|
| |
|
|
| | | |
|
|
My summer holidays begin today! The day began with the BUC Book Club gathering at our place to select the book list for the next year. I always enjoy this process because we get to learn about a lot of wonderful books and we get the delight of choosing just a few for the Book Club’s monthly read.
Now what lay before me in a month of nothing! Well, that is not entirely true. We have a few plans made and a few commitments to keep. But, I think you would agree, there is something delicious in the anticipation of a stretch of holidays. Sabbath time is something that was identified as needed way back in the time of the earliest record of our faith story. According to the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments God decreed that Sabbath – a time of rest – was to be both practiced and honoured.
There is something about the pace of summer that seems to slow us down. Groups stop meeting over the summer. Meetings are cancelled because, well, it’s summer. People slip into the mode of relaxation. More entertainment happens, as do spontaneous get-togethers as friends make time just to be together.
For me, the break from the constant onslaught of meetings, e-mails, and ‘to do’ lists is like a gift of renewal. I am so ready for this time to move to a schedule of my own making and to get to some of those jobs around the house that there is just never time for when I am at work.
I won’t be writing a Blog again until August. Thank you for reading my occasional entries. I hope that, on occasion, they might prod your thinking, stir your conscience or challenge your faith. I hope that you will also get some ‘downtime’ over the next couple of months.
And now, my first objective is to hang the hammock and crack open one of those great books we discussed this morning.
|
|
Last night our Mission and Service/Social Concerns committee went on a field trip. Although we have always encouraged support of the Food Bank through food donations and communion offerings no one, including me, had even been to the Manna Food Bank. Last night we met Jim Hartill a member of our congregation and a very involved volunteer at the Manna Food Bank and he gave us a tour and provided us with a lot of valuable information.
By the end of May in 2010 the records show that 3039 people have accessed food from the food bank. This number represents the number of people fed by every visit. That means that if a mom comes and she had three children she represents four people and if she has come once a month (the maximum number of visits she can make) so far in 2010 that would register as 20 people fed (four people times five visits). 3039 represents a lot of people requiring the Food Bank in our community. Not only that, the data shows a 5% increase in number of clients assisted in 2010 to the same period last year.
When a client arrives at the Food Bank they are given a chart where on which is listed all the items available for them to select from. They are given a points limit and each food item is given a points value. So the client chooses items they require until the points quota is reached.
We asked Jim, who not only stocks shelves but also does the buying for the food bank, how the Food Bank gets their supplies. He said they rely totally on donations and so far they have been blessed with generosity from the community. Of course they appreciate any thing that comes to them. Many people like to donate food but money donations are very valuable too. Money means the food bank can then buy in bulk and buy what they require in order to meet the client’s need.
I didn’t ask Jim how the Food Bank got its name. Manna is a biblical word. It refers to the food that ‘fell from heaven’ to feed the Moses and the people of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness. It seems, based on Jim’s report that, in fact, the Manna Food Bank does daily get manna as the community shares food and money generously. That said, the need is great, so let us hope that the manna continues to come.
|
|
|
Today is the beginning. All those leaders of the various countries invited to the G8 Summit begin arriving in Muskoka today. The Summit begins tomorrow and then in what will seem like a few hours it will all be over! It feels like we have been readying ourselves for these two days for a long time. Well, in fact, we have been. The G8 has been talked about for a couple of years. There has been a lot of money plowed into improvements in our communities. There has been much media coverage both positive and negative. As I type a helicopter is flying overhead with its echoing noise pummeling the air. I can’t remember when I felt so observed!
I mentioned in a blog a few entries ago that I attended the Freshwater Summit held at the Rene Caisse theatre. The result of that gathering was to prepare a communiqué to the G8. (The radio coverage of that conference will be broadcast on CBC radio tonight …tune in to Ideas at 9:00 and hear some of the discussion from the Freshwater Summit.)
Trinity United Church in Huntsville is hosting a Prayer vigil throughout the Summit to pray for the G8 leaders that they may together share inspired leadership and courageous action in the fulfillment of the set out goals.
I must admit I am skeptical about the value of such a meeting. I am sure there is something to be gained by the coming together of word leaders but I really have to question if the expense equals the gain. There has been lots of talk about the billions of dollars spent on security alone for the two summits not to mention the incredible inconvenience to those who work in the area of each summit. Will the world be changed because of the conversations that happen in Huntsville and then in Toronto over the next few days? I will celebrate if that is the case but I am afraid my cynicism makes me dubious.
