Homelessness and a Manger

1 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,

the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

Last Sunday the Warming Shelters in our region, including the one operating out of Trenton United, our home congregation, opened their doors. They will be available through the night for four months and while they are supposedly not places to sleep as with shelters providing beds, does anyone thinks that the guests won't catch some zees? 

Homelessness has become a crisis in Canada yet finding solutions in a country that experiences what are often harsh Winter conditions seems beyond our leaders. There are homeless encampments everywhere, including several within walking distance of our suburban Belleville home. When we moved to this community in 2013 there were none in the woods and along the waterfront nearby. 

You may be aware that a group of Ontario city mayors want the Ford government to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, weaponizing the Notwithstanding Clause (definitely not the Santa Clause) to allow them to dismantle these encampments even when no other housing is provided for those who will be evicted. This was never the intended use of the Clause but Premier Ford has demonstrated that he has little sympathy for the unhoused and he doesn't seem to have much respect for the Charter if it doesn't suit him. The mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow, has not joined with these other mayors because she knows that eviction is not the answer to this pressing social problem. 

. 

In 2018, municipalities across the province counted 21,000 people experiencing homelessness. An estimate from August of this year says that this number has increased ten-fold. Enumerating those without housing is a challenge because these persons are...homeless and often on the move. The reality is, though, that even if the number from 2018 has simply tripled, kicking people out of tent encampments or even providing more shelter spaces are not solutions. They are, in fact, Scrooge-like in their heartlessness.

There was more snowfall in our area overnight and the temperature hovered around the freezing point. What do we say and sing and do in response?

A lot of people who don't consider themselves religious will lean in to sing the lovely and misleading carol, Away in a Manger, at some point in this season. Should we prayerfully silence this beloved song about the birth of Jesus until we take seriously all those who have no crib for a bed? Lord Jesus, be near all those who want to have meaningful lives here and now.

3 Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay close by me for ever, and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in your tender care, and fit us for heaven, to live with you there.

Today Notre Dame Cathedral Reawakens

1 

I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
 He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
 The sun shall not strike you by day nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in
    from this time on and forevermore.

            Psalm 121 A Song of Ascents NRSVue

Today is the official reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral after five years of restoration following a catastrophic fire in 2019. Of course the seemingly endless media reports about the reopening are inclined toward terms such as "miraculous" and "resurrection" to describe what has unfolded. 

Regular readers will know that I've written probably a half dozen blog entries about the process because I am fascinated on a number of fronts. Notre Dame is one of the great architectural achievements of Western culture and it deserved to survive. And while a billion dollars for the work seems appalling, wife Ruth observed while we were watching the 60 Minutes piece last Sunday that governments toss about billions for the instruments of war without a blink -- that really is obscene. 

The restoration involved wonder after wonder of meticulous effort and apparently some of the trades and artisanal skills have experienced a resurgence as a result. 

A few observations about this grand reopening. Today's Globe and Mail brought us back to the story of eight blacksmiths from Quebec who spent four months in France forging the medieval axes used to fashion the "forest", the latticework of oak beams holding up the vast roof. The lead smith says that there were never more than a couple of those tools around at a time because they were whisked away for use as fast as they were created. 

                                               The landscape rendering by architect Bas Smets

Few of the media reports look beyond the building to the plans for the grounds surrounding the cathedral, essentially creating a micro-climate, a sanctuary. According to a news release:

The ambitious, future-facing project will create 1,800 square metres (around 20,000 square feet) of green space and plant 160 trees, according to a news conference at City Hall that featured speeches from Paris officials, including Mayor Anne Hidalgo...Hidalgo stated that the redesign will integrate nature and the Seine more fully into the area. Hidalgo emphasised that this transformation aims “to better highlight our beautiful cathedral and do it justice, while respecting its history.”

This work won't be completed until 2030 but it is a hopeful project, an urban forest at the base of the architectural "forest" which actually required cutting down hundreds of mature oak trees.

