The United Church at 95

Yesterday was the 95th anniversary of the United Church of Canada, the commemoration of an impressive gathering at the Mutual Street Arena in Toronto which was one of the first events to be broadcast across the country using the new medium of radio. The amalgamation of most Presbyterians, Methodists and Congregationalists was a newsworthy event at the time and held out so much promise for a Christian force for good which would stretch from sea to sea to sea.

Through the decades the United Church has been an innovator, ordaining the first woman in the 1930's, offering a Sunday School curriculum which was innovative in the 60's , taking the challenging step to address issued of human sexuality in the 80's which included acceptance of what we now term LGBTQ2 persons, both as congregants and in ordained and commissioned leadership. The latter was hugely controversial and led to the exodus of thousands, yet we were at the vanguard of what I regard as an essential societal shift. The United Church has long been ecumenical in terms of our dialogue with other Christian denominations and we have been in respectful conversation with other religions for decades. 

We've been on the side of justice in so many areas for as long as I can remember yet our shame is that we were complicit in the Residential School system in Canada which so profoundly affected Indigenous peoples. We are still seeking ways to make amends. 

I was born into the United Church and was part of a church teeming with children in the post-war era. I had an evangelical phase in my teens which was deeply meaningful to my Christian formation but I returned to the fold because my mind mattered as well as my heart, and the UCC provided freedom to think and explore. 

Today the United Church has moved from being mainline to "old-line", as have other traditional denominations. I laughed out loud when I saw the directive from church authorities that in the initial phase of returning to worship in this COVID era it should be restricted to those under the age of 60. I quipped that this would mean that only four people in each province would qualify, which is not accurate but reflects our demographic reality. Few congregations have many, if any kids and young families. 

I got a letter the other day congratulating me on the 40th anniversary of my ordination as a United Church minister, which was a kind recognition. When I graduated, was ordained, then sent off to outport Newfoundland I was well aware that the United Church was in decline. But I was blessed to serve congregations which still had vitality, willing to deepen in Christian faith, and prepared to engage with community and the world. Except for my final congregation we had active Sunday Schools and families, and even there we had a sense of purpose and  mission which included strong food ministries.I have few regrets and plenty to celebrate about those 37 years of active pastoral ministry. 

Increasingly through the years I was concerned that the United Church was not only losing energy, it was losing its way. I would always ask in interviews with congregational search committees "do you see yourself as a Christ-centred congregation?" Some were befuddled by the question and one actually said no. I lamented that in our quest to be on the forefront of the next "cause of the day" we were becoming a "doughnut" church, all cake around the edges without an identifiable core. Having a celebrity minister who was openly a non-theist, let alone a Christian, was for me an indication of our spiritual confusion.We were just too earnest and confused about what inclusion means to part ways. 

Will there be a 100th anniversary for the United Church? Probably, although the radically changed way of doing and being church we adopted a couple of years ago will be heavily impacted by these months during which we haven't been able to physically gather. Yes, congregations have found other ways to be community, and that innovation is in the spirit of the UCC. We would be naive to think that this isn't a crisis moment, just the same.

Christ be with us all in the days ahead...why do I have a sudden craving for some Timbits?

Comments? 

What is "racism and entertainment," Alex?

Martin Luther King Jr, childhood photo

The venerable quiz show, Jeopardy, is filmed months in advance but on Monday the final clue seemed almost eerily appropriate for the moment we're in as societies everywhere are grappling with racial injustice. In the category of 20th Century History it was:

10-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr. sang with his church’s choir at the celebrated premiere of this film.

The correct response was Gone With the Wind and I guessed it, pleased to say. I commented to Ruth, my long-suffering, Jeopardy-indifferent wife that this was a startling factoid given the underlying tone of racism in the film. Slaves are portrayed as reasonably content in benign households, a gross misrepresentation of reality.

The premiere took place in segregated Atlanta rather than Hollywood, a controversial choice. A crowd of 100,000 showed up, some in Confederate uniforms. While actor Hattie McDaniel went on to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mammy she wasn't in attendance, nor were any of the other Black actors, because of the colour of their skin. 



