The Perseids, the Creator, and Wonder

 

1 Teach me, God, to wonder, teach me, God, to see;

let your world of beauty capture me.

Praise to you be given, love for you be lived,

life be celebrated, joy you give.

                                           Voices United 299

Lift up your eyes on high and see:

    Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them,
    calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength,
    mighty in power,
    not one is missing.

                                        Isaiah 40:26 NRSVue

Will you be watching tonight for the Perseid meteor shower? This multi-night event peaks between the 9th and 14th of August and this year it will be tonight into early Thursday with a rate of 60 an hour, or more. 

This is really a Northern Hemisphere celestial event so we are privileged to witness the shower, if skies are clear enough, the light pollution isn't too bad, and we can stay awake long enough. As I age the latter factor is a biggie. 

When our three kids were, well, kids, we drove to the lakeside home of a co-worker at St. Andrew's United Church in Sudbury with the sole purpose of stretching out on the dock to watch the Perseids. We have seen them in other years as well although our most spectacular meteor viewing was the Draconids on my birthday in October while spending time by the ocean in Nova Scotia a few years ago. We didn't know that it was the peak Draconid night but were by the shore to witness the Milky Way when the show got underway. 

The names we use for constellations and cosmic events tend to come from Greek mythology and astronomy. I wish I had an understanding of the Indigenous names as a complement to those ancient traditions. 

I figure looking the the night sky opens us to wonder in a unique way. And if we choose,  this can be an act of praise and prayer to the Creator... that is, if we can stay awake. This year's Perseids peak under a new moon, meaning that the skies will be absent of moonlight. Here's hoping and praying!

[Verse 1]
Lord of the starfields
Ancient of days
Universe maker
Here's a song in your praise

[Chorus]
O love that fires the sun
Keep me burning
O love that fires the sun
Keep me burning
O love that fires the sun
Keep me burning

                             Bruce Cockburn 

Peace-washing & Peace-making

 

 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have uttered falsehood and envisioned lies, I am against you, says the Lord God. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations; they shall not be in the council of my people nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord God.  

Because, in truth, because they have misled my people, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a flimsy wall, these prophets smear whitewash on it.

Ezekiel 13: 8-10 NRSVue

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

                Matthew 5: 9 NRSVue 

When President Trump of the United States established his Board of Peace in January of this year I imagine a lot of us rolled our eyes. The goals of the board were vague although establishing peace in Gaza was one of them. The notion that Trump would be Chairman-for-Life and that each participating nation would be required to pony up a billion US dollars prompted a "thanks, but no thanks" from Western nations who are members of the United Nations. Some observers have claimed that all the nations that signed the Charter are human rights abusers. 

Just the same, figures such as Hillary Clinton and Condaleeza Rice have commended the president for attempting to negotiate a ceasefire and a peace deal for Gaza The United Nations sees the recent 15-point plan as worthwhile. A few days ago Trump claimed that the deal was nigh and that Hamas, the terrorist organization which rules in Gaza, was willing to disarm. 

This certainly sounded like significant progress but Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has quickly rejected the proposal. Why am I not surprised? Israel's right-wing government seems to regard military aggression as the only solution for conflicts with Iran, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank. America continues to finance this although there is growing resistance within the US. Netanyahu insists that Hamas must disarm totally and immediately, not in stages. 

What does it mean to establish peace in relationships, including international diplomacy? It seems that the human race has lost its way when it comes to "waging peace", choosing enmity and bloodshed instead. As I've said before, this may be our original sin. The Genesis story of Cain and Abel may be a myth but it seems to be true. 

                                                             Children amidst the rubble in Gaza

I will begrudgingly give Trump credit for his efforts but there are a lot of false prophets our there. Little wonder that there are a number of bible verses warning against "peace-washing".  

We can't claim peace when it is inauthentic and trust is fragile or non-existent. Jesus may have sounded naive when he claimed "blessed are the peacemakers" in the Sermon on the Mount but how are the alternatives working for us?  

After I wrote this blog yesterday I read the psalm from the lectionary and it contained this verse. How is this for providential!:

Do not drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who are workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
    while mischief is in their hearts.