These two days of official celebration will require tickets issued to a select group, an unsettling reality that seems contrary to the gospel, let alone The Hunchback of Notre Dame the early 19th century Victor Hugo novel which explores themes of poverty and an unjust society.

Last, but far from least, today's service will include the elements listed below. I love that music will be key to this reawakening and that the organ (8,000) pipes) will be ceremonially summoned back to life. There will be a workers choir made up of 80 engineers, carpenters, crane operators and others who were part of the restoration. Be still my heart.

Please note that the Magnificat is peasant Mary's song of praise acknowledging her role in the birth of the Messiah who will overturn the "powers that be." Mary is "Notre Dame", "Our Lady." President Macron, listen carefully. 

During the ritual of the opening of the doors, the Archbishop will strike the closed door of Notre-Dame de Paris with his crosier. The cathedral will “respond” by chanting Psalm 121 three times. After being silent for years, the cathedral will resound once again with songs of praise, and on the third chant, the doors will open.

Following this initial rite, the service will unfold in three parts:

• The awakening of the grand organ: After opening the service with the sign of the cross, the Archbishop will bless the instrument. Eight times, he will address the grand organ, and it will respond.
• The chanting of the service: This will include a hymn, a psalm, the Magnificat, prayer intentions for the world, and the Lord’s Prayer.
• The final blessing and the Te Deum: The Archbishop will conclude the ceremony with a blessing, followed by the chanting of the Te Deum.

Mary’s Song of Praise

 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 for he has looked with favor on the lowly state 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;
 indeed, 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 imagination 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 come to the aid of his child Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Luke 1:46-55 NRSVue

PARIS (AP) — A medieval statue of the Virgin Mary and Child, known as “The Virgin of Paris,” returned to Notre Dame cathedral

A National Day of Remembrance

On December 6, we remember:

• Geneviève Bergeron
• Hélène Colgan
• Nathalie Croteau
• Barbara Daigneault
• Anne-Marie Edward
• Maud Haviernick
• Maryse Laganière
• Maryse Leclair
• Anne-Marie Lemay
• Sonia Pelletier
• Michèle Richard
• Annie St-Arneault
• Annie Turcotte
• Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz

This is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. December 6th marks the 35th anniversary of the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre in Montreal in 1989. A gunman walked into a classroom full of innocent young women with bright futures and killed 14 of them. He had been rejected by the same school so chose violence as his recourse, shouting "I hate feminists" during his rampage. In his suicide note he blamed women for ruining his life. 

Some of you are aware from past years that I was part of the organizing group for a sombre vigil held a couple of evening later at one of the other United Churches in Sudbury. The attack and the vigil took place literally half a lifetime ago for me and I was a dad to two daughters, ages four and two. 

While this massacre happened in a public place and was perpetrated by a stranger we have been reminded during this month that the vast majority of what is often referred to now as femicides take place in homes and are committed by intimate partners. In Canada that happens, on average, every second day. The global statistics are horrendous. According to the UN

An estimated 140 women and girls across the world die at the hands of their partner or family member every day, according to new global estimates on femicide by the UN. 

The report by UN Women found 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally by men in 2023, with 60% (51,100) of these deaths committed by someone close to the victim. The organisation said its figures showed that, globally, the most dangerous place for a woman to be was in her home, where the majority of women die at the hands of men.

While these statistics are a bleak reminder of the danger of being a woman is real around the globe, including here in Canada, a supposedly advanced society. We need to keep in mind that countless women live in fear of violence, physical and psychological. 

When Ruth, my wife, was employed as an outreach worker in a shelter for women and children leaving abusive situations, many days involved conversations with women who were desperate to leave their partners but didn't know how to do safely or where to go. She felt fortunate that she never had a client who was killed but lots of them lived under constant threat of violence or murder if they attempted to leave, a femicide of the spirit. 