Vivien Leigh and Hattie McDaniel

The film was considered a gamble to make and cost a bundle, but it also made a fortune and won 10 Academy Awards. What an irony that MLK, Christian minister and giant of the Civil Rights Movement was at the premier, allowed to be present as part of quaint window-dressing for a racist event. 

I read this morning that HBO Max will no longer have Gone With the Wind on its roster of films because of the implicit and explicit racism. Will this be the beginning of the end for what has been considered a classic, if a rather kitschy one? Frankly, my dear...

I'm saddened by the death of a humpback whale, improbably swimming near Montreal.these past two weeks. Today's Groundling blog 
https://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-death-of-urban-whale.html



Gone With the Wind premiere and a very white crowd

A Police Officer Responds

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders takes a knee at a recent rally

I served six pastoral charges in the United Church of Canada during 37 years of congregational ministry in three provinces and I had police officers from municipal, provincial, and national forces in my congregations along the way. They were people of faith who contributed to the life of these Christian communities in a variety of ways, including attending worship. 

In addition I interacted with police officers in a number of situations over the years, in circumstances from mental health interventions to helping to address aggression at community meals (a rarity). Within days of beginning ministry in outport Newfoundland  I was called by a family in the dark of night  to the scene of a suicide of a teenager.Because I was close at hand I was the one who met the RCMP when they arrived at the home. 

My involvement with police within congregations and in these other circumstances has been almost always positive and I do believe that there is a place for policing in our society as a presence for law and order and for good. We have seen the ugly side of policing in the United States as a paramilitary force in recent days but that has not been the case at rallies here in Canada.

We do need change in policing when it comes to race and mental health and other areas. As we sort out what we expect from police forces and individual cops in these troubling times I've blogged some of my thoughts. A former parishioner, Roger, offered his perspective by way of a comment  as someone who is still involved in policing. I know that in earlier years he was a community officer in Northern communities where developing relationships of trust with residents was important. In case you missed his comments I'm posting them today: 

Just to chime in....I am the first to jump all over bad cops. Believe me, good cops absolutely abhor the actions of those monsters from Minneapolis, as well as the thugs from Buffalo PD. Those idiots make it so much more difficult for the good cops - who are in the vast majority - to do their job.

I look back at my career, and I'm proud to say that I have worked with kind, empathetic officers throughout my postings. Conversely, I've also had to force myself to get out of bed at a couple of postings because there was a moron or two on my watch. If I could have thrown them out of the Force, I would have gladly done so. I would often cringe thinking how their actions in my community would make the rest of us appear.

It may appear that police are always ready to be aggressive and pushy, but I recall being part of a security force at a major political event in which leaders from around the world were gathering. I was right on the line, face to face with the protesters. They were yelling at me and calling me names, which was no big deal. But there were hundreds of them trying to surge forward. It got tense, but there were no physical altercations and aside from some minor vandalism, it went well.

I mention this because it was one of the proudest moments of my career. People exercising their right to protest - which I and most police strongly agree with - while police showed restraint. But things can change quickly and you need to be ready. That may be why BPD have such a strong contingent of tac officers.

Yes, they can look intimidating, but I'm pretty sure the families of those cops would like them wearing their protective gear so they can come home in one piece.
But I am sick and tired of hearing every day about yet another example of police brutality. It is completely unacceptable, and these jerks should never have been given a badge. And I point the finger at management of these police services, who ignored the warning signs of having bad cops in their force. When someone has numerous complaints against him/her for excessive force, there's a problem!

Thanks for responding Roger. I always appreciate the perspectives of readers. 

The Riot Police and the Peacemaker

We've probably all seen it by now, the cell phone video of an older man being shoved down by two tactical officers (nice euphemism). We get one small slice of events but the film appears to show one geezer facing a veritable army of officers who look they walked off the set of a Star Wars movie. The man tumbles over backward as he's pushed. He strikes his head and bleeds and the storm troopers pass on by. I suppose if you're dressed like for a riot you have to find one, even if it means beating up on an elderly civilian. At first the incident was denied, then spun, then the officers were suspended, now they have been charged.

The injured man does have a name -- Martin Gugino. The 75-year-old has been in hospital for several days but he is recovering from his injuries, thank God. It turns out that he's a Roman Catholic, a  long-time peace activist and he's passionate about the environment. Or as the Emperor Trump would say, he's a thug.



