Canadian Thanksgiving and US Indigenous Peoples Day

 This is Canadian Thanksgiving Day, celebrated a full six weeks before the American version. In both countries there is a public holiday and families are inclined to gather for a meal. In the States Thanksgiving is a bigger deal, with a longer weekend, wall to wall football, endless retail sales, and family gatherings which are bound to be contentious this year given that an election will have just occurred. 

The role of Indigenous peoples in the US Thanksgiving is an important part of the mythology. The theme is of hospitality extended to the European settlers who probably wouldn't have survived otherwise. I've noticed over time that there are plenty of cartoons suggesting that Native Americans would appreciate a reset on that welcome.

In Canada we don't place the same emphasis on the role of First Peoples in putting out the welcome mat for settlers but history tells us that Indigenous peoples in what we now call Canada were likely instrumental in their survival. They established treaties with the British Crown which made it possible for exploration to take place and settlement to happen. Often Christian missionaries were involved in first contact and the gospel was shared.

Given the sorry outcome of these encounters, filled with broken promises, decimation by disease, and attempts to extinguish culture and spirituality, perhaps we can temper our Thanksgiving with a side dish of repentance. I keep thinking of our June trip to Haida Gwaii and learning that the Haida people refer to the post-missionary era, beginning in the mid-1960s, with the resurgence of their culture. The residential schools and the insistence on giving up language, art, and potlatch gatherings because they were pagan is a bleak aspect of our history.

Thanksgiving can be a time for Truth and Reconciliation, of acknowledging respect and gratitude for First Peoples and our shared relationship with the Creator.  

I should note that in the United States this is Indigenous Peoples Day a proclamation of the Biden administration as a counterbalance to Columbus Day, or There Goes the Neighbourhood Day. Again, the two nations are different in that June 21st, the Summer Solstice is Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada and September 30th is National Truth and Reconciliation Day. 

In my other blog, Groundling, I consider the hymns of Thanksgiving and why celebrating the harvest still matters https://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2024/10/all-good-gifts-around-us-are-sent-from.html

Do Unto Others this Thanksgiving

14 Seek good and not evil,
    that you may live,
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
    just as you have said.
15 Hate evil and love good,
    and establish justice in the gate...

Amos 5: 14-15a    NRSVue

Last week the CBC radio program, Metro Morning, left the familiar confines of the downtown Toronto studio for Oshawa, a city of 185,000 toward the east of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). MM chose to broadcast outdoors on a frosty morning, at a nearly completed community housing complex. 

The program interviews included residents of this project along with others who are involved in the heart of a city that has been prosperous through the years thanks to General Motors but has also had a reputation for a seedy downtown. This was true 50+ years ago when I lived in the area but the city core has fallen on even tougher times. 

One of the other guests works for an organization reaching out to marginalized people called DUO, a nighttime drop-in centre. This is an acronym for Do Unto Others, a portion of the Golden Rule, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." While Jesus taught this, virtually every major religion has a similar phrase. 

When the mayor of Oshawa was interviewed he mentioned the work of DUO, Gate 3:16, and the Backdoor Mission. Gate 3:16 was founded by a coalition of congregations to respond to the needs of the homeless. The Backdoor Mission began at Simcoe St. United Church and while the congregation has since disbanded what that mission has become a multi-faceted outreach to those who need a variety of services, including food, mental and physical healthcare, and housing. I've mentioned before that a friend who is a physician is now volunteering here, a challenging and worthwhile contribution. We should note how many organizations responding to these needs began with faith groups. Daily Bread in Toronto and Gleaners reflect this in their names as well. 

This is Thanksgiving Weekend in Canada and Thanksgiving Sunday for many denominations, including the United Church. One of the lectionary readings for the day  is the passage in Amos which contains the two verses above. It is a reminder that choosing the good, including justice for the poor and needy, is God's way. 

Today we will worship on the theme of the Season of Gratitude at Trenton United.

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, Ruth, my wife, will join with many other faithful volunteers who seek good and not evil at Bridge St. UC, providing a meal to nearly a hundred people, as this ministry does every day. I know that she'll arrive home to tell me of the people who express their heartful thanks, as they do every week.  In a time when hardness of heart and disdain for the poor seems to be on the rise we can uphold all these organizations in prayer. 