You may be aware that the Ontario government has been dragging its feet in addressing Bill 173: The Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024. Today 150 gender-based violence) sector and advocacy organizations (including the one where Ruth worked) have come together to issue an open letter urging Ontario's Premier and members of the legislature to prioritize and pass this into law. There have been 62 femicides in Ontario so far this year. Here is a link to the letter

https://www.ywcatoronto.org/takeaction/deputations/the-intimate-partner-violence-epidemic-act-2024

We've had our sign on the lawn since November 25th, aware that neighbours have family members whose have experienced partner violence. We need the reminders that this violence occurs, including withing church families. 

Giving Zechariah a Voice in Advent

                                             Annunciation to Zechariah -- detail from a Russian icon (1798)

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

  for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.

He has raised up a mighty savior for us 

 in the house of his child David,

as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 

    that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.

Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors

    and has remembered his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,

to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,

might serve him without fear,  in holiness and righteousness

    in his presence all our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,

    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

   by the forgiveness of their sins.

Because of the tender mercy of our God,

    the dawn from on high will break upon us,

to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”              Luke 1:68-79 NRSVue 

Some of you are aware that I endeavour to read the daily lectionary psalm in the morning although I'll readily admit that this practice ain't perfect. For a few days this week the reading is not from the Psalter of the Hebrew scriptures but from the Gospel of Luke. It is psalm-like, a passage which is a song of praise and celebration by Zechariah following the birth of John, the cousin of Jesus who would eventually baptize him. 

You might put your Sunday School cap on to recall that Zechariah experienced his own annunciation when the same angel, Gabriel, who visited Mary informed this old-timer that he and his aging wife would have a child. Zechariah was understandably dubious but Gabriel got testy and told the poor guy that he would be mute until the baby was born. 

This prophecy comes shortly after Mary offers her hymn of praise known as the Magnificant. Sure enough, Zechariah gets his voice back and rather mess with an angel again they name the child John rather than Zechariah Jr.  There are a lot of miraculous events flying around in this first chapter of Luke and I'm glad to be reminded of them. 

I appreciate that in our time lots of people dismiss these various stories as sanctified fairy tales. As much as I'm inclined toward rational thought and scientific verification I'm still up for miracle here and there. At times I feel that the United Church has trudged  into  "near beer" theology -- like the real thing but without the kick. We are really earnest about a lot of important stuff but at times our denatured faith doesn't celebrate the mystical and miraculous, to our detriment. 

Shall we give Zechariah a voice this Advent?

Is it Advent, Again?

 

We seek the mighty God

in the most unlikely places
as a child in a stable,
and in an empty tomb.

Give us ears to hear, O God, and eyes to watch,

that we may know your presence in our midst
during this holy season of joy
as we anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ. Amen.

This past Sunday, December 1st, was the first of four in Advent, the opening of the Christian year. In  the days of my youth there was no Advent season in the United Church, no liturgical colours (purple or blue) no emphasis on expectant waiting, few Advent hymns (maybe O Come O Come Emmanuel and Come Thou Long Expected Jesus.) There might be a cantata or a carol service, another on Christmas Eve, then we forged on toward Easter. 

While at seminary I learned to appreciate Advent as a time of patient waiting, Other words used are expectation and incubation, as well as culmination and fruition. We are waiting for the coming of Jesus, not only the infant of Bethlehem but the returning Christ. 

I learned in congregations that this emphasis on patience was not shared. Some people were baffled -- where was the Christmas spirit, whatever that is? Others would get annoyed or angry -- why aren't we singing Christmas carols and lighting up the tree right away? I coaxed worship committees and congregations toward the "artful waiting" of Advent but I can't claim success despite nearly 40 years of earnestly keeping the faith. 

On Sunday morning I had two conversations with persons who are now in the waiting game of our healthcare system. One had found out that their partner's surgery to restore mobility has been rescheduled for the second time, bumped from October to December to February. I could feel the discouragement in this usually confident person. The other was with someone who had just been told in a brief phonecall of the discovery of cancer. They were meeting with a surgeon this week to discuss options.

Was God a part of these conversations? Were we on holy ground? My answer is yes. I have been praying for these households since Sunday and will continue to do so. I offered a hug, if acceptable, to one of the two and it was readily accepted. 