Psalm 28:3 NRSVue

The Power of an Apology

The Meeting of the Eagle and the Dove by Mervin Meekis, an artist from Sandy Lake Reserve who died in 2000, was presented to the 31st General Council 1986 during the consideration of the Apology to Indigenous Peoples.

Long before my people journeyed to this land your people were here, and you received from your Elders an understanding of creation and of the Mystery that surrounds us all that was deep, and rich, and to be treasured. 

We did not hear you when you shared your vision. In our zeal to tell you of the good news of Jesus Christ we were closed to the value of your spirituality. 

We confused Western ways and culture with the depth and breadth and length and height of the gospel of Christ. 

We imposed our civilization as a condition of accepting the gospel.

 We tried to make you be like us and in so doing we helped to destroy the vision that made you what you were. 

As a result, you, and we, are poorer and the image of the Creator in us is twisted, blurred, and we are not what we are meant by God to be. 

We ask you to forgive us and to walk together with us in the Spirit of Christ so that our peoples may be blessed and God’s creation healed. 

The Right Rev. Bob Smith General Council 1986 The United Church of Canada 

 I received a reminder of an event this coming Saturday of great significance for the United Church of Canada. Forty years ago the General Council of our denomination met in Sudbury, Ontario and during the proceedings the first of several official Apologies was made to Indigenous peoples for mistreatment through the decades, including the shameful reality of the Residential School System. 

The Moderator of that time, the Rev. Bob Smith, delivered the Apology in a teepee set up in the centre of a parking lot at Laurentian University. While this doesn't seem like the most dignified location for such an auspicious event the Apology Cairn eventually established on the spot is still there. The Apology itself stands the test of time in my estimation. 

This Apology was the first to be offered by denominations which were complicit in the Residential Schools, in reality institutions to eliminate Indigenous identity. It happened years before the important Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its recommendations. It opened the way for the UCC to take a number of important steps toward reconciliation and reciprocity. Many United Church members struggled initially with why these Apologies were necessary and to a degree I was one of them. So many of us learned and been humbled and have slowly discovered how to walk differently with Indigenous peoples. 

The 40th anniversary event will take place at the cairn. I was part of the Sudbury Presbytery committee that approved the languages for the commemorative plaques in the late 1980s. I was also at the 1992 General Council where Stan McKay was elected as Moderator. I wish I could be there on Saturday but we'll be out of province. Here is the invitation to the event: 

Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the United Church Apology and Recommitting to Reconciliation

 

• Date: Saturday, August 15th
• Time: 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM
• Location: Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd., Sudbury (MAP)

Featuring Keynote Speaker: The Very Rev. Stan McKay - We are deeply honored to welcome The Very Rev. Stan McKay—former Moderator of the United Church of Canada, Indigenous elder, wisdom keeper, and leader—to share his insight and guidance.

What to Expect:

• Sacred Fire & Drumming: Grounding our hearts and minds in community and tradition.
• Personal Stories: Hearing reflections on the impact of the apology and the path forward.
• Community Lunch: Sharing food and fellowship together.
• Pilgrimage to the Apology Cairn: Concluding our time together with a meaningful walk of remembrance and commitment to the Apology Cairn.

 

Registration Information: While this event is entirely free to attend, registration is required so that we can ensure there is enough food and seating for everyone. The deadline for registration is Monday, August 10, 2026. Please visit 40th Anniversary of UCC Apology Event | Canadian Shield.

 

Whether you have been walking this path for decades or are just beginning your reconciliation journey, your presence is welcome and valued. We hope to see you there.

In August of 2012, at the 41st General Council, The United Church of Canada acknowledged the presence and spirituality of Aboriginal peoples in the United Church by revising the church's crest. The crest changes include incorporating the colours often associated with the Aboriginal Medicine Wheel. The Medicine Wheel, which reflects respect for diversity and interdependence, is often represented in the four traditional colours of yellow, red, black, and white, which incorporate important teachings from the four directions, the four stages of life, and the four seasons. The placement of these colours will vary according to the traditions of the nation. The Medicine Wheel teaches us to seek balance in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the circle of life. The crest changes also include the addition of the Mohawk phrase "Akwe Nia'Tetewá:neren" [aw gway--  nyah day day waw-- nay renh], which means "All my relations."