God, giver of all good,
you continually pour your benefits upon us.
Age after age the living wait upon you and find
that your faithfulness has no end,
that your care is unfailing.
We praise you that the mystery of life
is a mystery of infinite goodness.
We praise you
for the order and constancy of nature;
for the beauty and bounty of the earth;
for day and night, summer and winter,
seedtime and harvest;
for the varied gifts of loveliness which every season brings.
We give you thanks
for all the comfort and joy of life,
for our homes, for our friends,
and for all the love, sympathy, and goodwill of all people.
Amen.

from Celebrate God's Presence: A Book of Services for The United Church of Canada (UCPH, 2000)

                                                              Back Door Mission. Oshawa

Yom Kippur, Saying Sorry, and...Leonard Cohen?

And who by fire, who by water

Who in the sunshine, who in the night time
Who by high ordeal, who by common trial
Who in your merry merry month of may
Who by very slow decay
And who shall I say is calling?

And who in her lonely slip, who by barbiturate
Who in these realms of love, who by something blunt
Who by avalanche, who by powder
Who for his greed, who for his hunger
And who shall I say is calling?

And who by brave assent, who by accident
Who in solitude, who in this mirror
Who by his lady's command, who by his own hand
Who in mortal chains, who in power
And who shall I say is calling?

Who By Fire -- Leonard Cohen 1974

Rabbit Hole alert! During the week I saw this headline in the New York Times and had to take a look. The author expressed why these days, including Yom Kippur, are important to him and chose songs, including Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground and a song by Canadian  Leonard Cohen (blessed be his memory),a Jewish Buddhist poet and songwriter. 

Is It Too Late Now to Say Sorry? 8 Songs for the High Holy Days   Apology, forgiveness, moving on: These are some of humanity’s richest  themes, and they have rich songs to match.

For some of us, this is a week of reflection, repentance and weaning ourselves off caffeine: It’s the Days of Awe, the 10 days between Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, which was last Thursday and Friday, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which begins this Friday night. There are more superficially appealing holidays; Yom Kippur in particular is a fast day and is not supposed to be “fun.” But I earnestly don’t know what I would do without this time of year and the space it provides to pause and take stock. You don’t need to belong to any particular faith to find that a useful exercise.

6. Leonard Cohen: “Who by Fire”

Leonard Cohen’s lyrics are directly inspired by a High Holy Day poem that frames the holiness of the days in trembling terms: On Rosh Hashana, it is written whether in the coming year one will live or die (and how — fire, water, you get the idea), and on Yom Kippur, the book is sealed. The song appears on Cohen’s “New Skin for the Old Ceremony” (1974), an album that, as described in Matti Friedman’s book Who by Fire  arose partly out of Cohen’s experience in Israel and Egypt during the Arab-Israeli War of 1973 — often referred to, after the day it began, as the Yom Kippur War.

I would offer that it is never too late to say sorry, seek forgiveness, apologize, and move on. As I rummaged around I recalled that this Cohen song was the theme for the Bad Sisters dark comedy. Bad Sisters, Leonard Cohen, and Yom Kippur? Go figure! 

Zionism and the Hebrew Prophets

 

A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:3 NRSVue

Yesterday I tuned into this webinar featuring Professor Fania Oz-Salzberger and it was excellent. She spoke for an hour on the Humanist Legacy of Zionism and gave so much food for thought. While I usually make a distinction between the state of Israel and the Jewish religion she reminded listeners that the formation of Israel as a nation incorporated Jewish principles from the outset. 

Professor Oz-Salzberger referred to Israel's Declaration of Independence from 1948 and the explicit references to the Hebrew prophets. When I did some snooping later I found this statement from the Declaration: 

THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open to the immigration of Jews from all countries of their dispersion; will promote the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; 

will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace taught by the Hebrew Prophets; 

will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; 

will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; 

will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and Holy Places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

While Professor Oz-Salzberger is unapologetic about her personal commitment to Zionism and the state of Israel she was also blunt about what has transpired over the past few decades. The rise of what she terms ultra-nationalism and ultra-orthodoxy have undermined the goals of those who formulated Zionism and led to the current morass in the country. Of course she categorically condemns Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist entities and appeals to Palestinians who share the core values of liberty, justice, and peace. 