How about you? Do you think the G8 Summit and the G20 Summit are worth the cost and inconvenience?
|
|
When I was a kid the highlight of the month of June was the Sunday School picnic. Because I lived on a dairy farm we did not take summer vacations. So an afternoon at a local lake was pretty special. To tell you the truth, looking back from my adult perspective, it wasn’t even a very nice lake. It was small and the bottom of the lake mucky but when you’re a kid …who cares! It signaled a day of fun and frolic.
The afternoon always involved a huge pot luck lunch; there was swimming and group games. I can still remember my annual surprise to watch the old ladies hike up their skirts and kick their shoe in the air to see who could kick the farthest. It seemed so out of character for the women of the church! The men would hammer nails into logs to see who could get the nail in with the least number of hits. And we kids mostly just ran around shrieking. Ah, nostalgia.
This Sunday we will be creating memories for a whole new generation. The picnic concept has changed slightly. We are an age of convenience and we need to streamline life. Our picnic will be in the back yard. The food will be ready for us when the service is over. But, there will be games for the kids on the back lawn and the Gospel Band will be providing the toe-tapping music for those of us that like to sit on our lawn chairs and sing along or chat to our neighbor.
Church picnics are the markers of the turning of the season. Spring turns to summer, school days turn to summer holidays, and the hectic life slows to the summer pace. These are the events that make memories. In years to come, on a lazy summer afternoon a young parent will turn to his or her parents and say, “Remember when we had the church picnic in the back yard at the church? The yard seemed so much bigger then!”
It will be a great Sunday when we share in an age-old tradition and forge some new memories for the youngest generation.
Do you have picnic memories? I would love to hear them.
|
|
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission holds its first national hearing today in Winnipeg. The Commission plans seven national meetings to collect the stories from those affected and involved in Residential Schools.
When the Chairperson of the Commission, Justice Murray Sinclair spoke to the Assembly of First Nations annual general meeting in Calgary in 2009 he said, “We (Chairperson Justice Murray Sinclair, Commissioners Chief Wilton Littlechild and Marie Wilson) are committed to each other and to the cause of the Commission and we will see this through to the end. I promise you that we will seek out the stories of all those connected to the schools who are still alive, from the students and the teachers, to the managers and the janitors, as well as the officials who planned and carried out the whole thing.
If you have a story to tell about the schools, we will hear it. If you cannot come to us, we will come to you. If you cannot speak, we will find someone to speak for you.
We will go to as many communities as we humanly can manage and where we can't go ourselves we will send our delegates armed with our authority to record the stories of those who wish to tell them.
And in the end we will ensure that the whole world hears their truths and the truth about residential schools, so that future generations of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians will be able to hold to the statement that resonates with all of us: This must never happen again."
Last night on The National Peter Mansbridge spoke with Justice Sinclair. Mansbridge asked him what had surprised him so far. He responded by saying he has been shocked to learn how many children just disappeared. About 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children were forced to attend the government and church-run schools in the 1900’s. Many, many children never came home and families never learned what happened to them.
I was in attendance at the General Council Meeting in Sudbury in 1986 when the UCC apologized to the First Nations for our stripping of their culture and imposing western ways thereby confusing culture with the gospel. We apologized again in 1998 for our role in the Residential School system; The United Church ran several of the Residential Schools.
I am glad our nation is embarking on this process. We need to expose the suffering caused by the schools, ask for forgiveness and begin to begin the hard work of repairing the damage done. What do you think?
You can find out more about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission by checking out their web site at www.trc.ca
|
|
Sunday we included in our 10:30 service the ritual of Confirmation. Eight of our youth took the “leap of faith” and made their vows of commitment as people of faith. It was a very special service. The teens after being confirmed and receiving communion then served communion to the congregation. They did a fine job even though they said they were nervous they came across as calm and at ease. The excitement of the day and the meaning of the ritual have stayed with me.
At the 9:00 service we welcomed three people through transfer of membership. As part of my reflection at the 9:00 service I read this section of an address given by David Bartlett to the graduating seminary students at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. I re-read it this morning and remain convinced that these are words applicable to anyone venturing to live life with faith at the centre. I offer them to you:
“I send you forth to the land which has been promised.