Dragonfly Morning

 

                                                                       Globe Skimmer Dragonfly

Yesterday we set out early to paddle on the Moira River a few kilometres north of where we live. The fog was so dense as we drove that we considered turning back but we persevered. We were alone at the landing --who else would be so foolish -- but we decided that the fog was lifting and we went in our kayaks. We paddled upstream against a surprisingly strong current for this time of year because of heavy recent rains. 

Our first gift were all the spider webs in branches by the water, bejewelled thanks to the mist. There were so many of them and the sight was magical. By the time we came back they were invisible. 

After half an hour we saw a young bald eagle lift off from a dead tree and head toward the rapids just to the north. We have been watching the huge nest there since the beginning of the year when there were no leaves but the parental pair was present, weathering the cold and snowstorms. After a couple of years without young we were hoping they'd have success this year and as the leaves obscured the nest we were fairly sure we saw a couple of smaller heads. Then the two young were venturing onto nearby branches. then short flights, now out on their own, at least for reasonable distances. This one landed high in a tree in the midst of the rapids and we bobbed about in the turbulence, eyes glued.

This was all wonderful but we both gave special attention to other creatures, the combat pilots of the summer, dragonflies. They were everywhere, some of them huge. I was aware that some of the 3,000 species of dragonfly globally migrate but only yesterday read that they likely have the longest migration of any species on the planet, longer than Monarch butterflies and Grey whales.  

The Wandering Glider, also known as the Globe Skimmer, is renowned for its extensive, trans-oceanic migrations. Across oceans!  Both these names evoke so much.

This one species is found on every continent except Antarctica, making it the most widespread dragonfly globally. As with Monarch butterflies, migration can involve three generations with individuals flying up to 6,000 kilometres We see dragonflies in our backyard and had the occasional one land on my kayak or even my arm while paddling. How far had they travelled? 

We had no idea which species we were witnessing yesterday morning -- there are about 25 in Canada --  but just the prospect of these "pilgrimages" involving incredible distances changed how we viewed them. As with Monarch butterflies there are no references to dragonflies in scripture but we have to claim them as sacred. There are lots of dragonflies in Israel, so did Jesus chase after them as a child? Did he have a sense of wonder when he saw them? 

Heaven and Hell in Wildfire Country

 

                                                                   Fire near Kimberley BC

In early June Ruth helped celebrate an auspicious birthday of a dear friend in British Columbia, along with a couple of other pals. They had a wonderful time with some cycling, paddling, hiking, and two luxurious sessions in nearby hot springs. When Ruth returned she said that if it weren't for our children and our grandchildren she could live there, with surroundings that are close to  heaven on earth.  She wasn't specific about whether I would be included in the move but I decided not to seek clarification.

Since then this friend and her partner spent an anxious week on evacuation alert in a province which is on fire, including one on the doorstep of their beautiful community. This meant they had both their vehicles packed with essentials and she was aware that when she went to the pool in the next town over she might get a notice that wouldn't allow her to return home. The threats seems to have passed, for now, but other areas have not been so fortunate. On a First Nations reserve along Lake Okanagan 30 homes of band members and 200 non-band homes had burned. I think this was the same reserve where my uncle once had his cottage.

This is the reality for so many people across the continent this summer. Despite the ignoramus politicians in the US who have scolded and threatened Canada because of cross-border wildfire smoke, similar fires rage in Washington state, destroying huge areas of forest and creeping into the edges of towns and cities. As with BC, it is a nightmare of loss for many, hellish we might say. 

Someone who has become an online friend through this blog kindly wrote to ask how we were doing in Ontario given the number of fires here. She and her husband, both in their 80s lived in an idyllic forest setting until a wildfire incinerated their home and virtually all their possessions a few years ago. He is an acclaimed acoustician and author and his extensive library of nature recordings went up in smoke. Providentially, a university had archived and made copies of the recordings not long before the fire.

I've written about the exceptional book by the late theologian Sally McFague, an American who came to teach in British Columbia and stayed until her death. Nearly 30 years ago she explored what it means to be Super, Natural Christians, a riff on the Super, Natural British Columbia tourism theme at the time.

