sense of safety they feel together at church. We see it regularly with our seniors. We are far from perfect but we are in the loneliness busting business.

Of course there can be comfort in sensing that Christ is our companion in life and that God is with us even in the shadows. One of our statements of faith says at the beginning and end that "we are not alone, we live in God's world."

I thought of a choral piece that affirms this and I found this video of a Mennonite group called the Emerald Chorale spontaneously singing We Are Not Alone, in a church, recorded with a cell phone I think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI7zjPuVsCU

What are your thoughts on loneliness? Has your faith and faith family helped in lonely times?

House of Blessing

2011-11-06T01:12:00.000-07:00

Justin Bieber was in the news recently for something more important than a paternity suit. He donated $10,000 to a food bank called the House of Blessing in his Ontario hometown of Stratford. He told reporters that in his earlier days as the child of a single mom this foodbank got them through some difficult patches and he wanted to give back.

According to their website "The House of Blessing is a nondenominational faith-based organization dedicated to helping anyone regardless of race or religion who isin need of help or support." Along with food, clients can access clothing and furniture.

Many food banks are faith-based because generosity to those in need is fundamental to most religions and in Christianity this is one of the bridges across denominational lines. Here in Bowmanville our congregational members bring food and household basics to St. Paul's and a volunteer named Doug faithfully transports this to the Salvation Army food bank each week. They have a really good system of distribution which includes a computer database. From time to time we also make a cash donation so that the S.A. has money to fill in the gaps of staples.

What do you think of "the Biebs" contribution? What about our collaborative effort here in Bowmanville or your community? Have you ever needed to use a food bank?

Dead On

2011-11-05T01:53:00.000-07:00

Some of you may recall that I went to a conference at a Christian centre called Ghost Ranch several years ago during November. It was the first of three trips to the wilds of New Mexico but on that one it was just after the celebration of the Day of the Dead. This is a Mexican festival, which makes sense in New Mexico because it was once a province of the neighbouring country just to the south. I was reminded of that trip when I heard about Day of the Dead events to be held in Toronto this weekend, corresponding with All Saints and All Souls Days earlier this week.

The decorations were rather jarring for me because there were skeletons and other lurid death images. Despite seeming macabre to my WASP eyes the Day of the Dead is actually an opportunity for people to celebrate loved ones who have died and families often go to cemeteries to have a picnic at the graves.

Our culture is sometimes described as death denying with an emphasis on youth and downplaying the aging process and death itself. We are reluctant to talk about the reality of death and we certainly don't have picnics in our cemeteries?

What is your reaction to Day of the Dead? Are we death denying? November isn't great picnicking weather in Canada, but what could we do to have a healthier view of death?

Prayers for Peace

2011-11-04T01:52:00.000-07:00

In late October of 1986 Pope John Paul II brought leaders from different religious traditions to Assissi in Italy, the hometown of St. Francis to prayer for peace. At that groundbreaking event he said:

"For the first time in history, we have come together from every where, Christian Churches and Ecclesial Communities, and World Religions, in this sacred place dedicated to Saint Francis, to witness before the world, each according to his own conviction, about the transcendent quality of peace. The form and content of our prayers are very different, as we have seen, and there can be no question of reducing them to a kind of common denominator. Yes, in this very difference we have perhaps discovered anew that, regarding the problem of peace and its relation to religious commitment, there is something which binds us together."

Twenty five years later, in the same place, Pope Benedict brought together about 60 Catholics, 60 Orthodox and Protestant Christians, 65 Muslims, 65 Buddhists, eight Jews, seven Hindus, six Shintos, five Sikhs, four non-believers, three Confucists, three Taoists, one Jain, one Baha'i and one Zoroastrian. That covers most of the world religions. In his address Benedict said:

"As a Christian I want to say at this point: yes, it is true, in the course of history, force has also been used in the name of the Christian faith. We acknowledge it with great shame. But it is utterly clear that this was an abuse of the Christian faith, one that evidently contradicts its true nature."