This presentation was sponsored by UCLA, thousands of kilometres to the west, and Professor Oz-Salzberger was in Haifa, Israel. We were in Haifa 18 months ago yet yesterday it experienced a rocket attack from Lebanon. I'm grateful that I could participate in this event and there is so much to ponder. She quoted from Isaiah and the verse about the straight path or highway and this can be a prayer for the future of this region. 

More from the United Church on the October 7 Anniversary

                                                         Credit: © Liz Van Steenburgh | Dreamstime.com

 While it has been two days since the anniversary of the October 7th, 2024, Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel  I thought I would share this prayerful response from the United Church of Canada to what unfolded that day and since then in Gaza, the West Bank, and now Lebanon. I've also included the link to the UCC statement which begins: 

Every human being is made in God’s image. When we value the lives of others, humanity itself is lifted.

https://united-church.ca/news/united-church-canada-statement-about-palestine-and-israel-october-2024

During the past year we have seen a disturbing rise in both anti-Semitism and Islamphobia everywhere, including Canada. We've become aware of the polarization of people who have sometimes become passionate to the point of irrationality and hatred. The violence has escalated, and "an eye for eye" really has blinded those who could have brought about different outcomes. 

I invite you to click on the link and ponder. 

Liturgical Response for October 7

For October 7, we invite congregations to join in prayer together for peace in Israel and Palestine. Consider having seven candles on the altar, and using these words (or something similar) followed by a brief silence before lighting each candle.

We remember the over 40,000 people who have been killed on and since October 7, 2023. We mourn the atrocities of war. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember those who are separated by force from loved ones—prisoners, hostages, and detainees. We remember those whose human rights and freedoms are violated daily. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember the people who have lost their security, homes, and communities in this war. We remember the more than 1 million Palestinians who are displaced and without a home. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember the uncomforted tears, the deep longings for peace, the prayers of lament that cannot be expressed in words, brought on by the horrors of war. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember the lush lands, the fields that can no longer be harvested, the livestock unattended, and the destruction of creation caused by war. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember those who mourn and are grieving while still living in devastation. We remember children who do not have safe spaces to play, learn, and grow. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We remember the peacekeepers, the human right defenders, the justice seekers, and all those who have sacrificed to provide much-needed humanitarian aid. Into the silence, we pray.

[Silence. Candle is lit.]

We gather these prayers, with kindred in the Holy Land and around the world, together with the prayer that Jesus taught us:

Our Creator…

A Be-wildered Outsider at 70

 

                                                                 The Salmon River on October 8

Yesterday I celebrated my seventieth birthday, if one can actually whoop it up about being older and creakier -- my knees now clack like castanets when I make my way down the stairs in the morning. We do give thanks that our health is good and that we can enjoy life each and every day. We had a family gathering on the weekend and the presence of family, including four exuberant grandchildren, made me happy.

On my actual natal day we headed out relatively early to paddle on the Salmon River north of Napanee. We had the river to ourselves, in terms of humans, and we were glad to see that there were still turtles, kingfishers, and blue herons on the go. Midway through our two hours on the water we paused for a lunch in our canoe, enjoying the sunshine and conversation. 

I never take being outside for granted and Ruth created an Instagram reel of me in various places close to home, across Canada, and around the world, either hiking or paddling. We're not great adventurers yet we love Creation and Creator. I've had the same excellent paddling companion for fifty years! These opportunities are blessings and I am grateful. We are keenly aware that health in body, mind, and spirit can change in a heartbeat.

I was born during the stormy lead-up to Hurricane Hazel, one of the most powerful weather events in Southern Ontario history. Ruth gave me a card that included events from my birth year and Hurricane Hazel was at the top of the list. Back then mothers stayed in hospital for several days and my Mom recalled being discharged into rainy, violent weather that persisted for the next week. I thought about this as we watched the news regarding Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida, the second mammoth storm to hit this area in two weeks. In 1954 climate change was not really a concept even though a few scientists were already sounding the alarm. It's bizarre that while we know so much more today officials in Florida are forbidden from using the term climate change. 