That it has been promised is all I know.
I do not know the shape of the land,
the route which you must go,
the dangers certain to befall along the way.
My small experience leads me to suggest
you should expect your share of desert places
where oases vanish upon close inspection
and water springs from most unlikely rocks.
Also, you should beware the golden calf
or any beast pretending to be God.
The likely candidates will have immense appeal,
and an unpleasant aftertaste.
One great advantage of the Promised Land
is that it will wait for you; if on your way
someone waylaid by thieves or sudden beauty
should detain you, there is time.
You will know that you have reached the land
by the sudden fear you feel at the edge of grace
and the strong pull of familiar Egypt on your soul
and the knowledge there is no turning back.
Farewell, beloved. Put on the whole
armour of God, but leave your heart exposed.
Since life, like death, demands
a certain vulnerability.
And learn a song or two to sing in a strange land.
Be wise as serpents, innocent as doves,
accepting the worst from folk, expecting the best.
You are less what you’ve learned than
what you’ve learned to love.
Love is you journey’s name and your final rest.
~David Barlett
|
|
At the beginning of last week I attended the Fresh Water Summit held here in our own Rene Caisse Memorial Theatre. It was a tremendous day-and-a-half. The local organizing committee is to be congratulated for the smooth flow of the event and the assembling of such an excellent team of speakers. The presentations were made by biologists and professors who have both passion and a wealth of knowledge regarding the situation of fresh water in Canada. The outcome of the event was to produce a communiqué that will go to the G8 Summit. The organizers hope that this will be a call to action for better management of our freshwater resources.
I learned a great deal at the Summit. Not being a scientist some of the more technical explanations were lost on me. But one exchange really resonated with me. The discussion was focused on why scientific knowledge and data doesn’t more effectively shape government policy and public opinion. Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, said that three myths prevail when it comes to the public opinion concerning fresh water in Canada 1) it is abundant 2) it is constant and 3) we are detached from it. He said to restore a scientific rationality we must shatter those myths. In response to that a member of the audience said, “I am a social scientist. I think that we need to get the social scientists and biologists talking together figure out how to shift the cultural myth.” I thought that was brilliant. Having sat there in the auditorium as a social scientist I had been moved by the gravity of information supported by the scientific data. But, instead of feeling galvanized to action I felt increasingly paralyzed. Social scientists understand people and can present things in a way that moves people. Biologists know the facts. Let’s work together on this. Gord Miller agreed; noting that the public will only begin to make changes when it believes it is necessary. He quoted Martin Luther King Jr. by saying, “There is a fierce urgency of now.” He then challenged the audience to consider what each of us would do personally to change the control of water management in Canada. This question came while a statistic given by Maude Barlow still resonated in our ears. She told the audience that last year there was so much bottled water consumed that if we placed the empty bottles end to end they would reach the moon and back 65 times. Only 35% of those bottles get recycled. (Presumably the rest end up in landfills, ditches, woodland trails, rivers and lakes.) That is staggering to me. One other participant in the summit said that fact alone convinced him he would never again drink bottled water…ever!
The other suggestion that Gord Miller made, that I agree with wholeheartedly, is that we need to get the environment in the media. He suggested that we could even have an environment section in the newspapers. Imagine how that would shift the cultural myth. He was so bold as to say maybe even instead of a Sports section! Imagine thinking that our environment was equal or even more important than sports. I know that is almost sacrilege to say that on this day when the world cup begins! But it certainly seems that sometimes out culture is wrong-headed in our focus. At least that is what I think. How about you?
|
|
85 years old. That is an achievement to be proud of. On this day in 1925, Methodists, Congregationalists, Union Churches and quite a few Presbyterians joined together to begin something new and controversial - a new denomination – The United Church of Canada. It was an historic moment as this was the first of any such union in the world. It also led to a lot of chaos and confusion as church tried to figure out how to function given their history and now their new form of being. Families were divided as some refused to join this ‘new church’. My mom would tell of her Uncle, a staunch Presbyterian, who drove his horse and buggy past two United Churches to worship at a true Church – the Presbyterian Church!