Through the years I've met a lot of elders like Gugino, people who want a better world for their grandchildren. They are often motivated by their Christian faith and the bible -- the one you actually read to discover God's direction rather than "a bible" that gets shaken like an Etch a Sketch in a shameless photo op. They are often feisty and passionate and some have been arrested. But I can't think of a single one who has been violent or posed a threat to society. 

We can pray that Gugino is well soon, hitting the streets for righteousness sake, rather than hitting the pavement.

Oh yes, nearly 60 tactical officers resigned from that role in Buffalo after their two confreres were charged. Buffalo has a population of 250,000. Isn't that a lot of riot cops for a city that size? Asking for our friend Martin...

This Sunday we say, No Justice, No Peace

This Sunday it is important to acknowledge the global upwelling of concern, solidarity and outrage about racism and the inequality it fosters. Through the centuries Christianity has upheld the Gospel of love and inclusion in Christ Jesus. At the same time the structures of the institutional church have too often supported exclusion and subjugation through a false reading of scripture and distortion of Christ's teaching and example, even to death on the cross.

This past week leaders from several denominations, including Moderator Richard Bott of the United Church of Canada, issued a letter of response to what has been unfolding. The press release included these paragraphs: 

In response to the demonstrations across the United States and Canada in the wake of the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Anglican Church of Canada, and The United Church of Canada have issued a joint letter.

They write, “It is important for church members in our largely white churches to look at how we continue to perpetuate anti-Black racism, either inadvertently or intentionally. George Floyd’s words, ‘I can’t breathe,’ continue to ring in our ears; they act as a prophetic voice of the pain and re-traumatization that is coming from peoples of African descent again and again.”

We may be reluctant to attend a rally or march because of the directives about public assembly in the midst of a pandemic but we an respond in thoughtful, prayerful reflection.

Here is the link to the letter and another to this week's reflection by the Rev. Isaac Mundy, our son:

https://www.united-church.ca/news/church-leaders-acknowledge-racism-their-midst#downloads

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pLCoXMyZDUJHJJ7o7lxPfCQ4tESkPVMs/view

I invite you to imagine God as green in today's Trinitarian Groundling blog

Hope for Hospice in Quinte

The two pandemics, COVID-19 and racism have been front and centre in the news of late, but we can stay awake and aware of other stories, including those which are local. 

I'm  gratified to see that plans for construction of a new residential hospice between Belleville and Trenton along the shore of the Bay of Quinte are proceeding and actually breaking ground could happen this summer. The fundraising goal is $9.5 million and so far about 60% of that total has been donated.

Both the words hospital and hospice come from the same root but the function today is usually very different. Hospitals are meant to provide medical and surgical care as quickly and effectively as possible. They are not designed for long-term care and in these days of sky-rocketing budgets the goal is usually to treat and release. Hospice has a different goal and this good ol' Wikipedia description is fairly accurate, although palliative care and hospice care are not the same: 

Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by reducing pain and suffering.

Hospitals and hospices began with medieval religious orders and of course there are many hospitals across Canada which had their roots in various Christian denominations, including the United Church. Hospices in our society tend to be secular and inclusive of those of various religions, or none. Just the same, many volunteers have personal faith convictions which motivate this essential compassionate work. We have a good friend who has been involved in hospice for years and was active in end-of-life support in the congregation which I served and where she was a member. 



Artist's Conception of the Hospice Quinte building 

I'm interested to see that Jennifer May Anderson is the Executive Director for Hospice Quinte. Jennifer was a candidate for ministry here in Belleville before life circumstances and perhaps the Holy Spirit led her in other directions. This is definitely spiritual work and I'm glad she's found a home for her talents. 

I received word earlier this week that a friend whose at whose wedding I presided 18 years ago died, in a a supportive hospice setting with his loving wife and daughter at his side. As saddened as I am by his death, I'm grateful that they had this experience at the end. 

Do you know anyone who has benefited from hospice support at the end of life? Have you been involved in some way? 