I want to be honest enough about getting old to "act my age", whatever that means. I hope this includes enjoying the world around me and employing whatever wisdom I've accrued as well as the freedom of retirement to ensure that this lovely planet is a welcoming place for our grandchildren. And I delight in being outdoors with them. When I retired I commented that my goal was to be a "be-wildered outsider", loving Creation and my place in it. I figure this is still a worthwhile goal as I enter into my seventieth year. 

  
                                                                  The Old Man and the River 

A Call for Peace on a Solemn Anniversary

                                                               Vivian Silver with a Palestinian Friend

Too long have I had my dwelling
    among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace,
    but when I speak,
    they are for war.

Psalm 120: 6-7 NRSVue 

What do we think and say on this first anniversary of the cowardly and brutal attacks in Israel by the Hamas terrorist organization. On October 7, 2023 1200 people died, most of them civilians going about everyday activities or sleeping, More than 300 were concert-goers in a remote part of the Judean desert. About 250 people were taken hostage, with 100 still in captivity, probably in terrible conditions. 

In the 364 days following this calamity we've seen Israel retaliate in Gaza and the West Bank with a ferocity that has killed at least 42,000 Palestinians, including thousands of children who are not fighters and have no political affiliation. 

As much as I find this response reprehensible I want to be focussed on the lost lives of that first day, including a Canadian/Israeli peacemaker named Vivian Silver. Born in Winnipeg, Vivian had lived on a kibbutz adjacent to the Gaza Strip for 50 years and was tireless in her efforts to build relationships with her Palestinians neighbours. All these murders were senseless, but her death was such a reminder of the folly of violence. 

The CBC reported on a memorial held for Silver this past December: 

Silver, 74, was remembered as a tireless advocate for peace, a bridge-builder, and a women's rights advocate. She was born in Winnipeg and moved to Israel in 1974, where she devoted her life to peace work.

"She was fierce for what she believed in, in any setting and in front of anybody," her son Yonatan Zeigen told CBC ahead of Thursday's memorial."She had this duality to her, that she was small and also seemed fragile and sensitive and soft, but she was also very assertive, and she had a really strong centre and even stubbornness."

Since her death both of Vivian's sons have continued to uphold the message of peace and understanding their mother spoke and upheld in practical ways. In a CBC interview this past week son Yonatan offered: 

Retribution is — I don't know, it's a disgusting concept. Because what is our interest? What do we want? Do we want secure lives? Do we want to feel secure? Do we want well-being? Is that achieved by retribution or does retribution just give us a very temporary sense of a catharsis. That's it. Does it promote our security? No, it does not. And we have seen it again and again. Every time we kill the biggest monster, a bigger monster emerges. And every time we build the wall an inch higher, they find ways to get around it, because no wall is high enough and no weapon is sophisticated enough. The only way for us to be secure is to transform our enemies into our partners. That's the only way to have secure lives.

In this past year we have been well aware of the trauma experienced by Israelis with family members living between Haifa and Tel Aviv. One Sunday they were chatting outside their church when they heard the siren for incoming rockets and saw Iron Dome missiles intercepting them. They moved back to the United States a few months ago but in those first months they lived in a state of constant wariness.

There are rallies in Israel today calling for a ceasefire to facilitate the return of hostages but they have been severely limited in size by a government determined to quell legitimate protest. 

 We were in Israel in April of 2023 and on the trains we would see young soldiers, lots of them, male and female, in their teens. Some were on their phones, others talking loudly together as teens are inclined to do, yet in uniform and sometimes with weapons at their sides. Now they are warriors who may have taken part in unspeakable horrors themselves, ordered to treat others as less than human. An entire generation will never be the same. 

This is a day of mourning in so many respects and once again we are called to pray for the peace that was Vivian Silver's lifelong commitment yet seems so elusive in this "Holy Land." 

                                                            Memorial Service in Israel today

Come Let Us Sing & ASL in the United Church

The team after a day of filming at the General Council Office: (front) Rev. Phil Weston; (left to right) Helen Bickle, Kim Upton, Leah Riddell, Alydia Smith; (back) Owen Sheppard, PJ Boyd.