For 85 years the United Church has been a force shaping our Canadian culture. Our history has been marked by ‘firsts’. We were the first denomination in Canada to ordain women. Lydia Gruchy was ordained in 1936. In 1968 we elected a lay person to lead our denomination. Dr. Robert McClure had been a medical missionary for years and his indomitable spirit influenced the church during his two year term as Moderator. In 1988 we were the first denomination to welcome Self-declared Gays and Lesbians in the ministry. Throughout our history as a denomination we have often led the way for The Church to engage with the culture. This is due in part to our roots that grew out of a call both to practicality and a commitment to social justice.
It has not always been easy to be in the United Church. Our desire to be forward looking and faithful has often landed us in ‘hot water’ in the media and the popular culture. Many United Church members have, on occasion, squirmed as our church ‘made headlines’ yet again. Sometimes members have even left because of a position taken by the United Church that they could not live with. I believe that our broad umbrella of belief and acceptance has been both our blessing and our curse. Our inclusive nature and desire to ‘draw the circle’ wide has meant that we members often have to wrestle our faith stance. While this might be challenging, I think it is a good thing. Our denomination does not tell us what to think and believe - it makes us do our own thinking and believing. In the United Church both spirit and intellect is prized. Our thinking and our feelings have to be reconciled in our faithful witness. Those very factors are just some of the reasons why I love the United Church.
So today I say, “Happy Birthday United Church”. I am so grateful to my forebears who had the insight and courage to give birth to you. May there be many more anniversaries to celebrate in the years and decades ahead.
|
|
|
Hello bloggers! I am not sure how this week got away from me and no entry on the blogosphere. Here it is Saturday afternoon and I am trying to put into words something that I have reflected on often over the past few years and that has arisen for me yet again. The catalyst this time was a sad day.
Last Sunday I was not at worship at BUC. That morning I was, instead, on route to Burlington for a family gathering. It was not a fun, summer family picnic or reunion. My aunts and uncles and cousins were gathering to say farewell to my cousin who had died in March. Brenda was just six months older than me. It’s true; when we are young we think of ourselves as invincible but when people our age die the preciousness of life is brought home to us.
At first the family wasn’t sure they wanted anything formal. For the most part they are not religious people and funerals seem so …religious. I understand their feelings. I hear it often at the poignant and painful moment of life when a loved one has died. Traditionally a funeral has been a religious ceremony. Scripture is read, prayers are prayed, and sometimes even hymns are sung. As our culture becomes less and less comfortable with the religious service people are often at a loss as to what to do. They don’t want to be hypocritical and frankly, if you are not accustomed to church services, scripture readings and prayers can seem like a foreign language.
So, too often people opt for nothing. My cousins were thinking this might be the way to go. Not only the discomfort with something too religious but also because the anticipation of a service was just too painful, the formal saying good-bye just too hard. Thankfully, at least in my opinion, this is not what happened.
At first we were just going to get together and visit but not have anything formal. This works for some people; stories are told, tears flow -interspersed with laughter. But, with my offer to speak (after all, that is what I do!) the plan for a ritual started to form. In the end several friends spoke, we sang a couple of hymns, one cousin sang a solo, another cousin offered a prayer and yes, it roused out grief, but it was also healing.
At the time of a death that is the main reason we engage in ritual. It is healing. We put into action and word emotions that are hard to express but need to be acknowledged in some way. I am often with families as they walk that holy walk of saying good-bye. And I have been through several funerals for loved ones when I was a mourner. The age-old ritual at the time of a death comes to us for a reason. It is healing. The being together, the expression of grief, the stories told, the moments remembered, the love cherished, these all bring healing to those of us who are mourning. As a Christian, putting my grief into the context of faith helps me move from a place of pain and loss to a place of hope and comfort.
I will always miss my cousin. The ritual does not take away the loss. But it does honour her. Her family and friends gathered and it was a public declaration that her life made a difference. And when it was over, as painful as it was, I felt better.
|
|
|
Former Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson has a ‘tell-all’ biography coming out. Johnson won the 1988 Olympic 100 metres but was stripped of his gold medal and world-record time of 9.79 seconds after he tested positive for the banned steroid stanozolol. His book, to be called “Seoul to Soul”, will be released in September.