The religious leaders made a common pledge:"We commit ourselves to educating people to mutually respect and honor each other in order to help bring about peaceful and fraternal co-existence between people of different ethnic groups, cultures and religions."

I find this story encouraging in the midst of other disquieting stories of religious strife and extremism, other than the obvious absence of women. Why do we seldom hear the encouraging accounts of cooperation and seeking common ground amongst religions?

Bicycle Blessing

2011-11-03T01:59:00.000-07:00

When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them;

and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose.

Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them;

for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

When they moved, the others moved; when they stopped, the others stopped;

and when they rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them;

for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. Ezekiel

By now most of you will have heard of Blessing of the Animals services held in many churches, often around the Feast of St. Francis (October 4th.) What about Blessing of the Bicycles? Yes, some congregations have begun blessing two-wheelers in services held in April or May. In the service held in a Toronto United Church earlier this year bicycles were wheeled down the aisle and sprinkled with our version of holy water and a variation of an Irish prayer:

May the road rise to meet you;

may the wind be ever at your back;

may all your journeying be joyous;

may you and your bicycle be held in God’s hand...

Some clergy have a sense of humour anointing the riders with sun block rather than oil. Toronto cyclists need all the prayerful help they can get! In New York City bicycle blessings have been around for more than a decade. In some communities the blessings coincide with Earth Sunday.

It is November but we have enjoyed some lovely weather this week so our bicycles have been wheeled out a few times for what we assume will be the last rides of the season. It is too dark in the morning so we have chosen after work instead, but with the time change this weekend that option will disappear as well. It's unfortunate because this is actually a lovely time of the year to ride.

Since we had our Ride Your Bike to Church Sunday In late September our new bike rack has looked a little...empty. I hope that in the Spring cycling can be the transportation of choice for some churchgoers.

Do any of you cycle religiously? Any thoughts on why we don't cycle more in our culture? Will you consider riding to church come Spring? Should we add a Bicycle Blessing to our special services roster?

A Legacy of Prayer

2011-11-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I drew the congregation's attention to an upcoming meeting of the group which knits Prayer Shawls for those who are going through challenging times, including illness.

After worship a member told me about the shawl which we gave to her elderly mother several years ago. The mom was not a member of St. Paul's but when she came to live in Bowmanville we visited her and the shawl was close at hand. When she died I was called and went to the nursing home for prayers with the family who had gathered, including a great niece. The member who spoke to me on Sunday let me know that the niece had developed cancer earlier this year and the shawl was passed on to her. Sadly, she died during the summer and now her husband sleeps with the shawl as a source of comfort. Who could have known the legacy of that act of kindness in knitting the shawl.

I have wondered whether the prayer shawls would be a worthwhile ministry for a certain moment in time, or have staying power. What do you think? Have you experienced the comfort of a shawl (Ruth and I have, thanks to a thoughtful colleague in ministry)?

Seven Billion

2011-10-31T01:13:00.000-07:00

In 1999 I got in trouble with my then twelve year old daughter, Emily, because I blabbed to the congregation that she had sat on my knee and watched with me as the population of the planet reached six billion. It was a very uncool thing for the dad of a twelve year old to do! It is estimated that today the population will reach seven billion, a staggering almost incomprehensible number of human being consuming all manner of goods and living longer than ever to boot. For some of us 1999 was just a blink ago so the increase in population is all the more sobering.

Someone commented to me not long ago that it seems that natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes seem to be affecting populated areas more than they could recall in the past. My response was that it really makes sense. There are fewer and fewer places on Earth where we humans aren't, so these scary events that go bump in the night are going to affect us, particularly in the countries where people take the risk of living along coastlines.

When I was born in October of 1954 I was the two billionth, seven hundred and third five millionth person (approx.) alive at that moment. I am not a mathematician but doesn't that mean the human population has increased by more than one hundred and fifty percent since then? Calculate for yourself at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15391515

There are a number of writers who suggest that not only is living simply an imperative for people of faith but voluntarily choosing smaller families is as well. This ethical discussion is something that the biblical writers just couldn't have anticipated, but perhaps loving our neighbour includes our own efforts not to crowd the neighbourhood. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/7-billion

What are your thoughts on this mind-boggling subject?

