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So you thought this whole making lists thing was all about getting ready for Christmas. We sing the song to scare the children into good behaviour by saying, Santa Claus is “making a list and checking it twice”. But today is New Year’s Eve and New Year’s is all about making lists. For a couple of weeks now newspapers and magazines have been publishing lists to mark 2009. Lists of the worst weather; lists of the biggest news stories; of who died; lists of which celebrity marriages ended; lists of major accomplishments in the scientific world; lists of the best movies; lists of the worst movies; lists of …well you get my drift.
I am an inveterate list-maker. I make lists of what I need to do today, often including things I have already done just to have the pleasure of crossing them off. I make lists of things I have to do tomorrow and next week. And of course there are the grocery lists, the book lists, the birthday lists. Tonight I will make my list of New Year’s resolutions. (Yes, it will include flossing my teeth, it is on my list every year and one of these years I will keep that resolution!) I actually like the exercise and every now and then I manage to keep a resolution. That provides a feeling of great satisfaction!
I was thinking yesterday about lists I could make to sum up the year at BUC. The easy one would be the top ten complaints people tell me after church each Sunday! (oops looks like one of my New Year Resolutions should be to stop being cheeky). Of course we could list the favourite soups at our monthly soup kettle; or, the top ten songs of the gospel band. Then there could be favourite games at Kid’s Club and favourite movies at Young Teens. We could list favourite hymns, favourite BUC stories, and so on and so on.
The list that would be a challenge to make and unending in its length is the list that names all the people who make this congregation what it is. There are countless volunteers who spend countless hours looking after this building and extending the congregation’s ministry. It is impossible to list the many who visit, make phones calls, bake squares, provide casseroles, attend meetings, turn on the lights and turn up the heat, turn off the lights and turn down the heat, set out the chairs, sweep up the floor, offer prayers, count the money, bring in the flowers, teach the children, talk to the youth, hold a hand, wipe a tear, share a chuckle. Were we to write that list it would begin to sum up what a year it has been at BUC; a year of accomplishments and set-backs, a year of highs and lows, a year of ministry and witness – a year of life. The best I can do is to use this BLOG to say thank you to the many, many people who make this community of faith the rich and wonderful body that it is. Thank you for all you have contributed in 2009.
Blessings for 2010
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I am just back from the main street where I joined many others as the Olympic torch was carried by. As you know, the torch is on its way across Canada, marking the passing days until the Olympic Winter Games begin. While I felt a surge of patriotism when I saw folks decked out in red and heard the crowd sing “O Canada”; I must confess to some ambivalence about the Olympics. While the original intent of the Olympic movement is admirable much has happened over the years to make me question the purity of purpose. Like many successful enterprises it has become a business opportunity and a means to make money. Some athletes, absorbed with winning at all costs, adopt dangerous measures to keep extend their body’s abilities - always raising the bar of personal best. Drug testing is mandatory and it seems that the second major game of the Olympics is how to fool the drug tests. I can’t imagine the personal sacrifice and stress of striving for success that the athletes must endure in the unrelenting pressure to be the best, a medal winner, the top of the world. All that said, I will probably be seduced by the television during the weeks of the Olympics watching the competitions unfold.
One of my favourite scripture verses is from 2 Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.” The writer uses the imagery of the race to help the reader imagine what it is like to keep faith. I think it is a good analogy. Even though I have not run a race since I was a kid I can still imagine it! And keeping the faith does sometimes feel like a race. On occasion I can imagine people cheering me on, other times I can feel the flagging exhaustion of not being able to keep pace, and on rare occasions I fly along as if I had wings on my feet.
While the race analogy can work to remind us of the challenge of keeping faith the Olympic analogy falls short. The fact is that competition is not the model spelled out for us in the teachings of Jesus. He is more about co-operative games. When we live in Christian community it is all about supporting one another and doing good expecting no reward. Jesus might encourage us to go the second mile … not to win the medal just to be kind to a neighbour. In Christian community we are challenged to love our enemies and share what we have. Jesus set the standard for co-operation, not competition, as the way to abundant life.
What do you think? Are you looking forward to the Olympics?
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I grew up in a big, old, rambling farmhouse. There was no central heating; we relied on a wood stove in the kitchen. So, on winter nights the bed was piled deep with quilts and blankets. My bedroom had a west and a north window. Now, the windows were not all that tight so the wind whistled in and around them and on very cold nights Jack Frost etched them with beautiful patterns of icy swirls. On these long winter nights I would listen to the wind blow and with a little girl’s imagination conjure up all kinds of images before I nodded off to dreamland.
There was one night each year when that changed. That was on this night of nights – Christmas Eve. It was on this night that the coldness of the linoleum floor didn’t penetrate little bare feet. I squinted out that north window waiting for any sign of a “sleigh and eight tiny reindeer”. One year I was sure I saw something but I waited and waited for the sound of bells to no avail.