The former sprinter has always maintained that he should never have been caught at the 1988 Seoul Olympics since he went off steroids 26 days prior to the competition. He believes his drink was spiked. Of the eight runners in Johnson's final, six have been linked to performance-enhancing drugs, including American Carl Lewis, the man awarded the gold medal and world record after Johnson was disqualified.
Ben Johnson is now 48. In a rare press conference yesterday, while attending a sports symposium in New York, he was asked, “Why a book and why now?” He responded by saying it is time to clear his name and to tell the truth of what happened those 22 years ago.
It is time to clear his name. His response underlines how important our name and our reputation can be to us. This morning at Women’s Morning Out, where we have been looking at some of the parables of Jesus, we spent some time talking about those “sinners and tax-collectors” that Jesus was always hanging around with. The gospels report that he was often chastised for doing so. Jesus consistently challenged people to not be judgmental and to meet people where they were. It can be hard to not judge when we have a sense of what is right and wrong. This morning we reminded one another of the story of the woman who was ‘caught in adultery’. (I always wonder where the man was – can’t be ‘caught in adultery’ all by yourself – but she was the one who was about to get killed because of it.) Jesus looked at the crowd and said, “Well, whoever is without sin can throw the first stone.” With that the people dropped their stones and drifted off home. It is a good leveler – sure, you can be the administrator of punishment if you have never sinned yourself.
I am sorry that 22 years later Ben Johnson is still asking Canadians to forgive him. But I would be willing to bet that there are many of us who haven’t.
How does this whole judging &forgiveness conundrum go for you?
|
|
Every day I read the blog written by a friend and colleague. David was a classmate of mine at Emmanuel College and is now the minister of the congregation that I served from 1993 to 2002. I really appreciate his reflections and insights and so make it a daily habit to check out his blog. In fact, his blog was the inspiration and model for me in writing what I write. He is just better at it because he writes a posting every day even Sunday!
He mentioned me in his blog yesterday because he and I share an anniversary. On May 25, 1980 we were ordained at the same ceremony. It was on the campus of Queen’s University on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. If I am remembering correctly there were about 18 of us Ordained and two were commissioned. It was a high moment in my life. My grandmother and a significant mentor joined in with the Conference officials to lay on hands an age old ritual at the time of Ordination.
So, thirty years have come and gone. Ministry is one of the few vocations that is referred to as ‘a calling’. We talk about being ‘called’ into ministry or receiving ‘the call’. It is old terminology but has richness about it that I think could and should be applied to almost any employment. If everyone was honoured in their work and found their work honourable I think that we would have a different respect for the many people that serve us throughout the day.
I have few regrets from my 30 years. It has been a career that has brought many blessings to me, not the least of which is the wonderful people that I have come to know. Throughout my years I have felt creative and useless; challenged and rewarded; exalted and humbled. The greatest gift of ministry is that it puts one into a place of privilege. I am not thinking of the kind of privilege that comes with wealth and success. But the privilege of standing with people at the powerful and holy moments of life’s transitions – birth, marriage, death – sacred times all. Perhaps the most significant gift of ministry is walking with people on their spiritual journey and catching glimpses of God.
I am blessed and I eagerly look forward to all that lies ahead as I continue to serve in ‘my calling’.
|
|
Last night we were privileged to host a visitor from the Congo. Here at BUC we have been learning about the Congo ever since our own Elizabeth McMillan made a sojourn there two years ago. She brought back some of their stories to us and so when we heard that someone from the Congo would be visiting in our region we asked that she come to see us. Maman Nzeba is the General Secretary of the Department of Women and Families for the Church of Christ in the Congo. The ECE (Eglise du Christ au Congo) is the association of 65 different Christian Protestant denominations with about 12,000 parishes. In her work she works with the churches to address the critical challenges arising from colonization, military insurgency, civil war and cross border invasions. Much of her work oversees the care and support for women and children through the hospitals, health clinics, schools & universities, domestic training centres for women, feeding programmes in urban areas, theological education centres, and agricultural development projects as well as care for orphans.
She brought to us the painful story of the cultural and social upheaval in her country. Years of war, invasion and violence have had profound impact and caused the destruction of the infrastructure. Last night she had a small audience of 40 but we sat stunned to hear her tell the story of soldiers coming into the villages and raping the women and then forcing men at gunpoint to rape their own mothers and daughters. After this abuse the women are shunned and seen as damaged goods. Many of the women are treated as chattel and have no sense of independence or power. She told us that the church is working to empower women and to help them recognize that they are created in the image of God.