Sinners and Saints

2011-10-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

This morning we acknowledged All Saints Day even though it isn't until Tuesday. The Druidic Celts of yore believed that this is a "thin" time of the year when the membrane between this life and the next is permeable. Samhain was coopted by Christians to become Hallowe'en, All Saints Day and All Souls Day. We remember those who have died in the past twelve months and I often speak about our notions of saintliness. Again today I affirmed the "communion of saints" conviction that we are saints without haloes, ordinary people called into an extraordinary life of discipleship with Christ.

Last week I stumbled upon a website for a church plant in Denver called the House for All Sinners and Saints. http://houseforall.org/ This really appeals to me, even though I don't really know what the congregation is like.

I am intrigued by their opening statement:

House for All Sinners and Saints' is a group of folks figuring out how to be a liturgical, Christo-centric, social justice oriented, queer inclusive, incarnational, contemplative, irreverent, ancient - future church with a progressive but deeply rooted theological imagination...

That's a lot to chew on! It does seem to me that rather than venerating certain saintly superstars we recognize both our fallenness and faithfulness.

Any thoughts about the earthy approach to sainthood?

How Sweet the Sound

2011-10-29T01:59:00.000-07:00

Praise is remarkable. The spoken word has its power but praise in the form of singing can transport us to another reality. In many mainline churches that singing can be rather tame and predictable and earthbound rather than "high and lifted up."

Last night nine finalist choirs "sang off" in the Verizon How Sweet the Sound choir competition in Los Angeles. Something tells me that these choirs were animated if past winners are any indication. Last year's champions must travel with their own chiropractor and defibrilator!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/28/verizons-how-sweet-the-sound-americas-next-choir_n_1063643.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT7NObwoGEo

http://www.howsweetthesound.com/contest/events/2011/losangeles

We might not want to go to quite the extent of these choirs, but they do catch our attention. What do you think holds us back from unfettered praise? What is the difference between giving God the glory and hogging it for ourselves? We love our choirs but could we use a "praise transplant" in our congregations? There are lots of choir members and a choir director as readers, so can I get a witness?

Defining Freedom

2011-10-28T01:35:00.000-07:00

In Regina both the definition of hateful speech and freedom of speech are on trial along with Bill Whatcott, a fundamentalist Christian who has concluded that it is mission in life to publicly condemn homosexuality. Whatcott has been charged by the Saskatchewan human rights commission with hate speech, which is illegal. Whatcott and his lawyer, Tom Shuck are arguing that he has the right to express a traditional Christian tenet that homosexuality violates God's law.

"The problem that I have and many others in the Christian community (have), is that this law is being used to charge Christians - Christians who have a different view as to what is right and wrong on sexual behaviour and in particular same-sex sexual behaviour," Schuck said Friday in a phone interview from his office in Weyburn, Sask.

"The argument is that our Constitution, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, gives all Canadians the freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion. And the utilization of human rights commissions to stop someone from saying that same-sex sexual activity is wrong infringes on all three of those charter rights."

There are people who are defending Whatcott's right to pass out his pamphlets and walk around with his placards even though they vehemently disagree with his views. They see this as fundamental (no pun intended) in a free and democratic society. My feeling is that his actions are not consistent with the gospel, and every freedom has its limits, but I am conflicted on this one.

Have you followed this story? Where are you on this one?

Jesus on Wall St.

2011-10-27T01:33:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I began my message by referring to the Occupy movement which went global two weekends ago. Whether we think Occupy is the fresh new face of democracy or a naiive and fleeting attempt at challenging the "principalities and powers" it has caught our attention. I was linking the movement to the passage from the book of Leviticus for the day which tells us to avoid idols, treat rich and poor equally, and love our neighbours. In the gospel passage from Matthew Jesus says that the Great Commandment is to love God and to love our neighbours as ourselves, the latter part being a scripture shout out to Leviticus

Since Sunday I have seen more images from Occupy rallies that demonstrate a lot of creativity, including the ones above with a Christian theme. Who knows, maybe the movement won't just fade away, although winter is coming.