Advent is an opportunity. This time of waiting certainly seems to be more appropriate than forced Christmas cheer for so many.  I'm grateful that I don't have to do the dance of finding compromises for the season anymore. I still want to have ears to hear and eyes to watch for the Christ who is revealed in unlikely places. 

1 All earth is waiting to see the Promised One,

and open furrows await the seed of God. 

All the world, bound and struggling, seeks true liberty; 

it cries out for justice and searches for the truth.

                                    Voices United 5

Giving Tuesday all Year Round

 

Before worship on Sunday a member of the Trenton United Church Outreach Committee gave us a reminder of the various projects we could support through the season. They include the city Warming Centre run out of the building, the Friday Meal Program, gifts cards for the Benevolent Fund, and the local food bank. This is a "do unto others"  congregation, punching above its weight in many ways, and it was impressive to hear of theses initiatives clustered together in one announcement. 

This is Giving Tuesday, the opportunity following the Spend, Spend, Spend long weekend to support the myriad charities across the country doing wonderful work on behalf of those who are often struggling for a variety of reasons. It is an invitation to be kind and generous and to count our blessings. We've heard that many of those charities are worried because many of their donors put a cheque in the mail and with the postal strike this can't happen. Organizations such as the Salvation Army have already been hard hit because of the strike. 

We may take this opportunity to support some of the other organizations on our list such as Ontario Turtle Rescue,  Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre, along with others. Today is also a reminder that so many faith groups are giving year round and deserve our respect and generosity. 

Support for those who are Struggling Most

 

                                       

                                                                         Dumb and Dumber?

I'm a pay your bills on time, don't buy what you can't afford kinda guy, so I tend to be exasperated when governments, provincial and federal decide to hand out cash to "hard working (fill in the blank)" even though they are borrowing that money to do so and saddling taxpayers with the bill. First it was the Ontario government promising $200 "rebate" cheques. Now the feds are proposing to give $250 to wager earners across the country, right up to income of $150,000, but not to seniors who still pay their taxes and who vote with greater frequency than younger generations. What are they smoking up there in Ottawa? 

These are dumb and desperate schemes but I'm not annoyed that I won't get my sliver of the federal pie. I figure that our governments should be supporting those who actually need it and I'm even willing to have them borrow for that purpose. Sure, lots of struggling families will benefit from the handouts, although it won't go far. For many others this will be chump change and, in the end, cost them money down the road. 

There are a ton of ineligible people who would benefit far more, including those who are jobless and disabled and seniors who are trying to get by on meagre government pensions. Both the Ontario and Canadian governments could have done a lot of good by focussing on those with the greatest need in these challenging times. There are reasons that the number of people using food banks is growing exponentially.  

I believe this as a Christian and as a concerned citizen who would really appreciate governments using good fiscal sense rather than coming up with lame vote-getting measures. Don't get me started on the GST rebate...

Advent 1 & World AIDS Day

A week or so ago I thought about the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and I'm not sure why, but here we are on World AIDS Day. I went looking and discovered that the first cross-Canada tour of this quilt honouring those who had died of HIV/AIDS was in 1989 and stopped in major regional cities. It came to Sudbury, our home at the time, a year or two later. It was at city hall, a stone's throw from St. Andrew's UC, the downtown congregation I served. I encouraged folk to visit it and I did so a couple of times. The squares were loving memorials to those who had died of AIDS which at first was described as the "gay plague" because initially it was most prevalent amongst gay and bisexual men. There was a stigma about HIV/AIDS and religious groups often led the way in condemnation, some calling it God's judgement. The quilt was moving because the loss and love were so evident. These were cherished human beings, brothers and sons and nephews. 

I've written about being asked to join the newly formed AIDS Committee of Sudbury, shortly after arriving at St. A's in 1988 by a member of the congregation. Tom Reid gathered various people from social agencies and medical institutions, but he wanted to include a Protestant minister and a Roman Catholic priest. We met at St. Andrew's initially and I had my introduction to the curious politicization of a pressing issue, what I came to call "peeing on trees" because representatives were inclined to mark their territory. They did work together, nonetheless and brought about meaningful change. 