Discover more about Hospice Quinte here: https://hospicequinte.ca/

From Tiananmen to DC

Tiananmen Square 1989

Yesterday thousands of residents of Hong Kong defied a ban on gathering to remember the anniversary of Tiananmen Square. It was 31 years ago that Chinese citizens, mostly young, gathered in public places, including this large plaza, to protest against the oppressive regime. China is supposedly a communist nation but is has been a dictatorship for decades. People around the world were in solidarity with the protesters back then but within six weeks martial law was declared, tanks were brought in. Thousands died and many more simply disappeard.

The Hong Kong gathering last night was both a memorial and a protest against Chinese rule of what is supposed to be an semi-autonomous state. There have been marches for months in response to new laws restricting the freedoms of Hong Kong residents, at least one of which drew a million people. Most of these protests have been peaceful, and churches have been involved in supporting non-violent action. There have been some, though, where force has been used, including teargas.

These Chinese and Hong King protests, past and present, seem eerily familiar as we witness what is happening south of the border these days. People have gathered across the United States in response to the murder by police of a Black man,George Floyd, in Minneapolis. While some of these rallies have resulted in destruction and looting Floyd's family has encouraged peaceful protest.



Lincoln Memorial this week

The response by authorities and police has been heart-warming in some places but deeply disturbing in others. Militarized police, the National Guard, and the military itself have been deployed as though the United States is a fascist regime which stifles freedom of assembly and speech with impunity. We have seen the videos of participants gassed and beaten, children and the elderly intimidated and injured. It is disgusting.



Decent Police & Guardsmen taking a knee in solidarity with protesters in Philadelphia

It's heartening that some military leaders have pushed back against the deployment of troops against their own citizens And many religious leaders have joined peaceful protests but some have sided with the Emperor Trump and his authoritarian minions. Sadly, there are always false prophets and worshippers of power who align themselves with dictators and tyrants. We read about it in the bible, some Christians aligned themselves with Mussolini and Hitler, and it is happening today. 

It's well past time for regime change in America and, God willing, it will happen democratically in November. 

Here is my Groundling blog reflection on UN World Environment Day

https://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2020/06/time-for-nature-time-for-creation.html



The Handmaid's Tale

Racism in Canada

Canadians have watched with concern and moments of horror as racial tensions have escalated to protests in the streets in the United States. I simply can't bring myself to watch what is a chilling snuff film in which black George Floyd is slowly choked to death by a white police officer. 

I've been disappointed and not surprised that a number of Canadians with public platforms, including the premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, have suggested that systemic racism is not an issue in this country. Media types such as Stockwell Day and Rex Murphy have fatuously said so, and Day has paid for his comments by losing several white privilege appointments. 

I would like to believe that Canada isn't as racist as America, or other countries. Yet we have a history of oppression and broken promises to Indigenous peoples and our commissions and inquiries don't seem to do much to change outcomes. When First Nations protesters blockaded rail lines a few months ago many called for police and military intervention -- sound familiar? 

We have used Chinese labour to build our railroads in horrendous conditions and Black porters to be virtual servants on trains. When a contest was held to identity the Greatest Canadians, environmentalist David Suzuki was on the list. Lest we forget, Suzuki spent some of his early years in an internment camp for being Japanese-Canadian and he's on the list with Sir John A. Macdonald who war arguably a white supremacist. 

There has been some thoughtful stuff written about the Heritage Minutes -- remember them? the sixty-second stories of our Canadian history which have leaned heavily toward our own form of propaganda of exceptionalism, as well as dishonesty by exclusion about our racist past.Some newer versions have attempted to correct those omissions and perceptions.  

I certainly don't want to entertain the notion that I am racist, yet I am the product of a culture in which I could function as a Baby Boomer white male where everything leaned toward my security and success. I've had a lifetime of opportunity which wasn't afforded to Indigenous peoples or People of Colour and the fact that I didn't really get this until pushed to do so is a form of racism.

I'm grateful that I've been part of a Christian denomination, the United Church of Canada, which has and still does address these grim realities I can't deny that the UCC ran Residential Schools or that our one Black moderator, thg Right Reverend Wilbur Howard, couldn't get a call to congregation for years beause of the colour of his skin. 

I don't write this because of a desire to be a self-flagellating liberal. I and all of us just need to be honest in Canada and ask what can change, today and tomorrow. As we look across the border we can also search our own hearts. 

Comments? 