Take a look at this article by Walter Brueggemann, esteemed Old Testament scholar for his reflection on the broken covenant in the United States.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/walter-brueggemann/jeremiah-31-31-34-on-scripture-new-covenant_b_1031455.html

What do you think a month along?

It Won't Go Away!

2011-10-26T01:07:00.000-07:00

Is it just because we did our End of Life/Funeral Planning seminars that I am noticing related material all over the place? The Religion and Ethics website had this interesting piece on a community that has really got on board with Advanced Care Directives, one of the things we brought to people's attention on October 11th

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/october-21-2011/advance-directives/9748/

On the CBC radio program White Coat, Black Art there are a couple of worthwhile conversations about End of Life issues in the same episode. http://www.cbc.ca/whitecoat/blog/2011/10/14/can-we-talk-show/

Fess up, do you know what an Advanced Care Plan is? http://www.advancecareplanning.ca/media/8359/advance_care_plan_my_voice.pdf Did the seminar prompt you to fill one out, or did you lie down until the feeling went away? Do you think that by not having one you are keeping death at arm's length?

Insane

2011-10-25T05:57:00.001-07:00

In recent weeks I have been involved in several intense conversations with different members of the congregation about the mental health of loved ones. In a couple of situations the health of these family members has deteriorated to the point where they are at risk to themselves and possibly others. Part of the frustration is that laws which were implemented to protect the individual do exactly the opposite when mental health is severely compromised. Individuals who have lost touch with reality are still in charge of their own destiny until something catastrophic happens. Meanwhile the people who care about them most are left trying to provide practical support and to seek help, essentially in the dark.

We have just passed World Mental Health Day (October 10 see poster above) but I have come to the conclusion that the mental health care system in this province is insane. At times I can barely contain my anger as I see how everyone involved suffers. The mentally ill person is in indescribable anguish. The health and wellbeing of family members deteriorates and the strain tests even the most loving of families. The pathways in the system as they are today are essentially a maze which defeat everyone involved. I am waiting for someone to describe a situation where they feel well served by the mental health system.

While I know this sounds rather bleak I don't know how else to say this and be honest. Perhaps there will be changes which address the whole person including that person's family support system. In the meantime communities of faith need to be vigilant in supporting those who are suffering and create a climate in which folk are not afraid of being stigmatized by the reality of mental illness in their lives.

I try to remind myself that Jesus was a healer, including those who were outcasts because of their "demons." We can walk with our friends and pray for them, even when they feel that they are beyond prayer.

Comments?

Flowery Grace

2011-10-24T01:57:00.000-07:00

Still, no killing frost in our part of Southern Ontario, although a couple of nights ago it was close. It means that flowers are still in bloom, a real gift as we approach the end of October.

In the Spring Ruth planted several Black-eyed Susan vines around our veranda and they really didn't do all that well, at least in the first couple of months. Yet when we came back from vacation in early September one vine had taken off, as though it was waiting until we were away to break into the house. All through the Fall it has extended across our front steps to the point we have to step gingerly to avoid doing damage.

Many people comment to us and ask the name of the plant. The folk who own the store across the street say that customers regularly look out their front window and strike up a conversation about what they see.

These vines are grace embodied, that gift which keeps on giving by unexpectedly doing what they are meant to do. Children often exhibit that grace and so do our campanion animals. We are delighted by their ability to bring light into our lives simply by being who they are.

Comments? Examples?

Waking up Baptism

2011-10-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

This morning we baptised three beautiful babies, one only a little over a month old. We have been working at making baptism more watery, using various visuals to help us out. We have a glass bowl which extends above the level of the font so the water is visible as it is poured and during the baptisms. The blue cloth flows down from the font as a reminder that water flows -- baptism isn't a stagnant sacrament. We are people of the Christ who is Living Water.