For the last year our congregation has offered a variety of ways for people to contribute to an “Extra Measures Fund” so that money could go directly to the ECE to aid in the education of orphans. We have been proud of the just over $6000 we have raised. I showed Maman Nzeba our Sunday School hall where we have a map of the world with an arrow pointing to The Congo. The map is surrounded by pictures of the children from The Congo. I told her our Faith Trek offering goes to the Extra Measures project. She asked to see our little offering container where the children put in their money, and then she hugged me and said “Thank you.”
As I have prayed about and reflected on the experience of meeting Maman Nzeba, I confess, I mostly feel embarrassed. What we have done is so paltry in the face of our affluence and their desperation. I always feel uncomfortable when confronted with the needs of the developing world and in that I am reminded how fortunate and privileged I have been in my life.
What I am committed to now is to pray for Maman Nzeba and her work. She is the driving force behind providing leadership for women and children and offering hope to the most vulnerable of the Congolese as they grapple with the challenges wrought by poverty and oppression. I will pray; and I will make another donation to our “Extra Measures Fund”.
|
|
The media continues to bring us reports about the monstrous oil spill that is gushing as much as 2,500,000 gallons of crude a day into the Gulf of Mexico. This disaster is expected to be catastrophic for the land and people in the gulf. The oil has already reached land, contaminating wildlife sanctuaries. U.S. government officials have expanded the boundaries of a fishing ban in the Gulf of Mexico, a precautionary move meant to ensure fish caught there have not been affected by the massive oil spill. Fishing had already been shut down from the Mississippi River to the Florida Panhandle, an area representing about seven per cent of the U.S. federal waters. The expansion of the fishing shut down will close an additional 12 per cent of federal waters, for a total of 120,000 square kilometers.Researchers from the University of South Florida believe oil from the spill could reach Key West by Sunday if the huge plumes of crude already released continue on their path.
Cleanup costs have already reached $625M and it is hard to know when it will stop. That said,I don’t feel too sorry for the fossil fuel industry which is raking in windfall profits. BP, which operated the sunken rig, more than doubled its first quarter profits in 2010 to $5.65 billion. Meanwhile, those who earn their livelihood from fishing and tourism are facing a bleak future.
The life-style of North Americans demands fossil fuels. Will this crisis teach us anything in terms of re-shaping our life-style? An even more pressing question for me is how is it that this company did not have a safe-guard against such a catastrophe? Surely they should have had an emergency plan that would have prevented this staggering pollution of the ocean and coastline?
Does this news item intersect with your faith? While prayer is important does it move you to any kind of action? What will you do?
|
|
Today, an early morning start on our bus ride home, winds up our week in Pennsylvania. It has been informative, interesting and very filling! The folks down here in Amish country like to eat. We are all wishing we had packed our stretch pants to make for a more comfortable ride home.
Yesterday we visited the town of Hershey. Yes, the home of Hershey chocolates. You might not know is that Milton Hershey the originator of the milk chocolate Hershey bar established the town of Hershey and then left behind a tremendous legacy at the time of his death. Hershey and his wife did not have children of their own. After they had amassed their fortune they decided to direct their money to the care and education of orphans and under-privileged children. To this day students are selected to come to Hershey to study in the private school which houses 1800 students from JK to grade 12. They live in student homes, are cared for by ‘house parents’ and are provided for in every way. As the tour guide stated, “Every time you buy a Hershey chocolate bar it supports the foundation which educates the children at the Hershey school.” It is a remarkable story of generosity and forward thinking on the part of Milton Hershey.
The other theme that has run throughout our trip is forgiveness. As we toured the Amish farmlands on Tuesday we were reminded of the five little Amish girls who were killed in their school house. It was about five years ago. A man, greatly disturbed, burst into the school with a gun. It was a tragic story but the turnaround in it was the way the Amish people immediately moved to a state of forgiveness for the man, who ultimately killed himself, and his family who were left to wonder what had gone wrong with their loved one. The most newsworthy part of the story was the forgiveness and grace shown by the Amish.
Yesterday afternoon we went to the Sight and Sound theatre – an incredible place - and saw the play ‘Joseph’. This biblical story tells about a young man wronged by his brothers. In the end Joseph moves to a place of forgiveness. The production today retold the story in a way that was both touching and inspiring.