21 Seconds, and Counting

In yesterday's COVID-19 update press conference Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau said nothing for just over the length of time we're all supposed to wash our hands, a whopping 21 seconds.We live in the age of sound bites, but we are no longer prepared for silence bites, and we often act as though silence "bites". The PM had been asked two  challenging questions which are summed up succinctly by columnist Don Martin:

Trudeau was asked for his reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to use the military to suppress George Floyd protests while tear-gassing peaceful demonstrators near the White House so he could stage a Bible-holding photo-op outside a nearby church.What made the question particularly daunting was the second part of reporter Tom Parry’s question: “If you don’t want to comment, what message do you think you are sending?”

We've all learned that the faux president is a petulant and vindictive fool, so Trudeau stood and...what?...pondered?...had a brain freeze?...used the silence to speak volumes? When he did respond he was a tad evasive but he spoke in coherent sentences and offered an answer which was intelligible, which his American counterpart seems incapable of doing.

We underestimate the importance of silence, the "rests between the notes" of public discourse, of entertainment, news broadcasts, and, yes, worship.Contemporary "Worshipologists" tell us that we should avoid dead air in our services lest we lose our "audience." 

For many years I included a span of 30-45 seconds of silence in worship services which I would usher in and then conclude with a chime. Some people loved it and wished it was longer. Others were definitely not t fans of the quiet. In a meeting with two students for the ministry in one congregation both admitted they didn't like it at all. I suppose it was and is the closet Quaker in me that craves some time of quiet, however brief, when God might get a word in edgewise. 

I'm not partial to Prime Minister Trudeau's press conferences at the best of times because of the tone of his voice. I do applaud the 21 seconds of silence, although I'll do so quietly.

Thoughts? 

Antithetical to the Teaching of Jesus

Last evening a hideous sequence of events unfolding in the capitol of the United States. In the midst of national turmoil over the senseless, racist murder by police of a black man, George Floyd, the president made a public statement. He did not express condolences to the grieving family, nor did he acknowledge racial tensions and call for calm. Instead he insisted that governors of states where there are demonstrations "dominate" the protesters with force, or he would send in the military.

While this impostor president was making his vile statements police and national guard members cleared a path through peaceful protesters , including the Episcopal priest and members OF THAT CONGREGATION, with tear gas and rubber bullets so that he could walk from the White House to a nearby church. In front of a place of worship, a sacred space he posed for  photos, then returned to his den of iniquity.

This shameless display was quickly condemned by the Episcopal bishop of this diocese and the pastor of the congregation, neither of whom were informed of what was about to transpire. They saw this theatrical ploy for what it was, as have many American Christian leaders. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde expressed her outrage by saying  "Let me be clear: The President just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus"

I think Luke Bretherton, a professor of moral and politcal theology at Duke University sums up what transpired well:

There is something theologically fitting about Trump holding aloft a closed bible before a shuttered church he cannot enter. It is a book he doesn't read & a structure dedicated to something he can't understand that preaches a narrow way he entirely opposes in all he says & does.

Yet many in the president's conservative Christian cult have praised him and speak  of his bravery and devotion. What do they think the bible is, some magical talisman to be waved about for political gain? This is such a disturbing confusion of the role of empire and the subversion of genuine faith and worship.

 Do we need to be reminded that an innocent Jesus was executed by the powerful empire of his day with the collusion of some religious leaders? Jesus' peaceful but subversive Palm Sunday demonstration was the beginning of the end, and yet a new beginning. Easter declares that  Jesus, peacemaker and saviour, was not "dominated" by that empire nor by any other. 

The Old Married Couple of Worry and Prayer

"Worry and prayer:they're like an old married couple who insist on having the last word.." What a brilliant way of describing the tug of war between our anxieties and fears and the desire to enter into a relationship of reassuring trust with the God who is our constant companion.

There is a lot of worry floating about these days, in case you hadn't noticed. It seems that nothing we took for granted three months ago has remained the same. We certainly feel blessed by the relative security of our lives in retirement. We have the benefit of a spacious home and we live in an area where we can cycle, and paddle, and walk with no real concerns about physical distancing. We have next to no concern about contracting COVID-19 ourselves.  Still, we miss time with family and wonder about the longer term security of our adult children's work. And when will our grandchildren be able to return to school? When will be able to hug all our grandkids again? 

