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As many of you know I was blessed to be able to take a trip to Russia in early October. I spent two weeks cruising the waterway from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Many of you have asked about the trip and about my experiences. I can put it in one word WONDERFUL!!! Well, maybe two WONDERFUL AND FABULOUS! Russia is such an interesting country rich with culture and such an interesting and often tragic history
On another day I will write more about The Russian Orthodox Church and our delightful, young guide Katerina who is very active in her congregation.
Today I want to share with you one highlight and learning piece for me. In each city and at every stop along the way we were guided through local cathedrals and churches. One might have expected that the churches would have died out during the decades of communism. You will recall the famous quote of Karl Marx “Religion is the opiate of the people.” Nonetheless the Russian people take great pride in their beautiful places of worship.
Russian Orthodoxy uses as icons as a means of worship and prayer. To step into a Russian Orthodox Church is like stepping into a colourful feast for the eyes. In many of the churches and cathedrals every inch of wall is covered with frescoes and murals showing stories and characters from The Bible. The Russian Orthodox style of worship is nothing like ours. The first obvious difference is that there are no pews! The worshipper does not sit but stands for the service or even mills about as the service goes on (A service might last a couple of hours) so to have the biblical story displayed in paintings on the wall is both a source of inspiration and education for the believer. The frescoes and the icons, so rich in colour and beauty, often made me feel like I had stepped into a tapestry. IN one particularly beautiful l cathedral I said to my sister, “They have covered every inch with art and we think we do well when we hang a banner!” Well, of course our culture is one that favors’ plain over ornate and our tradition is one that values word over art but after my visit to Russia I have a new appreciation for religious art and the power of symbol to draw one’s spirit.
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On a recent CBC’s “The National” they profiled a Community Kitchen in Toronto. A Community Kitchen is a group of people who come together to make up large batches of food which can then be divided and shared out among the participants. As the story of this happy and enthusiastic group unfolded it showed variously aged people working together to make up nutritious meals to take home. Not only were they cooking but they were also learning together and enjoying the camaraderie. Clearly they were benefiting in many ways.
In this same report it was observed that the use of Food Banks is up. I checked out the Food Banks Canada web site and it states, “People with jobs constitute the second largest group of food bank clients, at 14.5% - up from 13.5% in 2007. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the majority of food bank clients with jobs are employed at low wages. The expansion of the low-wage economy has generated more working poor who, even with full-time jobs, are unable to meet basic needs for themselves and their families.” Furthermore it notes, “Children continue to be over-represented among food bank recipients in Canada. This year, 37.1% of food bank clients were under 18. Child poverty is now at the same level seen in 1989, the year when the federal government made an all-party resolution to end child poverty. Child poverty is directly tied to the level of household income. Among households accessing food banks, families with children make up more than 50% of recipients”. This is shocking to me.
20 years ago the federal government made a commitment to end child poverty. 20 years have passed and nothing has changed. Not too long ago I was chatting with a friend about the whole H1N1 vaccine situation. She said, “You know all this money and media attention is going to H1N1. If the government is really serious about dealing with the health of the nation they would do something about poverty and the number of children whose health is compromised due to poor nutrition.
In that TV newscast, one of the commentators said that Food Banks were started as a temporary measure but they have turned into a permanent fixture of Canadian society. He said, “Food Banks have become a moral release for the government. It lets them off the hook.” Hmmmm, I support the Food Bank. I send people to the Food Bank, I know that in our society right now we need Food Banks … I just wonder why, in a country like Canada, that is the case. What do you think about Food Banks?
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Yesterday morning I was listening to CBC radio. You know, that kind of half-listening, as I buttered my toast and slurped my coffee, but something caught my attention and I listened up. A woman was being interviewed about charitable giving. She said that Canadians give 8 billion dollars to charity annually. 8 billion dollars! That is a lot of money. She talked about what motivates our giving and said that often it is traced to relationships. We give to causes that draw us for some reason – often our giving is reinforced through connections with family, friends and neighbours.