Christmas Eve was, and is, for me a time of awe and delight. It is a time of whispers and delicious secrets, a time of surprises and mystery. While many of us bemoan the commercialism of Christmas the season does, for the most part, bring out the best in people. And Christmas Eve, in particular, continues to stir hints of mystery and awe.
Marcus Borg was the first person I heard use the phrase although I have heard it used by others since. In reference to a passage of scripture he said, “I don’t know that it happened but I know that it is true.” I am not sure who first coined the phrase but it captures for me the essence of the Christmas Story. Was there a stable? a pregnant young girl? a bunch of wayward shepherds? angry and cruel leaders? rich stargazers? Not very likely. It is a story that probably didn’t happen but a truer story never existed. Still today in hovels and shacks the presence of God is the only warmth that comes. Poverty runs rampant in our world and yet joy still bubbles amongst the poverty and the poor reach out to share the little they have. Cruel and angry leaders govern countries from positions of fear and insecurities but they do not suppress all goodness. Quietly and with persistence love is born into even the darkest places in the world.
It is Christmas Eve. May all the mystery and delight of those words fill your world tonight. You might not hear sleigh bells on the roof but my prayer for you is that you will experience the love of God disclosed to you in gentle and simple ways.
Merry Christmas.
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Have you noticed the days getting longer? Me neither! Last night I checked my watch as the darkness settled in and thought to myself, “It gets dark so early.” But the calendar tells us that the long process of the equinox has been reversed once again. The sun is on its journey back to us.
Monday was the longest night of the year. I spoke to a friend as she was heading out to a ‘Solstice Party’. She said they were to wear costumes but neither of us could think of what a solstice costume would look like.
The imagery of light and dark permeates literature. Throughout scripture the play between light and dark is pervasive. For some darkness is likened to evil or distance from God. But, the writer of Psalm 139 as he speaks to God, says, “even the darkness is not dark to you, the night is as bright as the day; for darkness is as light to you.” (vs. 12) I am not sure how darkness got associated with the negative. Perhaps it goes back to our creation myth. The very first thing that God created was light. God separated the light from the darkness and in so doing declared the light good. In our modern world seldom do we experience complete darkness. A walk through a dark house when the lights are out and we still get a glow cast from the beam of digital clocks displaying the time, as well as all the little lights from all the equipment that is plugged in. Those of us who live in town also get the overflow of light from the streetlights. It is impossible for us to know complete visual darkness but many of us have known spiritual darkness.
During the season of Advent we have been lighting the Advent candles to count the days to Christmas. It is not surprising that much of the Christian imagery of this time of year in North America focuses on light. We speak of Jesus as the light of the world; a light that even the darkness can not put out. Tomorrow night we will light the final candle in our Advent wreath – the Christ candle. We celebrate the coming of the light of God through Jesus. My prayer for you is that in these dark days of winter you will see the gentle in-breaking of the light of Christ into your world.
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Canada has once again won the dubious honour of being named “Fossil of the Year”. A coalition of environmental groups (which includes more than 400 non-governmental organizations from every region of the world) at the climate change conference in Copenhagen have given several “Fossil of the Day” awards to Canada throughout the conference. Today, the last day of the meeting, the coalition announced that Canada will receive the “Fossil of the Year” award. The citation called Canada “The absolute worst country at the talks”. I believe this is the third year in a row, that Canada has been chosen as the most obstructive country at the United Nations climate talks. What a dismal representation our politicians are giving on the global stage.
Canada remains the only country to have ratified the Kyoto Protocol and then ignored it - we are now 30% over our Kyoto target. Canada has been under pressure at the conference over its intention to cut greenhouse gas emissions by just 20 per cent from 2006 levels by 2020, when environmentalists had been calling for much steeper cuts. The Conservative government has also not ruled out giving special breaks to oilsands companies when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions.
What began as a conference filled with such anticipation that some called it “Hope-enhagen” has instead become what Achim Steiner, the head of the UN Environment Program, called “a climate change summit in crisis". Speaking yesterday he went on to say, "A deal is still possible, but what the conference needs now is some "inspiring leadership." Canada’s low profile and reluctant participation does not indicate interest let alone leadership. When US President Obama arrived in Copenhagen, he held an unscheduled meeting with almost 20 world leaders, including the heads of Britain, France, China, Russia, Brazil and a dozen other countries. Canada was not invited to the meeting. This is beyond disappointing. At one time we were seen as global leaders and respected around the globe. Our good reputation has been lost in recent years.