On the broader scale the economy is hobbling along and international relations are strained. On the weekend scores of cities in our closest neighbour, the United States, erupted in protest and violence over racial inequality and the specific murder of a black man by police. What we've witnessed is just ugly.  

In the midst of this turmoil I appreciate the two prayers in Sy Safransky's reflection. I have been offering the "Thy will, not my will" prayer for a friend in Colorado whose life is ebbing away due to Alzheimer's.

 I also continue to pray for God's intervention in other circumstances, even though I still have no idea how that really works. I want justice for the marginalized in this country. I want women to be able to live their lives without fear, everywhere.  I want freedom for people in Hong Kong, and...and... Sometimes God just disappoints me -- your're God, if this too much to ask? -- but after all these years together I'm not considering a divorce. There's just too much love to call it quits. 

How are you doing in the tricky balance between worry and prayer? Does Safransky's metaphor work for you? 

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,[j] or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?[k] 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God[l] and his[m] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 6:25-33 -- Jesus of Nazareth

Mr. Bean & Pentecostal Power

Mr. Bean goes to church

Come Holy Spirit Come
Come as the Fire and Burn
Come as the Wind and Cleanse
Come as the Light and Reveal 
Convict, Convert, Consecrate

Until We are Wholly Yours

Somehow yesterday we ended up watching an episode of Mr. Bean, the comedy sketch series starring the brilliant Rowan Atkinson. Mr. Bean went to church and it was...hilarious.The entire sketch was funny as Bean sits "up close and personal" to another congregant, but the singing of the hymn "All Creatures of Our God and King" made us laugh out loud. (easy to find the clip online.)

Nobody will be in church in Ontario today, thanks to the coranavirus, unless the gathering is either illegal or in a carefully spaced parking lot. It's particularly strange on this Sunday, because it's Pentecost, the celebration of the birth of the Christian church. In the book of the Acts of the Apostles we read that the Spirit of the living God infused a band of bewildered followers of Jesus with the courage to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in the public square . 

This is a powerful story but I never found that United Church folk were enthusiastic to observe Pentecost the way they did Christmas and Easter, despite its importance. And we now live in a largely secular culture where it wouldn't occur to most people to attend worship of any kind, even if they had the freedom to do so. 



This Pentecost we may all be considering whether the Holy Spirit has left the building, so to speak, and what the future holds for us. When will we be allowed back into our familiar places of worship, and will we comfortable doing so, even when we are given permission? Will we give the side eye to friends who are now potential killers? (I may be exaggerating!) Will it feel like church if we're required to sit a couple of metres apart, or we can't pass the peace?  The word is that communal singing is a very effective way of transmitting, so the choir is now a gang of trained assassins. 

We are already re-inventing the way we come together for worship, discern the Spirit in meetings, support one another pastorally as the Body of Christ. We're having discussions about celebrating our sacraments of communion and baptism online. Is this just a stop-gap or will we become more effective in our public witness in these new ways. Surely we realize that we can't fall asleep at the wheel, or in the pew,  of our new reality. 

Perhaps on this Pentecost Sunday we emphasize that when the Holy Spirit came two millennia ago those frightened believers were inside, only to be swept outside into a new and powerful form of witness. Is that where we're headed?  God only knows. 

1 Creative Spirit, come to us,
give vision to the minds you own,
and fill the hearts which you have made
with gifts whose grace is yours alone.

2 For you are called the Comforter,
the glorious gift of God Most High,
the living water, fire and love,
outpouring of eternity.

3 Kaleidoscope of sevenfold light,
power of the strong right hand of God,
enriching with the promised truth
the prophet's and the preacher's word.

4 Make our imaginations blaze,
and fill our hearts with flowing love,
that we, who have no strength, may know

the strong flight of the soaring dove.

9th Century Hymn -- Voices United 199

Michael Jordan...Mystic?

I got a call from someone at the YMCA yesterday, asking if we are okay in these COVID times. There was also another gentle "ask" to contribute some or all of our suspended fees to the Y, which is suffering the way other enterprises are. It's weird not to get to the gym regularly but I have my own modest weight setup here. And the bonus is that I can work out in front of the TV, the anti-couch potato phenomenon.