Last Saturday night 50 people gathered in the church auditorium to enjoy a dinner together. It was the culmination of our Faith Trek study on the biblical character Joseph. We called it “Joseph’s Egyptian Feast” and a delicious meal of biblical based foods was served. A few people wore costumes, we had some quizzes and there were door prizes. After the dinner we watched the movie, “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dream-coat”. But, in addition to the enjoyment of the evening by those who were there, was the fact that the proceeds from the ticket sales will make someone else’s life richer. After the expenses were paid for we were left with $245.66, plus extra donations of $67, we were able to add $312.66 to our Extra Measures project. This means our evening of feasting and entertainment benefits a child in The Congo. For every $200 that we raise a child in the Congo is able to go to school for the year. Our Extra Measures project is to raise money over-and-above our regular giving. The name for our project comes from the scripture verse in Luke 6: 38 “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, and it will be put back into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” We chose this project because we believe that educating a child today will change the future of the world.
The BUC congregation is a generous and mission focused congregation. We know that we have been generously blessed in many ways. Our response to this abundance is to share it with others. And as our fun at “Joseph’s Feast” shows it is particularly good when our fun has a double reward – we had a great time and it resulted in a mission outreach to a child in The Congo. What a great give-away.
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The lead story on Canada AM’s newscast this morning was that Oprah has announced that her last show will be held in September 2011. The broadcaster said something like, “What will the word be like without Oprah?” Well, no doubt Oprah will not disappear. She will direct her interests and influence in another direction. In fact they mentioned that she might even start her own cable station.
I like Oprah. I have watched her show off an on over the years. Once when I was leading a Bible study there was a member of the group her watched her religiously – and I use that term in its full meaning! Often during our discussion she would quote something that Oprah has said. It got to the point that I would tease her about quoting from the gospel according to Oprah. A few years later at a United Church book display I found a book with that very title. I bought it for my friend and she really enjoyed reading “The Gospel According to Oprah”. I admit – I read it before I gave it to her (read it carefully with no turned-down corners or cracked-open spine). The author provided an interesting analysis of the way that Oprah grew in her fame and influence and how, despite never mentioning a denomination or sometimes even a particular faith base she made spirituality a real part of her reflections and conversation. I remember hearing at the time of Hurricane Katrina that Oprah visited the region. There was lots of publicity regarding her visit and a huge photo op. But what the journalist also reported was that after the camera went away and the media had gone Oprah, quietly and without fanfare, went back to the stadium where the people were in temporary housing. She talked with individuals and spoke to the crowd in a way that offered comfort and hope. The journalist said it was a sacred time in that stadium as people were moved by her compassion.
Oprah can be over-the-top. At the time that she turned 50 the amount of money she spent on her birthday party and the opulence of the affair was staggering But she has been generous in her philanthropy both in America and in South Africa. Her friendship with Nelson Mandella instigated the development of her girl’s academy. She has done a lot of good.
So, after 2011 how we hear from Oprah may change but I am convinced that her influence will continue to be felt.
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How often have you greeted someone with the common question “How are you?” and received the response “Busy.”? In our post-industrial world being busy is prized. Our culture encourages us to believe that being busy is the way we should conduct our life. If we are busy we must be accomplishing something! The adrenaline rush of busy-ness fuels us and we are seduced by the thought that if we are busy then our activities are of value. Implicit in that is the notion that then we must be of value. It is a deceptive value system!
This morning, as it happens every second and fourth Friday, a group of women gathered in The Parlour. The group who make up “Women’s Morning Out” are a fun and engaging group of women who are willing to question and grow in their faith through study and conversation. We have considered a range of topics and for these weeks of autumn we have been focusing on prayer and experimenting with different prayer styles. Today we took a prayer walk. After checking in and discussing what it means to embody prayer and what it means to connect with our body in prayer we set off on the experiment. Each of us, in silence walked for about ten minutes in and around the church. Spending time in silence and in prayer. Some of us were amazed by the details we had missed as we hurried into the group. The sky, the sun, the trees, the gardens each held beauty that we hadn’t noticed. The stained glass windows, the heat from the radiators, feel of the carpet on our feet were all surprises when we took the time to slow down and notice.