I believe that climate change is a matter of faith. Our faith stories begin with the creation of the earth. Scriptural calls to justice always come from the perspective of a preference for the poor and those most vulnerable. I am grateful that The United Church of Canada has been talking about climate change for well over a decade. I only wish our politicians would listen.
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Last week a friend visited. Our friendship, which began when we met at Theological School, has lasted over 30 years. This visit was more poignant than others have been as she has just finished treatment for cancer. Although this cancer effected a different part of her body it was, nonetheless, the second occurrence. I said to her, as she was packing to leave, “I really appreciate your visit and I really value our friendship.” She said, “Yes, it is good to have a friend where you can not be together for a long time and still pick up where you left off.” That summed it up. We have a lot of things in common – among them are that we are the same age, we are both United Church ministers, neither of us have had children of our own - conversation flows easily.
Her visit, combined with the flood of Christmas greetings that are coming into our mailbox, has led me to do some pondering about friendship. I have moved around a fair bit of my life … it‘s the minister’s life-style. At the same time I have worked hard to maintain friendships. I use the word “worked” purposely. It does take effort and commitment to keep up relationships. Friendships can drift and dissipate if we don’t take the time to keep in touch. Thankfully, with technology, communicating is instantaneous and we can be in touch with people around the world with immediacy never before known.
At lunchtime today I took to the Post Office the Christmas cards I have been writing for the last two nights. To me this is a very special annual ritual. I tuck into an envelope heart felt sentiment and good wishes knowing that in a few days someone at a distance will open that same envelope, hold that same card, read my thoughts and thereby be reminded of the connection of our two souls.
Someone said, “God gave us friends to make up for our family.” While another quote often tossed out is, “You can choose your friends but your family you’re stuck with!” Well, at this time of year as we make special effort to gather with family and friends, we know that the preciousness of relationship is a gift. According to the gospel of John when Jesus was talking to the disciples on his last night he said to them, “I call you my friends.” Thereby changing the status of their relationship. Friendship adds a depth and richness to life like nothing else.
What do you think – how important is friendship to you?
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Did you hear the church bells ringing on Sunday? The World Council of Churches invited churches around the world to sound their bells 350 times on Sunday afternoon. This marked the mid-point in the UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen. So, Kevin was the faithful servant who came up at 3:00 (despite the snowy streets and wet precipitation) and rang the bells (well, actually in our case he could only play the chimes on the organ, we don’t have a bell tower). I was delighted on Sunday night when the lead story on CTV news was about church bells. They reported that churches all across our country and around the world rang bells as a sign of support for climate change.
Ringing the bells 350 times was to symbolize the 350 parts per million that, according to scientists, marks the safe upper limit for CO2 in the atmosphere. Until about 200 years ago, levels were at about 275 parts per million. Today they are at approximately 390 parts per million.
The Copenhagen conference has been much in the news this week. Mostly reporting the lack of progress being made. It seems impossible for the countries to come to agreement about the action required. Not surprisingly they are taking a protectionist attitude protecting their own interests rather than being proactive in working for the earth.
The other news item coming out of the Conference is the arrest of many of the demonstrators. I am not sure that political action needs to mean civil disobedience but it seems that over the past few decades any kind of protest of political action (or inaction) leads to confrontation, often violent confrontation, and subsequent police action. How do we state our disapproval without creating a conflicted standoff? Political action and standing up to the government is not new to Christians. In fact it is what marked Jesus ministry and criticism of the government (in his case the Roman state) was what led to his murder. So, maybe we stand in faith when we protest. What do you think?
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Okay, it is not my intention to include a discussion of snow in every Blog but given the ‘downpour’, or whatever the snow equivalent word is, of the last couple of days how could I not talk about the weather?
I had friends from Manitoba visit on Thursday and that kept me from the office. I was planning to drive them to Toronto but as we studied the weather we decided it would be better if they traveled by bus and let the road conditions be the concern of Northland Ontario. Then yesterday, I was house bound as the snow kept coming down. This morning I faced the reality that I haven’t written my sermon and all my notes were at the office so I stuffed my laptop in my back pack and walked to the office. What I experienced on that walk is what I want to blog about.
Have you noticed how the weather always gets people talking to one another? I know people poke fun at Canadians because we are always talking about the weather – but really how can we help but? As I walked through my neighbourhood and then on to the church there were folks out shoveling and blowing snow but mostly everyone was also chatting with their neighbours as they surveyed the snow situation. Despite the daunting task of clearing driveways and sidewalks everyone seemed pretty cheerful. One woman shoveling away at the big drift at the end of her driveway said, “I guess we haven’t been praying enough so God sent us this to slow us down.” Another woman, standing with her young son who was engrossed in the working of his neighbour’s snow-blower, said, “It’s a fascinating day!” Before I left the house this morning we had already received two calls from friends in southern Ontario who had heard about our snow on the news. I had an e-mail from my niece last night who said, “It’s all the talk on the news even down here in the big city!”