 I was too bewildered to have any territory of my own, even though we were gathered on my turf. As I've admitted before, I wasn't really sure if I should be there, but I learned. I had three roles beyond being educated beyond prejudices. 

I visited AIDS patients in hospital, I presided at funerals and memorials for those who were sometimes rejected in their congregations or families, and I helped others get a perspective on pastoral support. Some of those who were suffering wanted the comfort of prayer and scripture and those who were faithfully attending to their other needs didn't want to be involved in any religious stuff. There were regular seminars for caregivers and I would participate and gently remind participants that this wasn't about them and their convictions. If they were asked to read a novel to their loved one they would probably do so without hesitation, so why not a passage from the bible? 

I hope that I did some good along the way but in many respects this involvement brought about important changes in my outlook, not unlike what unfolded during my summer chaplaincy internship at Kingston Penitentiary and involvement in meal ministries in several congregations. In each situation I was a child of God alongside other children of God, loved and redeemed in Christ. That was all that really mattered. 

AIDS is no longer the death sentence it once was because of the development of antiviral drugs yet I heard this morning that the number of cases in Canada is on the rise. We can be vigilant in overcoming our prejudices and asking how we can be of support, including in prayer.

We've managed to find our AIDS Day beaded pins to wear to worship today. This is the first Sunday of Advent in 2024 and there are worship resources combining Advent 1 and World AIDS Day awareness. Here is a litany from those materials:

Litany for Change

All:                  What will it take, O God…

Left:             for us to see a day of no more AIDS-related deaths, no more new HIV infections, and no more discrimination in the land of the living?

All:                  What will it take, O God…

Right:           for change to come in our community, in our lives?

All:                  What will it take, O God…

Left:             for the scattered to be gathered that all may praise and dance together?

All:                  What will it take, O God…

Right:           for us to see the end of AIDS?

All:                  What will it take, O God…  

Left:             for us, your church, to be free from ignorance and fear?

All:                  What will it take, O God…

Right:           for us to recognize your Word become flesh and living among us with HIV?

All:                  What will it take, O God, for the dance to begin and the deaths to end?

Assisted Dying in Britain

 Assisted Dying has been illegal in Great Britain, but as of yesterday it is permitted, at least in the first stage of legislation.There was an intense debate in the British House of Commons but in the end the bill was passed by 330 votes to 275. This will now be scrutinized in parliamentary committees and amendments to the bill may be put forward.

The bill applies to those who are at least 18 years old, have received a terminal diagnosis and have no more than six months to live. Two doctors and a judge would have to give their approval, and fatal drugs would need to be self-administered.This is more restrictive in almost every way than Canadian legislation. 

Among those opposed were religious leaders, although the now departed Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was supportive. The objections were valid, as they have been in here in Canada. It is our responsibility to protect the vulnerable, to ensure that palliative care is available to everyone, and to have safeguards for those with disabilities.

I have been concerned that the tail has wagged the dog with our federal government bowing to pressures from provincial courts along with the speed at which some changes have been introduced. Still, I do feel that Medical Assistance in Dying, as it's termed in Canada, should be an option. We have gained the ability to prolong life even when it means suffering for some. According to the New York Times: 

Peter Prinsley, a Labour lawmaker and surgeon, rejected claims by opponents of the bill that its scope would later be extended to include a wider category of people. “This is not some slippery slope,” he said. “We are shortening death, not life, for our patients. This is not life or death; this is death or death.”

It is rightly argued that we should not be "playing god" in these often difficult and emotional circumstances and God help us and judge us if we become cavalier about assisting people to end their lives. It could also be said that we could be acting as deities when we use means to extend life, causing suffering and indignity. 

I've offered before that it is our duty to listen carefully and to make our voices heard whenever new proposals are made regarding what we term MAID. The balance between compassion and justice will never be easy. 

Prayers, Intercessions & Thanksgivings...for everyone...