What I realized is how much time I spend on my head and how little time I spend aware of my body. While I became aware of this on my prayer walk it has also come to me in with startling clarity over the last few weeks as I have been slowed with two different illnesses. Is my body trying to tell me something? Maybe I have been prizing busy-ness and not been doing enough to nourish and nurture my body and soul. Messages come to us in different ways. Our body is one of the best means we have to relate to the world around us and to communicate with the great mystery of our spirituality. Do you think the day when might come when someone asks me “How are you?” and I could honestly answer, “Thankfully, I have been quiet enough to listen carefully to my spirit and to God.” Well, I live in hope!
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I have been thinking a lot about my Uncle Walter. I didn’t know him but he looms large in our family history. Uncle Walter was my father’s brother. Uncle Walter was killed in the war. We all knew when I was growing up, that “the war” was World War II. Uncle Walter was remembered at family gatherings. He was especially remembered in November when corporate thought focused on our war history and our veterans.
Yesterday, as I stood at the cenotaph, I thought of Uncle Walter. It was a rare Remembrance Day in that the weather was balmy and the sun was brilliant. In that glorious autumn sun the last post was played, the silence was held, and the wreaths were laid. Had Uncle Walter lived he would be an old man now or perhaps, like three of his brothers, he would already be laid in the family plot. Instead his mark is a white, slab gravestone in France. Several of his nieces and nephews have made the pilgrimage to that foreign land to visit his grave and pay homage to his memory.
War is difficult for a Christian. How do I, as a person of faith, decide the killing of another is necessary? The writer of Ecclesiastes says, “There is a time to love and a time to hate, a time for peace and a time for war. (Ecc. 3:8) Is there? How do we justify the destruction of another? At what point does war become just? I have nothing but admiration and respect for the many people who put their lives at risk in places of combat. But I am forced to wrestle with the age-old question, ‘When can we settle our disputes and injustices in a manner other than destruction?”
I would be interested to hear your thoughts on war.
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Today is the 40th Birthday of the Internet. Leonard Kleinrock, a computer science professor of the University of California, is celebrating the event in particular. Kleinrock was the one who, on Oct. 29, 1969, headed a team to send the first message over the ARPANET, which later became the Internet. That event was recognized as "the moment the Internet was born, [and it] ushered in a technological revolution that has transformed communications, education, culture, business and entertainment across the globe, leading to dramatic changes in our social, political and economic lives," the UCLA said in a press release.
I wonder if, at the time, they realized what an historic moment it was? As Marc Weber, founding curator of the Computer History Museum says, "The 1969 connection was not just a symbolic milestone in the project that led to the Internet, but in the whole idea of connecting computers -- and eventually billions of people -- to each other,"
The online world links nearly a third of the world's population today. It is how I am writing this trusting that someone like you, out there in cyberspace, is able to read it. It has caused a complete change in lifestyle and the way we relate to one another. On some days I curse the speed and expectation that the Internet has introduced into communication. But most often I see it as a gift that enables connection with family and friends and is a source of information and service.
I believe that God gave us the gift of intellect and curiosity and it is rewarded in a range of ways. The Internet is one way our generation has used God given gifts to discover a way to enhance human connectivity. Happy Birthday Internet.
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Yesterday morning I attended a Pastoral Care meeting at our hospital. This includes the area ministers and priests as well as members of our Chaplaincy committee, representatives from the hospital and our hospital Chaplain Rosemary. It was a great meeting in many respects. This was a gathering of people highly committed to the pastoral care and spiritual nurture of patients and staff of our hospital.
But I did get frustrated at one point and said so. I wasn’t frustrated with the people there but expressed my continuing burden for what is happening in our culture. As political correctness guides us we need to be very careful not to promote denominationalism or even one faith over the other. I totally understand that. I appreciate that there are many that have been hurt, some even destroyed, by organized religion. Christianity has a lot to account for over the years. Even one person at the meeting recounted a time when a “pastoral visitor” came unbidden to her hospital bedside and left her feeling so angry and frustrated she wished the person had never come as the visit left her feeling worse. Religious people are very good at dishing out the guilt and recrimination. We do not have pastoral visitors nor do we talk about religion – even spirituality can be suspect. We are friendly visitors. Ministers are only to visit persons from their own congregation and only those who have requested a visit.