We also include children from the congregation, asking a different child to pour the water each time, an honour they beg for! And from time to time all the kids get to add water. Do you see the clear film canisters atop the font? Each child is given one as they enter the sanctuary and all of them come to the front before the baptism to add the water warmed in their little hands.

How do you feel about altering the symbolism to "wake up" this sacrament? Do you have a child who participated? What do you do in your church?

Creativity

2011-10-21T01:37:00.000-07:00

I find that I need to go back and check past blogs from time to time because folk comment after the first couple of days, often with interesting reflections which probably get missed by those who read day by day. During Creation Time Nancy gave us links out of her work as a teacher that were really worthwhile. SJD offered a neat bunny-dog encounter in his backyard after our Blessing of the Animals service.

I noticed yesterday that a reader offered a link which is bubbling with unusual, kinetic creativity. Our bible begins with creation and you if you have read for a while you know that I believe there is a strong connection between the artistic spirit and life in the Spirit. So take a click and a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EakYvugnajw

Comments?

The Living Word

2011-10-20T01:21:00.000-07:00

I wasn't aware until yesterday that a remarkable and monumental project was completed earlier this year. The St. John's bible is the first illuminated manuscript of the entire bible created since the invention of moveable type 500 years ago. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/19/illuminated-st-johns-bible_n_1019800.htmlUntil that time every bible was painstakingly copied by hand. The most elaborate were those with illustrations or illuminations. We probably all have images in our minds of monks hunched over manuscripts with quills and inkpots.

This bible was about fifteen years in the making and the calligraphy and illustrations created by a team of artists are remarkable. While the techniques are hundreds of years old, there are images of 911 and the Japan tsunami within its more than 1,000 pages, giving it a contemporary feel.

Is this project a waste of time and money given the easy accessibility to printed bibles? Would you like to see the finished project? Might it encourage interest in the bible?

Multi-Cultural, Multi-Religious

2011-10-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

There are subjects which catch my attention, don't fit the schedule of my blog, then leave me wondering if I should return to them when they are no longer in the public eye. An example is the kerfuffle a few weeks ago about prayer for Muslim students in Toronto board schools. The request was/is to let Muslim students observe the daily prayer schedule during the school day. Some critics saw this as a dangerous precedent in a public school system which is non-sectarian. Some Christians objected because prayers such as the Lord's Prayer can no longer be repeated collectively and even Christian groups who want to meet in school space feel marginalized. There were demonstrations outside some schools and board offices and at times it got ugly.

It is a touchy subject --isn't that often the case with religion?-- and not easily resolved. I feel Christian groups as well as other religious groups should have the right to meet and pray at lunch hours and after school. And the argument that we withhold something from someone else because we can't have it doesn't seem all that charitable.

This is also about truly listening to those from different religious traditions. Prayer is one of the pillars of Islam and many workplaces now allow Muslim employees to take a few moments for prayer at the specified times. The reason the mosque in Courtice is situated there is because OPG employees wanted a site where they could slip away on their lunch hour and breaks for faithful observance. I have commented to people that I wish Christians were that dedicated to prayer!

Still, this shows the challenges of our multi-cultural and multi-religious society. Some schools in the TDSB are 80% Muslim.

What are your thoughts on this one?

Still Gathering

2011-10-18T05:56:00.001-07:00

"And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded." Matthew 10:42

Last Friday evening the monthly community meal called The Gathering Place attracted the largest group of guests since we began -- well over 100 people. It was a rainy evening but people were lined up outside well before the doors usually open. We let them in early and soon the St. Paul's hall was filled with conversation and laughter. Before we began we sang Happy Birthday to one of the regulars and as always one of the pastors from a participating congregation said the blessing.

This time we recruited servers from St. Paul's as we begin a rotation of assistance from the different churches. We already have a dedicated core group from our congregation who work with regulars from several other church families. On Friday nine or ten of our youth and six or seven adults served. One of the teens has volunteered at an Oshawa community meal where they serve a lot more people, cafeteria style, and he commented to his parents that he liked how people at The Gathering Place are served their food on nice plates. The room was decorated with a Fall theme and it was yet another excellent meal with turkey and ham.