Credit: Rev. Phil Wilson

 2 Open my ears, that I may hear

voices of truth thou sendest clear;

and while the wavenotes fall on my ear,

everything false will disappear.

Silently now I wait for thee,

ready, my God, thy will to see.

Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!

While I was minister of Bridge St. United Church in Belleville (my final pastorate) we were approached by the local Quinte Deaf Fellowship about using our space for the small congregation. The building in which they gathered had been condemned and they were homeless for worship. Would we have room for them for a few weeks until they found a suitable home? We gave them use of our lovely chapel as well as a small office and in the end they stayed for a year -- an unexpected relationship we made work. 

That Fall we had a guest speaker for our anniversary service who had a connection to this community so we invited their congregation to join us and found an ASL interpreter. There were members of the congregation who could sign as well because of their involvement with the Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf in Belleville. 

I was interested to see that the United Church has developed an online video resource for the deaf and that the pastor of the Belleville congregation is one of the team.  There are different ways of seeing and hearing the Good News and we may take our senses for granted. As we attend worship today we might give thought to those who are hearing challenged to varying degrees and what this means for full participation in congregational life, including singing. Here is a portion of the recent news release. 

Published On: September 11, 2024

At the same time as we commemorate 100 years of The United Church of Canada in 2025, we also consider what we’d like to sing for the next century, and how this reflects full participation for everyone. Developing new resources is an investment in the faith formation and spiritual health of the Church.

Then Let Us Sing! is a Centennial project, and the ASL videos are mandated within the project. Most of the ASL videos on the YouTube channel originate in the United States, so expanding the availability of Canadian options was important to consider in the development of the project, says Rev. Phil Wilson, consultant interpreter and coordinator.

The videos are recorded with high-quality music, vocals, and signing, and are available to include in worship alongside traditional ways of singing hymns. They are available on The United Church of Canada’s YouTube channel

Communities of faith would need to report the songs using their own copyright license.

“Any inclusion of ASL hymns is always a way of introducing a hearing congregation to Deaf ministry,” says Wilson. “Deaf ministry has had a history of lacking resources and is primarily self-resourced; as such, any expansion of resources can only be a positive.”

Amen!
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The Outrun and Healing

 

A couple of years ago I wrote about the memoir called The Outrun by Amy Liptrot. It would be simplistic to reduce this to a reflection on addiction and recovery but this is at the heart of Liptrot's journey. I found it a compelling read because it is so honest, to the point of being almost overwhelmingly bleak at times, while also beautifully written and ultimately hopeful. 

Liptrot grew up on one of the Orkney Islands in a household with a bipolar father. When he eventually left her mother became a fundamentalist Christian. Leaving Orkney was a liberation and the gateway to deep addiction that destroyed relationships and a promising career. Stints in rehab didn't work and in desperation she reluctantly returned home. It was in this raw, scraped down setting that Amy took the halting steps toward recovery.

Now there is a film of the same name with the brilliant Saoirse Ronan as Rona, aka Amy Lipcott. Much of it is filmed on the farm where Liptrot lived and she is one of the writers of the screenplay. In an interview she reflects on how surreal it has been to see out-takes of her own life played with remarkable authenticity by Saoirse Ronan, right to birthing lambs on screen. Every review I've seen praises Ronan and this autobiographical picture. We can hardly wait to watch it. 

                                                            Saoirse Ronan and Amy Liptrot

More and more we're hearing of studies demonstrating that time in the natural world can be a source of healing. Various jurisdictions around the world, from Japan to Canada to Great Britain, are endorsing the literal prescriptions for nature-based health in body, mind, and spirit. 

One of the best books on addiction from a spiritual perspective is Addiction and Grace (1988) by Gerald May, the late psychiatrist and Christian spiritual director. He contends that all of us have addictions of some kind, often socially acceptable, and that addressing addiction is a spiritual enterprise where the grace of God is vital. 

Not long before his death May wrote The Wisdom of Wilderness, a very personal reflection on how time in the natural world allows us to address fears and to heal. 

Amy Liptrot discovered this and I hope we all can. 

St Francis & the Climate Emergency

 

The oldest surviving depiction of St. Francis is a fresco near the entrance of the Benedictine abby of Subiaco, painted between March 1228 and March 1229.