While I understand where much of this comes from my frustration is that in order to meet the needs of a suspicious society we have become so bland we are nothing. I believe we deny our spirituality to our detriment; as a society and a culture. We are spiritual beings! People are most vulnerable when in hospital facing a health crisis. It is here, more than anywhere that we need to be in touch with the sacred mystery. I regret that our culture has swung to the extreme of choosing nothing over something. I am not promoting one faith over another or one denomination over another; I am just promoting recognition of the holy in life.
Wow – did you know you were going to get a rant when you decided to read this Blog?
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Every month Kevin or I conduct a service at one of each of the three Seniors/Retirements Residences here in Bracebridge. Today was my turn to lead the service at The Pines. It is always a treat to go there. The bright lobby is inviting and the incredible staff is always welcoming. Each month our Olde Tyme Gospel Band joins us at The Pines for the service.
When I walked in yesterday at 10:30 (the service starts at 10:40) the band was all set up and playing for the gathering crowd. Folks ambled in or were wheeled in and there is the chapel-lounge space was a crowd of about 40 people. Walkers and wheelchairs were parked close together to make sure everyone had a good seat. As the Band worked their magic the crowd hummed along, tapping their toes to the beat of each song. Regularly as the next number was announced someone in the congregation would say, “Oh, that’s a good one.” Or “Oh yes, I like that one.” Even the members of the crowd who were slumped over or seemed to be asleep would rouse or tap a finger in time to the music when a favourite hymn came along.
At these services I am always reminded of the touchstones of our faith. I read to them the passage from Ecclesiastes 3 “…to everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven … a time to be born…” As I read I could see lips moving as people recited along with me. There were several that obviously knew that passage from memory. When it came time for the Lord’s Prayer there was a tremendous response and most everyone joined in. Favourite hymns, loved passages, rote prayers become touchstones for us in our faith walk. And regardless of our age those known and loved readings or songs can comfort and inspire us.
I always leave those services feeling good. The people at the residence always thank me for coming but I am the one who is indebted. To stand before a room filled with people who embody faithful witness and years of wisdom is a humbling experience.
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The name itself, Ten Thousand Villages, inspires both curiosity and awe. The organization has its roots in the work begun by Edna Ruth Byler in 1946. Ten Thousand Villages sells handicrafts from “developing” countries through its network of stores in Canada and the USA, as well as hundreds of annual Festival sales, one of which happened this past weekend right here in Bracebridge.
Ten Thousand Villages is a program of the Mennonite Central Committee, a relief and development organization working in more than 50 countries around the world. The inspiration for the name came from a Mahatma Gandhi quote: “…India is not to be found in its few cities but in the 700,000 villages…we have hardly ever paused to inquire if these folks get sufficient to eat and clothe themselves with.” For Ten Thousand Villages, each village in the world represents a unique and distinctive people, offering extraordinary products born of their rich cultures and traditions.
Products sold by Ten Thousand Villages come from 36 countries in the developing world. Ten Thousand Villages buys from more than 130 artisan groups, which provides work for more than 60,000 individual people. About 70% of the artisans are women. Some artisan groups also seek to employ persons with physical disabilities. Ten Thousand Villages intentionally looks to work with people who are unemployed or underemployed. Products sold by Ten Thousand Villages are often made in small group settings or in homes where artisans also manage household responsibilities or farm work.
Every day our choices as consumers make an impact beyond the products we buy. The Fair Trade movement believes that we can make a positive difference in the lives of producers across the globe. As a different way of doing business, Fair Trade ensures that artisans receive respect, dignity, and hope from working hard and earning fair value for their work. This year at our Bracebridge Festival we were just short of $25,000 worth of sales – what an accomplishment. Think of the lives that have been changed by this past weekend. Many thanks to the organizing team and especially to Liz Logie who leads the volunteer committee to make this weekend happen. You have not only provided a service to our community but through your efforts you change the lives of people around the globe.
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Yesterday, I wrote about the Dead Sea Scrolls. We had time to see some other exhibits at the ROM. We spent a bit of time in the First Peoples exhibit, which is marvelous (fabulous displays of canoes and bead work) and then we went on to the Biodiversity exhibit. This one shows fine examples of the many animals, birds, insects and sea life that populate our planet. The exhibit highlights some of the challenges facing our globe as a result of destructive environmental impact. One thing that surprised me was the statement that “99% of all species are smaller than a bee. And 50 new species, mostly insects and plants, are described everyday. Scientists have identified about 10% of all living things.” Can you imagine the teeming life that exists in our world that we don’t even know about – insects and plant species that continue to surprise researchers and biologists?