Generosity and forgiveness – two tenets of the Christian faith. We have been given several opportunities to think about them over the course of our days here in Lancaster County. Have there been occasions or people who have helped you reflect on generosity and forgiveness?
|
|
Greetings bloggers! As many of you know I am currently in Pennsylvania with a bus tour of folks - 30 from Bracebridge and16 from Bowmanville. We are here to learn about the Amish and to view a couple of plays at a Christian based theatre. Well, okay we also spent the morning at Hershey home of the world’s largest chocolate factory!
I have led a couple of educational tours with folks in years past; one trip to Israel and the other to Europe to see the passion play at Oberammergau. There is something quite special about travelling together with a group. It is an opportunity to learn and it provides a cultural experience but it is also a wonderful opportunity to come together as a group. This tour has been no exception. We have begun each morning, just before the bus pulls out of the parking lot, with a brief reading and reflection. We usually take a few minutes during each day to sing a couple of hymns. Over meals and on the bus rides from here to there we share what we have learned and experienced. Within the first day community is being built among the travelers, concerns are shared, jokes are enjoyed and care is given.
Chief among our learning on this trip has been the traditions and practices of the Amish. Lancaster County, PA is the second largest Amish community in the world with 8000 old order Amish living here. They practice a style of living that is, in many ways, separate from the predominant culture. (If you ever watched the Harrison Ford movie, Witness, you will remember something of the culture divide from the world of the Plain people as they are called and the English – as everyone who isn’t Amish is called). Our tour guide told us that the main way to understand the Amish way of life is to remember that they believe in the principle “Less is more - the less you have the richer you are.”
We were able to speak with some Amish folk – a mother and her children and an older couple who fed us dinner one night (yes, prepared a meal for our whole busload). We learned of the centrality of their faith and the level of commitment to a simple life focused on family and piety. This means eschewing many of the conveniences and gadgets that fill our lives.
I admit it - it is not a lifestyle I would choose. Nonetheless, I do admire them for living a life congruent with a stalwart faith.
|
|
|
Freshly picked flowers, sticky kisses, and toast crumbs in the sheets. Yep, tomorrow will be Mother’s Day when mothers everywhere will endure cold coffee and burnt toast while lying in bed surrounded by beaming offspring!
It is a custom that goes back to 1872 when Julia Ward Howe (she wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) suggested setting aside June 2 as a day to observe Mother’s Day and dedicate the day to peace. Her suggestion was supported by Anna Jarvis who, in 1905, started a campaign for an annual religious celebration honouring mothers. Anna Jarvis was not a mother herself but she spent most of her adult life caring for her own mother and was concerned that many women who needed care were being neglected by their adult children. Over the years we have come to call it “Christian Family Sunday”.
This Sunday we will baptize three babies. Each family comes presenting the little one that they have been given. They ask our congregation to support them and assist them as they raise their child. It is a beautiful ritual. The child, held over the baptismal font by the minister, is splashed with water. All present pray for God’s blessing on this little one and with that the infant is launched on his or her Christian journey.
In my experience parents are humbled and vulnerable at the birth of a child. There is nothing to compare to that moment when their baby is first placed into their waiting arms. The birth of a child makes us realize the need for community, the need for support beyond ourselves. The African expression of “It takes a village to raise a child” is fully understood by parents as they call upon relatives, friends, and community to mentor, educate, advise and support as they raise their children.
The day reminds us that, in fact, we need community and support at any age and stage of life. There are many people who play a nurturing role as we grow and develop. Even into mature years we look to others for advice and support.
Who are the mentors and role models that have influenced your growth? Have there been particular people that influenced you in your spiritual journey? A Sunday School teacher? A minister? A neighbor? Your mother?
|
|
|
Fifty years ago this week life, as we knew it, was changed. On May 9, 1960 the birth control pill was introduced. Initially it was only prescribed to women who were having menstrual difficulties. It was not legalized for the use of birth control in Canada until 1969.
A number of years ago I was at a seminar. We were divided into the decades of our formative years. We were to list the events, developments and inventions that marked the decade when we came of age. I remember the people who were in the group that were a bit more ‘mature’ than me. The biggest development in their coming of age was the invention of the birth control pill. For them it made for a huge shift from the worry and fear of unwanted pregnancies to control over reproduction.