 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly.  And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’  Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’  So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:16-21 NRSVue

Today is the Feast of St. Francis in the Christian Calendar and this marks the final day of the Season of Creation/Creation Time/Creationtide. This was deemed a fitting conclusion to these five weeks of reflection upon and celebration of Creator and Creation because Francis, the 12th century Italian ascetic and mystic, loved creatures and what we often call the natural world. There are stories, some of them fanciful, about Francis communing with birds and convincing a wolf to stop preying on the flocks of a small village. Francis is credited with staging the first Living Nativity, likely creating the picture of adoring farm animals as well as the shepherds and angels actually mentioned in Luke's gospel. In many congregations this is the day for a Blessing of the Animals. 

I have been pondering this blog entry for a couple of weeks and wondering what I might say. It occurs to me that while we might prefer the warm and sometimes maudlin images of Francis and the critters another essential aspect of his preaching and witness was radical simplicity. He came from a life of privilege and gave this up, to his family's dismay, charismatically attracting young followers who soon formed the Franciscan and Poor Clare religious orders.

Francis is specifically the Roman Catholic patron saint of animals and ecology but he has been embraced as an examplar for Christians of many traditions. Are we willing to heed Francis' call to simplicity, particularly in the nations where the gospel of more and more outweighs any other conviction? In the past week we've watched with dismay the movement of Hurrican Helene through six American states, followed by the frantic search for survivors and the dead. 

The unprecedented devastation far inland has stunned officials, even though climate scientists have warned of an increasing number of storms supercharged by climate change. The city of Asheville, North Carolina,  population 95,000, has been hard-hit, with the trendy downtown swept away by flood waters. There is a grim irony that the US National Climatic Data Center is in Asheville. The center maintains the world's largest climate data archive and provides climatological services and data to every sector of the United States economy and to users worldwide. It was shut down temporarily by Helene as power was knocked out for millions. 

If the wealthiest, most scientifically advanced country on the planet can't adequately prepare for the acceleration of the climate emergency, who can? Helene made landfall in Florida, a state where government employees are not allowed to use the term "climate change" and it has been expunged from its documents and online presence. 

Jesus was clear that wealth and hoarding imperils our souls. He and his disciples lived a life of simplicity. Francis and his counterpart, Clare, chose to follow his example. Will we continue in the idolatry of wealth, gobbling up the planet's resources, destroying biodiversity, or will we reorder our lives for the sake of generations to come and all creatures? 

 

                                                                    St. Francis of Assisi -- Sergo Tbileli 

Faith Communities & Social Prescribing

 

Last week I took in an online seminar called RX Belonging presented by The Walrus magazine. It was an excellent event with four concise, informative and inspiring presenters from across the country on the subject of "social prescribing." This is a growing movement addressing how we can address with a holistic approach what has been described as the loneliness epidemic through what one of the presenters described as the four Ps: People, Place, Power, and Purpose. The fourth includes sharing, belief, and meaning. 

Here is part of the description of the event:

Exploring the power of social prescribing to build connections, improve well-being, and foster belonging

The evidence is clear: social isolation and loneliness can be as harmful to our health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. But what can we do about it?

Imagine if, after a doctor’s visit, you could receive prescriptions for walking groups, cultural programming, and community meals, in addition to medicine.

Social prescribing looks different in each community and for each person, depending on interests, needs, and goals. Across the different models, social prescribing works to build intentional bridges across social, arts and culture, nature, and health systems to foster a more connected community where we can all thrive.

                                                                    RX Belong Presenters

As worthwhile as this presentation was I was struck by the fact that no mention was made of the social and "meaning" connection provided by faith communities, including churches. 

In every congregation I've been part of, including Trenton United Church now, there has been a strong emphasis on staying connected with members. This happens through Sunday worship but also through social gatherings, regular visits for the elderly who need support, and discussion/study groups. In most of the congregations I served we had a paid staff member for visitation and coordination of volunteers and I always did home and institutional visits. During the pandemic there was a dedicated group of Trenton UC members who stayed connected with those who were isolated through phone calls, distanced porch visits, and even the provision of meals. 

After The Walrus presentation we receive an email asking for our assessment and while I offered plenty of praise I noted this absence. A week after my observation...crickets. 