Another exhibit showed samples of animals that have gone extinct or are near extinction. With this came the sobering prediction that “our planet is undergoing a ‘6th Extinction’ with species disappearing at an alarming rate due to human impact.” There in black and white was the prediction that, “by 2100 half the world’s species will be lost.”
When standing nose to nose with a beautifully displayed polar bear, underneath a whale suspended from the ceiling and near an aquarium filled with living coral and colorful tropical fish, it moves one to grieve that we are losing so much because of our selfish consumption and misuse of the earth’s resources. According to the Genesis story God asked humanity to be a steward of the earth. I don’t think we are doing a very good job of this these days. Where are you in the discussion on protection of our planet?
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I am back! I have several reflections and observations about my trip to Russia but the impact of that time is still settling in so I will save those for another day. Today I want to write about our trip yesterday to see the Dead Sea Scrolls.
14 of us made the journey to the ROM in Toronto. It was a great day. But even more than the fun of the conversation and chat on the bus and over lunch was the impact of seeing the scrolls. In an effort to manage the crowds one must get a special ticket for admission to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. Our time was 2:30. We could not get into that exhibit until that time. But it was worth the wait. The overall exhibit is large and begins with the history of ancient Israel and some of the archeological treasures that disclose the life the people in the region over two thousand years ago. Then it profiles the community of Qumran where the scrolls were preserved and gives some background about the Bedouins and the shepherd who found the first scroll in a cave in 1947. Finally, we get to see the exhibited scrolls. To call them scrolls is a bit of a misnomer. They are fragments of decaying papyrus with ancient writing on them. Nonetheless it is thrilling to think that, over two thousand years ago, a scribe sat hunched over a table with a flickering oil lantern transcribing these very writings.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are considered to be of monumental significance because they are believed to be the oldest writing of scripture we have. They shed light on ancient Israel and the foundation of some of the world’s most prominent religions. And most importantly they provide a link to the ancient world. It was a mystical afternoon to brush against history and to connect to our faith in an archeological way! Have you been to see the scrolls? What did you think?
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In about 24 hours from now I will be boarding a plane for an adventure. I am off to Russia. This is a country I have wanted to visit for some time. Circumstance has now made it possible and I will be away for two weeks visiting St. Petersburg and Moscow and points in between. I can hardly wait! We will be learning about Eastern Orthodoxy and the Russian culture.
People have asked me details about the trip and I must confess I have been so busy getting ready to leave that I am not really sure of the details. I am going to trust the tour organizers and go with the flow! I have had books stacked up that I intended to read and maps that I have been meaning to look at. But my life has been too full to do that preparation. So I am going with a completely open mind and heart. Keen to see all there is to see.
My favourite moment, when going on this kind of vacation is that moment when, belted into my airplane seat, I can feel the thrust of the plane as we soar up into the sky. It seems as we take flight the obligations and duties that have filled the busy days of preparation drop off as the altitude rises. It really is a letting go!
So tomorrow I will be flying away. Off to a new-to-me country, culture, language and people. I will bring back tales of sites seen and experiences enjoyed and I will be keen to tell you all about it. See you in a couple of weeks.
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Carl and I stole away for an overnight this week. Each year we make our annual sojourn to the Stratford Festival and Tuesday was our day to do that. We drove cross-country Tuesday morning enjoying the countryside as we traveled. We noted the encroaching autumn as we saw trees decked in fall colours.
We took in two plays at the Festival Theatre. In the afternoon we saw Cyrano and in the evening West Side Story. Two more different plays it would be hard to find in terms of style and era – one originally written in French set in a century long gone. The other, a musical, set in an American city in the 50’s. However, in each the tale was a classic love story, love gone wrong, love overlooked. Each play illustrated the passion and the longing of love.