I do not believe that we will protect the resources or the beauty of what many of us know as Canada by building more pipelines or declaring ourselves an "energy superpower" -- what does really mean, anyway? 

Creator, teach us what it means to be Super, Natural Christians, on earth as it is in heaven. 

Monarch Butterflies & the Season of Creation?

                                                                           Photo by Deb J

Last week I chuckled when a good friend sent me the link for a worthwhile article in the Atlantic Monthly on the subject of Monarch butterflies. I'd come upon the same article earlier in the day but thought I might be too predictable by sending it their way. They also live not far from the shore of Lake Ontario and have become dedicated Monarch protectors, involved with a group who net and tag these wondrous creatures in late Summer and into the Fall as they embark on the perilous journey to Mexico. 

Monarchs have been in serious decline for a number of reasons including habitat loss along the flight route and in the mountainous forest area where they roost by the millions over the Winter. While greater efforts have been made to establish a protected forest preserve, poaching for lumber and clear-cutting to grow avocados destined for northern markets are serious threats. One prominent conservationist in Mexico was murdered and others have lived under threat of violence. 

It seems that the population following the Eastern flyways may have stabilized after years of decline, which is good news. Sadly, this is not the case for the Western Monarchs. 

There is no mention of butterflies in the Judeo/Christian scriptures even though there is a variety of  species in Israel and the region. Butterflies are sometimes used in Christian imagery for transformation.and resurrection. 

I wonder if Monarchs could be the foundation for the Season of Creation in North America, given that these Sundays are in September and early October, a key period for migration southward? 

We live in a time of precarity for many species and yet we live in hope for their survival and ours. Only the willfully blind cannot see and feel the effects of the Climate Emergency and it is discouraging that we continue to commit the sins of disregard for Creation. 

Monarchs roosting in El Rosario butterfly sanctuary, part of Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve

On the theme of Monarchs and Creation we could celebrate those dedicated humans here and all along the migratory paths who chose to carry on their support in hope. Why not connect with organizations and researchers who are doing this work and maybe even invite folk to  provide financial support?

We might express our wonder for these creatures and become better informed about their  astonishing journey. We could make the connection with other migrations, including humans who are searching for a better life as climate refugees in a changing world. 

Some congregations are on properties which could grow pollinator plants, including the essential milkweed. Members could be encouraged to record their sightings of Monarchs. Hymns, prayers, other liturgical resources could be developed, including a call to repentance and change of heart. 

I'll stop now! 

When I mentioned to these friends that we saw a number of Monarchs on a beach in Prince Edward County and then in our backyard she sent the photo above from their yard. 

Let's keep hoping, praying, and acting for Creation. And maybe read Barbara Kingsolver's novel which includes a faith community. 

Fingerbowl Epiphany

 

We spent a couple of days with two of our grandchildren and enjoyed a bunch of outing and activities. Who knew that a six-year-old would be delighted by a fingerbowl at Swiss Chalet? We figured that these bowls on longer existed, but here they were. 

Later I reminisced with our daughter, their mom, about an earlier time in her life when she was commuting to Toronto from Oshawa five days a week and then working three Swiss Chalet shifts on the weekend. It was surprisingly good money because of the tips and made a big difference for weekly expenses. 

 She reminded me that on Sunday afternoons co-workers would groan "here come the church people" as groups filtered in after their worship services.

 I asked,  why church people, and she said that they tended to be entitled and even rude. So, these folk had heard the Good News of Jesus, maybe a sermon from time to time about a commandment saying "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy" only to be the source of eye-rolling on the part of people who were serving them on that sabbath. 

I spent many years working as a pastor with and for some of the finest people I've ever met. Their faith informed their lives and that Good News was evident in their kindness and compassion. Unfortunately I could also understand why our daughter's co-workers felt the way they did. It seemed that some church folk -- always only a few but often a vocal minority -- didn't get the memo about loving their neighbours as themselves as an expression of loving God. 

Witnessing to Christ is not about cornering someone with a few trite phrases about God's amazing love. It is demonstrating genuineness in everyday actions. Maybe the fingerbowls could be an opportunity to renew baptismal vows!

Ah well, I'll keep the image of my grandchild soaking their fingers with a happy grin as though it was a spa day.