I noticed Friday that some of the guests who tend to be, well, monosyllabic, spoke to me and smiled. Building trust and familiarity doesn't happen overnight. I was pleased that representatives from several congregations came to see how this all unfolds. One was a woman who wondered recently if all the people who show up really need this meal. Our administrator, Helen, told her that anyone who comes is treated equally, because they have chosen to be there. There is no means test. We continue our commitment to dignity and hospitality in Christ's name for whomever comes.

Several blog readers have volunteered over this past year. Any comments? Thoughts from others?

Out of the Gloom

2011-10-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

Off I went this morning when it was still gloomy and the traffic heavy with commuters. My goal was Second Marsh, the wetland jewel between Canada's busiest highway and Lake Ontario. Sometimes I don't have the energy to go for a walk and yet I sense that it is exactly what I need for my spirit.

We are getting to that time when birds are staging for the flight to milder climes and today I saw more blue herons together than I can recall -- somewhere around twenty. Some flapped lazily away from my approach, others seemed oblivious to my presence. A couple of trumpeter swans flew directly overhead and honked so loudly at that moment I was startled. It was a calm morning yet the water of Lake Ontario was so lively from the windy weekend that the waves kept me from walking the beach.

My mind raced with the busyness of this Fall season. Literally hours after our return from Colorado in early September I was into the fray and the activity of our congregation has not relented. Today I told myself to receive the gift of the setting I found myself in, to see and hear the creatures around me. After all, Jesus instructed us to ponder the birds of the airs and the wildflowers if we desire balance.

When I did open myself to the moment I thought of a blue heron I photographed when I was on restorative leave three and a half years ago. Not far from the remote farmhouse I holed up in for a couple of months was a series of rapids or chutes of the Mississippi River (the Ontario one.) The heron was as still and focussed as any that one might see in a tranquil pond. This heron was standing in an eddy, fishing intently, oblivious to the roar and rush of the water. The image above is my computer home page to serve as a reminder that I can find ways to be spiritual ly still in the turbulence if it is my heart's desire. It has been there long enough that I take it for granted. To my peril.

On the walk back out two white tailed deer bounded across the trail, effortlessly cleared a stream and disappeared into the woods. I realized that they had followed a trail I hadn't noticed on my walk to the lake. A third deer stood in the trees from which the others had emerged. There is a setting of Psalm 42 which begins:

As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after You.

You alone are my heart's desire, and I long to worship You.

You alone are my strength, my shield; to You alone may my spirit yield.

You alone are my heart's desire, and I long to worship You.

I'm not big on "signs and portents" but the herons and the deer did speak to me today.

It is a challenge to keep your life and spirit in balance? Do you ever feel the "tyranny of the urgent" takes over? What do you do to re-establish equilibrium?

Duly Nudged

2011-10-15T01:22:00.000-07:00

During long-time member Doug Kemp's funeral service in September I drew the large congregation's attention to the food box at the front of the sanctuary. I put it there and two well-meaning ushers started to remove it before the service began, thinking it was out of place. I told everyone that Doug regularly gave me what I will kindly call a pep talk, convinced that it should always be full as our St. Paul's support for the Salvation Army Food Bank. I challenged folk at the service and during worship to fill the two boxes we have in the church in memory of Doug. I commented that if we didn't, I might be hearing his voice in the night.
Another St. Paul's Doug, Hately, faithfully picks up our food contributions and transports them over to the Army distribution centre. He tells us that contributions have spiked through the past few weeks and this week he had to make two trips. In addition, a number of people made cash donations for the food bank.
It warms my heart that people have responded in this way. Doug's widow, Billie, has lost most of her sight due to macular degeneration so even though she still attends church regularly she can't see the full boxes. But I can tell her about the generosity of our members and others. I joke that Doug nagged me, but I'm glad he did. Sometimes we need to be nudged out of our complacency and busyness. Doug was a generous Christian in life and its good to know that he is having this impact in death.
Comments?