I have always loved the theatre. My favourite part is just when the lights dim and the audience grow quiet. That moment is all about anticipation. As a member of the audience, where will I be taken? What will be exposed to my imagination? How will my emotions be stirred in the next two hours? That is what the arts are all about. What happens on stage is all about what it does to our being. The external gets translated to the internal. Almost without exception, the arts mirror themes of theological struggle … good and evil … forgiveness and guilt … love and hate … justice and injustice. Theatre is a medium that allows for much more imaginative work than some other artistic mediums. As a member of the audience I have to do some of the work to make the play come to life. My imagination must fill in some of the gaps.
With the tunes from West Side Story rolling around in my head I can still hear the words of bitterness and despair of Cyrano as he sees his true love slipping away from him to follow after another. Tuesday at the theatre lifted me to another emotional sphere and reminded me of the passion and longing of the human heart.
I love the theatre!
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It seems I have been AWOL from the blogosphere – sorry about that. September hit here at BUC with a wallop! There seemed to be an endless list of things to be organized and attended to. It has reminded me what a vibrant and active faith community we have here. As I sat with the crowd of about 40 people at the “Second Annual Golf and Grub” last Sunday night I relished how good it is to be together with people. There have been numerous opportunities here at the church over the last few weeks for people to gather. The obvious time is, of course, Sunday morning worship. As people came forward at our “Merging of the Waters” service it was a privilege to hear of people’s summer adventures and travels as well as the significance that bodies of water have for people. In the listening to the stories there was a strong sense of returning to home. This is often what coming to worship feels like for me – coming home.
There are other opportunities for folks to gather here around shared interests and common concerns. Many of our groups have re-started after a summer hiatus some have included new people joining in for the first time. There is also our first time group, our BUC Hiking Club that was launched last Saturday. That same day our new Living Waters Presbytery got started at Camp Big Canoe. At each event people were making new acquaintances and old friends were catching up after the summer.
All of this underlines for me the value and importance of community. We are with God and know God in many ways … in creation … in mystic moments …in solitude and especially in community. It is in community that the presence of God is often experienced in the other. As one of my favourite hymns says, “We are one as we share, as we share brokenness and fear, in the touch of a hand there’s a sense that God is here. We are one as we care, as we heal we are healed, and we share warmth in God’s embrace as we meet together in this place.”
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It’s Labour Day Weekend. A bundle of thoughts and feelings are carried within those words. Does it signal the end of the summer routine? Is it the last swim in the lake and putting away the lawn chairs? Does it mean back to school? Or, maybe, off to a new town for university? For kids is it eager anticipation or anxious caution about a new school year? For parents does it mean the house will now ache with an emptiness not known before? For most adults it means sharpening up the pencil to start writing in all the regular commitments in the fall calendar as things start up again.
Traditionally, Labour Day is celebrated as the symbolic end of summer. It is the weekend for the last picnic, the last barbecue, the last chance to travel before ‘back to school’. But, the holiday originated out of labour disputes and early Labour Day events were more in the forms of protest by workers. And while Labour Day is celebrated in both Canada and the United States the holiday originated in Canada on July 23, 1894 when the Canadian Government enacted legislation making Labour Day, the first Monday of September of each year, a national holiday. Parades held in support of the Labour Movement and to push for justice for workers evolved to an annual celebration which led to what we now know as the transition to the fall season.
Here at the church we see it as the turning from a more relaxed summer pace which we enjoy from mid-June to Labour Day weekend to the more demanding ‘all-systems-go’ pace through the rest of the year. We have been busy this week finalizing plans for fall programs and activities and believe it or not thinking ahead to Advent and Christmas – Yikes! Enjoy your Labour Day weekend and if Tuesday morning sees you heaving a sigh as the school bus drives by, so be it.
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I received a letter in the mail. It was a note really but it is so unusual to get actual real mail in my mailbox, not junk mail, not bills, but something someone has taken the time to write, that I cherished it! With the convenience of e-mail correspondence has become fast and immediate. I am not sounding the complaint of a curmudgeon who grumbles about anything new. I really value e-mail communication. It is convenient and like telephone answering machines makes life streamlined. But …letter writing has become a lost art. I keep a file of letters I have received over the years that have touched me and reminded me of the important things of life.
