Chinese Pastor Freed

                                                                                      Pastor Ezra Jin 

There is welcome news that Ezra Jin, a prominent Chinese pastor who has been in prison has been released. Christianity is legal in China but only in government controlled churches. The Roman Catholic church permits the government to have a say in who will be appointed as bishops, walking a fine line in terms of censorship. Some significant churches have been closed and the buildings demolished

China is definitely not a Christian nation yet a few years ago the government said that there were 44 million believers in the country, more than the population of Canada. Other estimates say there are about 130 million Christians with many unregistered worshippers. They assemble in house churches, although the government has been cracking down on these gatherings. 

Jin was part of a sweeping crackdown on Christians last October but he was allowed to leave the country for the United States. Jin's family speaks of his release as a miracle and thank President Trump and his administration for their intervention. Trump raised the issue of detained Christians during his visit to China. While I am reluctant to say anything positive about the president, this is welcome news. 

                                                                                     Jimmy Lai

Canadians are aware of the incarceration of Hong Kong businessman and journalist Jimmy Lai who has family living in this country. Lai is 78 and in poor health but his Christian faith sustains him. 

We can't forget these sisters and brothers in faith and the cost for them of living the gospel, including persecution and death. We need to be mindful of the plight of Uighurs in China, thousands of whom are held in labour camps with reports of forced sterilization. While Uighurs were historically Buddhist they are predominantly Muslim today. 

While Canada and other countries are cozying up to the Chinese thanks to US trade isolationism and tariffs the human rights issues remain. 

Sister Wendy, Hermit and Art Lover

 Do you remember Sister Wendy Beckett, the British art-loving Roman Catholic nun who was something of a media star amongst the nerdy set during the 1990s? She developed a TV series about art through the ages and presented her episodes with a surprising gusto despite a speech impediment. She surprised viewers with her enthusiasm for naked bodies, male and female, defying stereotypes about the prudishness of RC sisters. She was quirky and well known enough to be the source of parodies. I studied art history for my undergraduate degree but I found Sister Wendy a bit too effusive to become a big fan.

I only recently found out that she lived for many years as a hermit, adopting an ascetic and solitary life. She translated Medieval Latin scripts before pursuing the study of art. 

According to her Wikipedia bio:

She obtained papal permission to leave her congregation and to become a consecrated virgin and hermit. She began living in a caravan [travel trailer] on the grounds of a Carmelite monastery at Quidenham Norfolk, and her caravan was later replaced by a mobile home. Besides having received the Carmelite prioress and a nun who brought her provisions, she dedicated her life to solitude and prayer, but allotted two hours of work per day to earn her living.

Leaving aside the distinction between a consecrated and unconsecrated virgin, this living arrangement and spiritual focus makes sense. There is something profoundly spiritual about contemplating art and spending time in solitude would lend itself to that vocation. For me connecting with art can be as powerful as any experience in a church or a cathedral. 

When interviewed about prayer Sister Wendy suggested that when we are moved by beauty, music, art this is a form of prayer, as is taking delight in sunshine. Amen!

Could a series such as hers be made today and become popular? I doubt it somehow, even though the 90s weren't that long ago. 

It's slim pickins' in our library for Sister Wendy books, otherwise I would explore her work. 

                                                                     Sister Wendy portrait 2002

Watershed Acknowledgement

 

                            

                                                                               Christi Belcourt 

We won't be in worship this morning but the service will likely begin with a Land Acknowledgement, a common practice now in many United Church congregations inviting those gathered to be mindful of the traditional lands of the Aboriginal peoples of our region. As some readers will know, I do wonder about including this each week but Rev. Isaac, our son, varies the acknowledgement in thought-provoking ways.

Lately I've been musing about occasionally employing a Watershed Acknowledgement, a recognition that the rivers flowing into the Bay of Quinte were important travel routes through the seasons for Aboriginal groups. The Trent, the Moira, Napanee and Salmon rivers all served this purpose through "time immemorial", a commonly used Indigenous phrase. One Sunday when I led worship I did invite the congregation to consider the Trent River as part of our acknowledgement. 

In these months we regularly paddle these rivers in both our canoe and kayaks. There are times when I am deeply aware of the Indigenous history and imagine that the Salmon River was once a source of abundance with a species fish which no longer make their way up this tributary. 

When we paddle we see an abundance of creatures, otters and bald eagles, deer and trumpeter swans. Even within the city we see a wonderful variety of birds as we cycle along the Moira, including black-crowned night herons and kingfishers.

Last week we were on a secluded stretch of the Moira north of Belleville and had a lovely but uneventful paddle until the last few minutes. Suddenly a pileated woodpecker and two young ones landed on a dead tree that had fallen into the river. We were immediately beside the parent who proceeded to feed the raucous youngsters. Pileated woodpeckers are more often heard than seen so this was an enchanting --watershed? --moment. 