I just finished the highly entertaining series called The Last Dance which explores the extraordinary Chicago Bulls basketball team on the 1990's. As you might imagine, the focus is on the incomparable Michael Jordan, perhaps the best player to ever take to the hardwood. 

We are reminded that Michael was focussed and even driven from the time he was a boy in North Carolina. He was always talented but he was willing to push himself, learn from coaches, adapt to new strategies through the years. even though he was considered one of the best of his era he bulked up physically to withstand the pounding he took from opponents.

It's fair to say that his drive to win meant that at times he was a bully with his teammates, hectoring them in practices to excel, even those who were really the bit players on the various iterations of the team through the years. 

The final episode introduces a different perspective when one observer of that decade suggests that Michael was a "mystic", able to be totally in the moment, shutting out all distractions. It is the brief observation at the beginning of the segment and there is another allusion near the end.

The coach of the six championship teams was Phil Jackson, son of a fundamentalist preachers who probably would have taken a dim view of any sort of mysticism. even though it is has strong roots in Christianity. Jackson left that background behind but he embraced Buddhism, or at least incorporated aspects of it into his personal practice and philosophy. He also introduced this into the team dynamic and somehow convinced players with tremendous individual skills to diminish their egos for the sake of a greater good -- championships.

Jackson introduced a "One Team, One Breath" program when he moved on to the Los Angeles Lakers (five more championships), bringing in a meditation teacher to work with his players. 

Was Michael Jordan a mystic? That's a bit of a stretch, but what a reminder that the contemplative life can make a difference in virtually every sphere of life, even with alpha males. 

Hey, in these days of isolation there is opportunity for all of us to become a little more contemplative. For Christians it can mean connecting with the presence of the living God in ways that go beyond the conventions of our regular religious patterns. Less Netflix, more prayer? 

The UCC and MAID Revisions

Blah, blah, blah, COVID-19. Blah, blah, blah Coronavirus. Blah, blah, blah, pandemic. The reasons are obvious for the incessant attention to the virus which has killed hundreds of thousands around the world and sent the global economy into a tailspin. We would probably agree that the unknowns are as scary as the knowns and that's had a profound effect on the mental health of so many. But aren't there other issues of importance as well? 

The answer is yes, and one which was supposed to be addressed in Canada by now was the possibility of widening the parameters for Medical Assistance in Dying, or MAID. As you might recall, in the olden days (last September) the Superior Court of Quebec struck down some restrictions to MAID and  asked the federal government to revise the provisions. Early this year Canadians were invited to comment and hundreds of thousands did so. I led an information session in our congregation and encouraged participants to go online and respond.

Now the United Church General Council  has issued a statement about the possible revisions and Broadview magazine has reported this (my emphasis): 

The Executive accepted recommendations from the Theology and Inter-Church Inter-Faith Committee that emphasize principles of free and informed choice. It also called on the Canadian government not to permit advance directives for MAID by people whose conditions will eventually take away their power for informed consent, or add mental illness to the allowable categories for MAID. It also appealed to the government to maintain the criterion of “foreseeable death” and stated its support for mature minors to request MAID, but that those situations be judged on a case-by-case basis.

It's important that the United Church is responding in the midst of so much turmoil, and interesting to read the conclusions from General Council. They lean toward caution in decision-making, which is not surprising given that we are attempting to balance compassion with a deep respect for life and protection for the vulnerable. 

It's also interesting that Broadview recently published a cover article about Ron Posno, and 80-year-old in cognitive decline who want to be able to create an advanced directive for his own death:

And he wants to request one now, in advance,  while he’s still mentally competent and able to make decisions about his future. Posno worries that by the time his suffering becomes intolerable — a requirement to access medical assistance in dying, or MAID — he’ll no longer be capable of giving his informed consent to the procedure, which is also necessary by law.

A reminder that the United Church is willing to take a "broad view" on difficult subjects? 

There is nothing straightforward about this, and we will need prayerful, thoughtful vigilance in the days ahead. I'm grateful that the UCC is not asleep at the wheel. 



Ron Posno and his wife, Sandy, have been married for almost 60 years. 
The pair met when they were both 17. (Portrait: Anya Chibis)