There is something about knowing that someone has taken the time to select the paper, considered the note, put pen to paper, maybe even wrote a rough draft before committing to the page, then hunted up a stamp and finally, made the trip to the mailbox to put the letter on its way. The letter has then been sorted and delivered to my mailbox. Think of the hands that have contributed to the production and delivery of that letter! And then of course, there is the sentiment that it carries. Letters can change people’s lives. Sometimes letters carry bad news. The letter I received made my day and served as a reminder that simple actions can have significant impact.
Much of our Greek Testament is made up of letters written to congregations. They describe for us life in the early church and disclose that life in any community can be filled with both tension and delight. Some of the letters in the Bible include encouragement to the congregations to be more inclusive, others tell them to stop fighting, and still others introduce controversy that still simmers in some circles.
We do well to remember how much a heart felt letter can mean to another. Why not get out your pen and paper and write someone a letter today?
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Last week 52 explorers invaded Kerr Park. Most of them were less than four feet tall! Yes, it was once again time for our Annual Vacation Bible School. The theme for the week was “Discovery Canyon” and the kids had a terrific time learning about God’s love through music, crafts, games and storytelling. But the most awesome part of the week from my perspective was the volunteers who gave their time to make sure the kids had a great week. Sunday night a crew of 12 people helped convert the barn into a canyon through the brilliant decorating ideas put together by Joanna Shea. Monday morning and each morning for the rest of the week there were about 20 teens and women on hand to do everything from organizing the nametags to shepherding the kids from place to place; from preparing snacks to wiping noses; from leading singing, storytelling, games and crafts to applying bandages when needed. What a tremendous gift of time and attention and what gifts from the heart. Then on Friday morning another crew showed up to bar-b-que the hot dogs and set out the popsicles so the parents and children could enjoy the last hurrah before leaving our week together.
I cannot say enough to express my gratitude and awe to these people who gave so unstintingly. The church is a community of givers and I thank these people who follow the path of generosity.
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The United Church General Council begins this Sunday, August 9th. When the planning began to host the Council in the picturesque town of Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley I am sure the organizers had not counted on forest fires as a major consideration in their contingency plans. Over the last weeks as fires have ranged in different spots in the BC interior the United Church has been keeping a close watch. The fires do not threaten the immediate area of the campus but there is, reportedly, the constant smell of smoke in the air. The plans for the Council will proceed.
Regularly on the nightly news there is an update. Last night they showed a crew of fire fighters in from Australia to assist our overextended emergency workers. There is often coverage of individuals and families who have had to evacuate. A few years ago, when my sister still lived in BC the fires came very close to her home. They had to pack into the car the things they thought they needed and wanted should their place be destroyed by fire. It wasn’t but it was a sobering exercise. This week a man, being interviewed on the radio, said, “It is so difficult to pack a few things, legal documents, photo albums and leave the rest behind. I had to drive away knowing it might all be gone when we come back.”
What would you take if you have to select only a car-load of possessions from all the things you have in your house? How would you choose what was of value? Jesus tells a parable about a man who had so much grain he had to build extra barns to store it all away. Do you struggle with material possessions and how much is too much? I know I do.
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It has been a rough few days in Muskoka. Holiday weekends always seem to result in injury and often death and this past long weekend was filled with tragic deaths. This afternoon I will officiate at the funeral service for a young man who was killed in a car accident. There were other accidents and several people drowned. Each incident a stark reminder that from the moment of birth, death is always just one breath away from life.
Many people are impacted by the grief and loss of tragic death. The family and circle of friends feel the pain most acutely but also affected are the many touched by the tragedy. It is never easy for the emergency workers who get called to the scene. I have stood often enough in hospital corridors and emergency rooms to know the medical personnel who administer care and support are not immune to death. And then there are the many periphery people who offer assistance as the family stumble through their days of adjustment.
People often turn to the church at times of death. I know it is partly a cultural response but I think it runs much deeper than that. The church has filled this role for centuries. At the time of death we are faced with the big questions, the ultimate questions of life and death and the role of faith in the midst of that.
This afternoon I will say the words I always say at the beginning of every funeral “To love someone is to enter through a door that leads to life’s deepest meaning. To loose a loved one throws us back on the deepest faith we possess.” Please hold in prayer those grieving at this time.
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