We have this limited edition print by Order of Canada Metis artist Christi Belcourt in our home, and it is it's own Watershed Acknowledgement. 

                              The Fish are Fasting for Knowledge from the Stars --Christi Belcourt

Fire and Brimstone in 2026

                                                                      Wildfire in Spain, July 2026

And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimestone.  

                                 Ezekiel 38: 22 KJV

It is haunting to read and hear about wildfires currently raging in France and Spain, hardly the countries we think about for these conflagrations. A very wet late Winter and Spring caused flooding and lots of growth in forests, followed by intense and prolonged heat. This combination has created ideal conditions for fast moving fires. 

There have been double-digit fatalities in both countries and in Spain most have been tourists. Some have ignored warnings to shelter in place, walking and driving to their deaths. A British family in Spain spoke about friends perishing after they headed away from their vacation home to flee the advancing fire. It may be that some of these victims couldn't comprehend the severity of the threat. Authorities are challenged to identify the remains of those who have died.

We might describe these scenes as hellish or hellacious, words based on a perception of the place of eternal torment. It's been a long time -- more than half a century -- since I heard in person a "fire and brimstone" sermon, a threatening rant about being consigned to hell rather than enjoying the promise of heaven. These sermons are intended to frighten and forewarn people about the risks of losing salvation if they make the wrong choices.

The assumption is that we should "get right with the Lord" before we meet our Maker, but what about the here and now? One of the dubious advantages of waking very earlier is being able to listen to documentaries and interviews from around the world on CBC Radio. The other morning I listened to a re-airing of an Ideas episode from May 2024 with John Vaillant,,  as the guest. He wrote the brilliant and sobering Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast, a book I've mentioned before.

Vaillant describes supercharged fires, including the massive blaze that overtook Fort McMurray, Alberta, which are so intense that they vaporize everything in their path. In Fort Mac homes burned so completely that even concrete foundations crumbled and lawn tractors disappeared. Somehow no one died but personal belongings and family mementoes were swept away. 

Vaillant contends that we live in what he calls the Petrocene — an age defined by the impact our dependence on fossil fuels is having on the planet. A new world of fire super-charged by the deepening climate crisis: "There's no such thing as a new normal. We are going into what I would call climate incognita, the unknown climate. And it's going to keep changing. And we're going to have to keep adapting and it's going to keep surprising us."

What struck me is his description of the emotional and psychological impact of these events on people, some of whom have lived through multiple evacuations. Even seasoned wildfire fighters are traumatized. He admitted that going through the transcripts of his interviews brought him to tears, and even speaking with host Nahlah Ayad brought back the emotion. 

Is this not "hell on Earth?, almost certainly accelerated by human induced climate change. Jesus didn't dwell on hell but he did invite us to live humbly and beware of hubris. We seem to be ignoring these directives. One person who survived a fire in Spain said that "you're left soulless." Those who who have ears to hear. let them hear", Jesus said. 

Queen James

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

! Corinthians 13: 11-13 King James Version

When I began in ministry some of my conservative Christian colleagues insisted that the King James Bible was the only truly God-inspired English version of scripture to use. By 2011, the four hundredth anniversary of the "authorized" version commissioned by King James 1st of England, also King James 6th of Scotland, I couldn't stir up interest among our ministerial, mostly evangelicals, to hold a joint service in which we celebrated the remarkable achievement the KJV represents. 

They would all be shocked and appalled to know that there is a book with the title Queen James: The Life and Loves of Britain’s First King by Gareth Russell about the monarch's intimate and almost certainly sexual relationships with men, even though he was married to a woman. There is now a BBC documentary, Queen James, which explores the same historical theme.

It stands to reason that there have been LGBTQ2S persons amongst royalty in different ages and that their orientations would need to be explored with some discretion beyond the conventions and expectations of the time. 

This King James was a religious person who wanted to hold an ecumenical conference to address the destructive conflicts between Catholics and non-Catholics in the realm. He was a superstitious man who persecuted witches in Scotland in a horrible manner that was anything but Christian. 

He was something of a pacifist and his refusal to enter the Thirty Years War in Europe,  became a factor in him being dubbed ‘Queen James' because he was perceived as weak by his detractors. He was the target of Guy Fawkes and the infamous Gunpowder Plot and he narrowly escaped death. He was a patron of William Shakespeare. 

Verily I say unto you, doth this not all sound fascinating? 

BBC won't let me watch and the library doesn't have the book but I'm still intrigued. 

mes, 

John of John, Psalms & Sabbath Chains

 Then [Jesus] said to them, “The Sabbath was made for humankind and not humankind for the Sabbath,  so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

                                          Mark 2: 27-28 NRSVue

One of the most talked about novels of 2026 is John of John by Douglas Stuart. His debut novel, Shuggie Bain won the Booker Prize and some critics claim John of John is comparable. 