 

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and acceptable before God our Savior,  who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

For there is one God;  there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), a teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-7 NRSVue

This is the day after American Thanksgiving and I thank God that there are no reports of mass shootings around dinner tables across the nation. There have been lots of articles with suggestions on how to keep the temperature of conversations about politics and religion at a simmer rather than boiling over in a society which has become increasingly polarized. 

Earlier in the week I took a look at the scripture readings for this day, usually the same as for our Canadian Thanksgiving Sunday early in October. Two of the passages are about turning to God in order to quell fear and anxiety, including words from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. So often anger is the outward and inappropriate expression of fear, and we certainly live in uncertain and anxious times. 

There is also a passage from the New Testament letter called 1 Timothy inviting us to pray for those in authority, whoever they might be. When I was growing up it was a regular practice to pray for the monarch and other leaders during Sunday worship and it never occurred to me that this was because of a biblical injunction to do so. I figure that all "good" religion is political in that we are called to be engaged citizens of our societies, living out the compassion of Christ. What we need to avoid is the "us and them" politics that pit people against one another, even within families. 

It is a tradition in many households on both sides of the border to offer a prayer of thanks before partaking of the Thanksgiving feast, even if blessings at mealtime are no longer regular occurrence in these households.  Slipping in a few verses of scripture might have been a good idea as well. 

Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6: 31-33 NRSVue

Murray Sinclair and Who We Are

 

When I offered a tribute to the late Murray Sinclair, the co-chair of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, I mentioned that I had received notice from the library that his autobiography, Who We Are: Four Questions for a Life and a Nation was ready for pickup.

I've read it now and I'm glad I did so close to the time of his death. I hadn't realized that his grandmother, a devout Catholic, was determined that young Murray would become a priest. This was not his desire but there was a sense of obligation, to the point that he began his studies. In the end he chose a different direction, becoming a lawyer, then a judge, although he questioned thse vocations as well because the settler legal system was so biased against Indigenous people, including those in the legal profession.

What I found intriguing is that despite the horrors of the Residential Schools, a system designed to destory Indigenous identity with the complicity of Christian denominations, Sinclair never gave up on that aspect of his faith. He always felt that there was opportunity for Christianity and Indigenous spirituality to find places of mutual respect and compatibility on the way to reconciliation. He writes about speaking with an Elder who was convinced that if Jesus were here in person he would be in the sweat lodge with them, learning their ways. 

Sinclair recognized the value of the Ten Commandments and even speaks about hell, although he muses that hell is the prison system. At the conclusion of one Truth and Reconciliation session he offered a paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer substituting "Our Creator who lives among the spirits" for "Our Father who art in heaven" and "You are special. Thank you for being special to us" for "Hallowed be your name." Half of the people present appreciated this effort and the other half felt that is was wrong given the pain inflicted by the Christian church.

Murray felt that the ill-fated White Paper developed by Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chretien (1969) would have done great harm in Indigenous peoples if it had been adopted. He didn't like Justin Trudeau either, because of too much talk and too little action. 

He did have a sense of humour, once signing autographs for people who thought he was Elijah Harper, doing so deadpan as his young daughter looked on.  He shared the story with Harper who later presented him with a tee-shirt during a meeting reading "I Am Not Elijah Harper." 

Murray Sinclair wrote from the premise that the Elders of many traditions have considered the "great questions of life." They are: 

Where do I come from? 

Where am I going? 

Why am I here?

Who am I? 

These are excellent questions for any of us, at every stage of life. Reading the book strengthened my conviction that Murray Sinclair was a great Canadian and that we can honour his memory by working to implement the Calls to Action created out of the Truth and Reconciliation process. I'm grateful for his spiritual witness along with so much more. 

Our Prayerful Requests

 

 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.  

But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

                                      Matthew 7:5-6 NRSVue

I was going through one of the suits I rarely have occasion to wear anymore and in one of the pockets I found this note with a prayer request. It is about a seven-year-old with cancer, a terrible reality for any child and loved ones. I have obscured the name of the child and of the person requesting the prayer but I honestly don't recall who the latter was. I vaguelyt recall that the child was not a part of the congregation I served but the request was made out of love.