The “pill” as it is called (as if there is only one!) has changed dating habits, the cultural expectation around marriage, family size, and sexual relationships. It has given women the opportunity to calculate the timing of reproduction and the number of children they will have.
Every now and then there is a flurry of media reports about the challenges of growing up in our era. Children and youth are confronted with sexual images and innuendo that is more explicit than ever before. Teenagers engage in sexual activity at an earlier age than ever before and walk the mine field of sexual activity in their early teen years. The pill provided liberation for some but brought with it a different kind of worry as sexual relationships now come with a changed set of mores and expectations.
Like ‘the tree of knowledge’ talked about in Genesis, challenge and responsibility comes with knowledge and risk is never removed from life.
What are some of the developments that have changed how you live your life?
|
|
A thought that has been reinforced for me during the Week of Guided Prayer is, “God comes to us disguised as our life.” I first heard this quote from David Benner. He was one of the speakers at Epiphany Explorations a conference I attended in January. (I blogged about the event at the time.) In his presentation Benner reminded us that God is not separate from what we do and who we are with but is right here in the mix of everyday. God is found in the interactions with neighbours, co-workers and kids. God is found in the doing of laundry and making of dinner. God is found in the sing song of birds and the hum of traffic.
This very thought has come up in two conversations I have had today. In neither case did I introduce the idea. As I visited with one woman she recounted an unusual choice that she made that in the end served to good purpose. She said, “I just feel that God was looking after me in that.” As I talked with another she said, “I can’t help but look back and think that the way things have turned out is so providential.”
My grandmother would often say, at those unexplainable moments, “There is a hand that guides.” It is a simple and anthropomorphic way of looking at faith but, sometimes it feels quite right.
Have you had experiences when you felt that God was there in your everyday? Care to tell me about them?
|
|
Every year at this time something amazing happens at Bracebridge United Church. For ten years there has been a prayer phenomenon happening here. A group of committed volunteers offer their time to act as companions to others as they participate in a week of daily retreat in the midst of everyday life.
This is the third year I have been part of the Week of Guided Prayer. As a participant, each day I am given a reflection with some suggested scriptures passages. I choose one of those passages and spend a time of reflection and prayer. Each participant is encouraged to write in a journal as part of the reflection. Then we each spend half an hour at some point in the day talking to our companion about whatever emerged in our prayer time.
There is a very peaceful and comfortable feeling to the week for those of us that spend most of each day in the church. The rhythm of the five days means that the companions arrive in the morning and spend a good part of the day here. The companions meet in the various rooms to talk and pray with the participants. Gentle laughter can be heard from time to time as folks gather by the book display. Today the sound of softly playing music floated up the hallway from the auditorium as people were given the opportunity to walk the labyrinth.
But the best part of the week is the delight and amazement that appears when people talk about their experiences. For myself God has come to me in the reflection on the scripture and even more fully in the conversation with my companion. It is a rich and wonderful time. I am so grateful for the gift of this week and the people who make it possible. If you aren’t participating I hope that next year you do.
|
|
Sunday evening was the last gathering of our Sunday Cinema for this year. We saw the movie Milk, the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the United States. This movie capped off our series of five movies based on true life stories of individuals who had ‘gone the distance’ to make a difference because of something they believed in. It has been an interesting series. The movies have all been quite entertaining and engaging but more than the movie it was the person behind the movie that captivated my attention.
What is it that moves a person to such action that they risk personal loss and in some cases their life in order to move society? Each of the individual’s stories, which included William Wilberforce, Erin Brokovitch, Steve Lopez, Erin Gruwell and Harvey Milk, profiled a person who saw an injustice and rose to the challenge to confront it, often against staggering odds. Their stories encouraged us viewers to do some soul-searching as we considered what it would take to move us to such brave action.
Not all social justice has to be as dramatic as these stories. I believe that standing up against an in-justice can be as simple as confronting a racial slur made by an acquaintance or writing a letter for Amnesty International. Even these actions, while done amongst friends or at our kitchen tables, can be life changing for the one who is victimized.
I would encourage you this week to think about people you are aware of who have challenged the status quo and confronted an injustice. Then reflect on what would be required to move you to do the same.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Home