In the 1990s young John Calum returns to the remote isle of Harris after four years at art school on the mainland, essentially tricked into coming home by his stern father. The novel's title is explained when Cal is asked by an elderly passenger on the boat "Who do you belong to?" He replies: "John of John of Ian of Ian the Breabadair" — breabadair meaning weaver, a reference to his family's crofting heritage. Calum returns with long dyed hair and odd clothing, much to his father's chagrin. 

I won't go too deeply into what is a compelling story dealing with family secrets and long-standing tensions in a tight-knit and claustrophobic community. Harsh Presbyterianism is lurking in the background, almost another character in the book. John Sr. is a precentor in the dying local congregation, leading in the unaccompanied singing of the psalms in both English and Gaelic which are central to worship.

The result in the Gaelic speaking churches has been the beautiful, haunting, evocative sound of Gaelic psalm singing. Often considered a musical reflection of the surrounding environment, emulating the ebb and flow of the sea, Gaelic psalmody is an iconic symbol of the Hebrides – much in the same way that Male Voice Choir singing is symbolic of Wales. It is hard for outsiders to consider the possibility that this will not go on for ever as a musical expression of culture and faith.

There is also mention of putting the "Sabbath chains" in place. Puzzled, I did some research and discovered that the tradition of strict Sabbath observance on these Hebridean islands meant that playground swings and other equipment literally went under lock and key on Sundays, a day reserved for worship, rest, and presumably mind-numblng boredom. 

This brought to mind the friendly warnings I received as the new mainland minister when I took up duties in 1980 in several outport Newfoundland communities. Forget about using the canoe or the cross-country skis on Sundays that arrived in the moving van, hardly a temptation given that I had three services, morning, afternoon, and evening. No one would hang out laundry on Sunday or be seen berry picking. Shops were closed regardless of the religious convictions of the owners for fear of lost business. 

The biblical observance of the Sabbath was meant to set people free from relentless work. It was a powerful directive when the temptation was to relentless scratch out a living. The Sabbath was living, not a form of imprisonment. 

We both appreciated John of John, even though it a challenging story at times. 

The Legacy of the Group of Seven Painters

                                                                        Nellie Lake -- AY Jackson 

Yesterday was Group of Seven Day in Ontario, the recently established acknowledgement of these artists who exhibited together for the first time more than a century ago. They were vital to establishing a Canadian sense of landscape that broke from European conventions. Most of them had day jobs as graphic artists and art teachers as well as other roles.

The criticisms today are that they painted the natural world as though Indigenous peoples didn't exist, at least for the most part. In that respect they were still colonialist in their outlook. There were no women invited into the Group of Seven (actually ten), even though they admired painters such as Emily Carr. 

I continue to love their work, in part because we have spent lots of time in Group of Seven country. We took our canoe in a boxcar up into Algoma and paddled down the Sand River to Lake Superior. We have paddled into Killarney, and Neys and Algonquin parks, sometimes climbing to the spots where these artists set up easels. When I presented to the Lands for Life roundtable in Sudbury on behalf of Friends of Killarney Provincial Park in the late 1990s I showed several Group of Seven images painted in and around the park. 

                                                         Bay of Islands -- Franklin Carmichael 

For us these were spiritual experiences and always worth the physical effort as well as some terror in the midst of thunderstorms in remote spots. We loved their impressionistic perceptions of what they were viewing and their paintings enlivened our experience.

 I don't think anyone has written extensively about the spiritual and religious sensibilities of the eclectic Group of Seven as a whole, but I may just be ignorant. Lawren Harris, the wealthy benefactor of the group, was a Theosophist and this spiritual movement increasingly informed his work as the years went by. Certainly in that era organized religion could be constraining rather than liberating when it came to Creation and Creator.

The McMichael Gallery in Kleinberg was once devoted to Group of Seven artists and several are buried on the grounds. Now there is considerable attention to women and Aboriginal artists. The gallery did recognize Group of Seven Day and here is most of their social media post:

Happy Group of Seven Day!

On May 7, 1920, a daring group of artists known as the Group of Seven unveiled their inaugural exhibition at the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the Art Gallery of Ontario) —launching a movement that would forever change the face of Canadian art. The Group—Lawren Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald, A.Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, F.H. Varley, Franklin Carmichael, and Frank (Franz) Johnston—were more than colleagues; they were friends, united by a shared passion to capture the spirit of the Canadian landscape. “The group of seven artists whose pictures are here exhibited have for several years held a like vision concerning Art in Canada,” wrote Lawren Harris in the original catalogue. That first exhibition sold just six works but drew more than 2,000 visitors, sparking conversation, controversy, and ultimately, a legacy. As A.Y. Jackson wrote to his mother: “It is attracting quite a lot of attention even if it is not understood.” Over time, the Group expanded, adding A.J. Casson, Edwin Holgate, and Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald—holding eight exhibitions in total and shaping a new vision for Canadian art.

Six Group of Seven grave markers -- Michael Canadian Collection