Finding this note touched me because it was a reminder of all the requests for prayer over the years for so many different circumstances, many of them dire. I often wondered what to pray and felt a strange sense of responsibility to bend God's ear, even though I was just one person of sometimes shaky faith . Did any of these persons figure I had an "in" with God that they didn't have? I have often felt disappointment and even failure in prayer, for others and myself, yet I persist. I didn't want to be a hypocrite because Jesus makes it clear often in the Sermon on the Mount that he didn't have patience for phonies.I just can't give it up. I suppose I'm more like the desperate father who brings his ailing son to Jesus and admits,  “I believe; help my unbelief!” 

 The gospels tell us that Jesus prayed and he encouraged his followers to do so as well. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before he was arrested and crucified, and he wanted a different outcome. 

I hope that the child who was the subject of this note is now a teenager -- given the age of the suit, that would be about right. I may not have been sure what to pray at the time but it was important that the writer shared this burden with others and chose the possibilities of prayer in the midst of uncertainty. 

Considering Joy as Christmas Approaches

 

 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. 

And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit  and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 

For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Luke 1:39-45 NRSVue 

We decided to watch the new Netflix film Joy because the subject matter of this biopic intrigued us and because Bill Nighy is one of the principal actors and he rarely disappoints. The film is about the team that developed in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the late 1960s and beyond. 

In 1968 Nurse Jean Purdy was hired in Cambridge, Great Britain for a lab manager post by scientist Dr Robert Edwards. Together, they recruit innovative obstetrician and surgeon Patrick Steptoe. Although Purdy was arguably in a subordinate role the two men regarded her as an equal partner in their efforts.

There was lots of resistance to this research from the medical community and from Christian institutions. They were accused of playing god and Edwards was termed Dr. Frankestein. 

                                                                                 Jean Purdy

Purdy has been described as a devout Christian and struggled with the fact that Steptoe also performed abortions. In the film Jean and her mother are shown to be regular churchgoers. They had a close relationship with their vicar Reverend Paulson but eventually she was asked to stop attending worship and was shunned by her mother for a time.

One of the reasons I was interested in the film is that the daily scripture readings last week s included the story of "barren" Hannah, who prayed fervently for a child and was mocked for her infertility by her husband's other wife. In the end her prayers are answered and she gives birth to Samuel who grows up to be a prophet of Israel. 

It struck me as I read about Hannah that there are a lot of biblical stories about infertility and unexpected fertility (Mary, the mother of Jesus.) Women have always been the vulnerable ones in these stories, often shamed, because of course it was never because the guys were shooting blanks. The in vitro researchers were well aware of the sadness and stigma many of their patients experienced. During my years in ministry I was aware of the struggles of some parishioners to have children. For some there was joy as a result of treatment,  for others grief.

Millions of women around the world have conceived as a result of IVF. What a remarkable gift to those parents. Yet when we look south of the border many jurisdictions are resolutely marching back in time, making women vulnerable once again after decades of progress when it comes to reproductive choice. This includes ending funding for IVF in some states. And once again it is often Christians who are leading the pack in calling for restrictive legislation. Women are afraid of prosecution and censure for treatments and procedures and so are the medical personnel who want to help them. Some have died for lack of timely medical intervention. We need to be vigilant in our country as we seem to be shifting to the right. 

Dr. Edwards eventually won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his research and success. Dr. Steptoe had died by this time and Nobel Prizes can't be awarded posthumously. Jean Purdy? Edwards insisted that her name be added to the plaque honouring their work, initially to no avail. Her efforts were recognized long after her cancer death at age 39.

The first "test tube baby" -- remember that term? -- was Louise Joy Brown who is now 46 years old and a physician. 

Perhaps in the weeks ahead when we hear in Luke about barren Elizabeth, getting on in years, and the confused young Mary who is told of an unexpected pregnancy we can ponder how these stories are received by women in the midst of their own challenges with infertlity and fertility.