Is it just a sign of our secular times that we our society doesn't want to acknowledge what is hidden in plain sight? There is no need to be religious or sectarian to recognize the huge reservoir of social capital in faith communities. Perhaps we need a prescription for an awareness and appreciation of this meaningful aspect of society. 

Let the Shofar Sound

 

Rosh Hashanah - October 3-4

Literally meaning “Head of the Year,” Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish calendar. It begins a 10-day period of repentance and prayer which ends on Yom Kippur. We celebrate the holiday with services and apples dipped in honey to symbolize the hope for a sweet year to come.

Shanah Tova, or Good Year to the Jews I know and all those who are entering into this essential season in the Jewish year. This is always a meaningful time for Jews around the world but I wonder if this year may be different because it will include the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas. During this year anti-Semitism has been on the rise in many countries, including Canada with attacks on synagogues and schools, as well as confrontations that have left individuals feeling unsafe.

 In part this is because of the disproportionate retribution by the state of Israel in Gaza and the West Bank which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including children. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced and starvation is a looming reality. 

Israel is essentially a secular state with a predominantly Jewish population, some religious but the majority non-practicing. This confuses many who have been deeply disturbed the Israel's response in the Palestinian territories and those who already hated Jews have used it as justification for their prejudices. 

There are vocal groups of Jews in various places, including rabbis,  who have condemned Israel's extreme response as contrary to biblical justice and mercy. They have been criticized by those who are in solidarity with the country. 

Does this all seem confusing, a morass of conflicting outlooks? It is complex and the temptation is to choose one side or the other. I would hope that Rosh Hashana and this ten day period will be a time of sombre reflection and prayer. The escalation of violence seems to have no "end game", no sense of the outcome other than more "eye for an eye." 

I hope that as this new year begins there can be a renewed sense of promise rather than dread for Jews around the world. We can anticipate that the shofar, the ram's horn, will be sounded for justice and peace during Rosh Hosanah. 

The Century Mark for Jimmy Carter

 

              Jimmy Carter working on a Habitat for Humanity home-building project after a fall, age 95

Today former US president Jimmy Carter turns 100, the only president to have reached that extraordinary age. He outlived his beloved wife of 77 years, Rosalynn and his been in palliative care within his home since January. Apparently he wants to live long enough to vote for Kamala Harris in a few weeks. 

I have written about Carter several times through the years because I am a great admirer. He was a brave man, coming to Canada in 1952 as a young naval officer to help avert a nuclear disaster at a plant in Chalk River. He received so much radiation during this dangerous intervention that he figured he would never father children -- they had four.

When elected as governor of Georgia he made a commitment to end racial segregation. 

He worked toward peace in the Middle East during and after his presidency.  He was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, an award he deserved far more than President Barack Obama seven years later (I am also a fan of Obama). His 2007 book  Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid was controversial because of the perception that he place too much blame on Israel.

                                                                                  Sadat, Carter, and Begin

Jimmy and Rosalynn were long-time advocates for gender equality and he wrote a book on this subject as well. 

The world’s discrimination and violence against women and girls is the most serious, pervasive, and ignored violation of basic human rights.

 President Carter “A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power”

Carter has cared deeply about the environment and as president had solar panels installed on the White House, only to have them removed by his successor, Ronald Reagan. 

Jimmy Carter has a sustaining faith and is arguably the most openly Christian president in America's history. Not only has be been a regular church attender, he taught Sunday School for decades in his Baptist congregation. He eventually left the Southern Baptist Convention because of the denomination's entrenched views on women:

I’m familiar with the verses they have quoted about wives being subjugated to their husbands. In my opinion, this is a distortion of the meaning of Scripture. … I personally feel the Bible says all people are equal in the eyes of God. I personally feel that women should play an absolutely equal role in service of Christ in the church.

I find it appalling that many conservative Christians in the United States have great disdain for Carter, viewing him as an ineffective president. At the same time they idolize a certain former president and current candidate who is the antithesis of the Christ-like life and passionate about nothing other than himself. 

Happy birthday to President Jimmy Carter and thank God for his enduring witness. Hang in there until the election!

                                                  Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter on their wedding day