Psalm 147:16 reads, “God gives snow like a white fleece and scatters frost like ashes.” Job 38 includes these verses: “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or have you seen the storehouses of that hail?” (22) “From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the hoar-frost of heaven? (29)
I guess that sometimes it does take something like a major snowstorm to slow us down and get us talking to one another. A snow day means we have to stop the activity and respect the weather. I know not everyone likes snow, some of you are anxiously counting the days until you can head south and chase the sun, but for snowmobilers and skiers, sleighriders and snowshoers – this is heaven!
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It was a jam-packed Sunday! I am still recovering from everything that went on this past Sunday here at BUC.
We began by turning our early service into a “Breakfast in Bethlehem”. Bales of straw surrounding a manger greeted worshippers at the door. The tables were crowded with yummy middle-eastern food – bread, honey, ripe delicious melons, nuts and dried fruits all accompanied with fresh yogurt and yogurt cheese and washed down with pomegranate juice. The team of volunteers that put this together did an exceptional job of feeding 70 worshippers. The event also led us to do some thinking about our global neighbours. We also remembered local neighbours as White Gifts for Interval House and The Manna Food Bank were blessed.
Then it was on to the 10:30 service where worshippers were led by our children to hear the age-old ever-new story of a babe born in Bethlehem. The children were predictable – cute – shy – fidgety - distracted and endearing. Carols were sung, prayers were prayed, and White Gifts were blessed.
Then it was onto the float for the Santa Claus Parade. Thirty adults and children crowded onto our float and into our 1956 church scene. And what a parade it was as the unrelenting snow turned those of us on the float into snowpeople. We laughed at the look of many on the side of the street and they laughed right back at us as snow drifted on bushy eyebrows and eyeglasses; hats carried snowdrifts and broad shoulders bore snowbanks. The children waved at the crowd and the crowd delighted to see the gaggle of little ones on our float.
But the main memory for me for the whole day was the children and their enthusiasm. This, coupled with the look of pride and delight in the face of parents as they watched their youngsters perform in both the worship and on the float, made me realize once again the importance of the intergenerational nature of the faith community. I came to Bracebridge United Church just over two years ago. My job description and mandate includes advocating for and supporting the ministry of children in this congregation. This can sometimes be a challenge. Families are so busy, with both parents working and children involved in so many activities; Sunday morning worship is one activity that many families find falls to the bottom of the priority list. On the other hand, there are adults who find children’s behaviour an annoyance and intergenerational worship not to their taste and they stay away on days like White Gift Sunday. This creates a dilemma for me. While I appreciate solemn worship I see the presence of children in our worship life as crucial. It always irritates me when people talk about children as “the future of the church” implying that they have no role in the present church. They are not “the future of the church” - they are very much a part of the present church. It would be as insulting to characterize the elderly as “the past of the church” and imply they have no role in the present church. I have been in congregations that have no children; they are not only congregations without a future they are in many ways dead already. One of the real blessings of a faith community is that this is one of the few places in our culture that is truly intergenerational. Here adults can interact with children and children can observe and model the Christian behavior of their elders. That is why I am delighted that one of my responsibilities as minister here is to insure that there is a place for children in our worship life and in our congregational activities. My assessment is that Sunday was a great day!
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The Seasonal song begins, “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” and, as I look out my window I see that snow has finally begun to fall. It seems people in Muskoka start to ready themselves in October. That’s when I had my snow tires put on. Carl has had the gardens and yard tidied and ready for the inevitable winter freeze for a few weeks now and he has been itching to try out his new snow blower. We have been braced and ready for the snow and it has kept us waiting this year.
This is a season for dreaming of even more than snow. It seems that when we light the first Advent Candle, the candle of hope, our thought shifts to the longing and desire of the season. Christmas is a season swamped with sentiment. The build up of impossible expectation can be overwhelming. Our North American culture has overlaid Advent with an activity schedule and expectations that can defeat the strongest among us! In our service we try to hold back the frenzy and sit in wait of Emmanuel, God-with-us. It is counter-cultural.
I love Christmas and I easily buy into the notion of all that MUST happen to make the holiday complete – the decorations – the baking – the shopping - the cards received and sent – the perfect tree with perfect decorations. But for me all this must walk hand in hand with the spiritual eagerness of preparing of God’s in-breaking into my life. That is what I am dreaming about – how about you? What does this season mean to you?
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What a stimulating and thought-provoking discussion we had at our BUC Book Club this past Saturday. It has stayed with me all week, particularly because of the various news reports that have unfolded. We were discussing our book of the month, “The Audacity of Hope” by Barach Obama. One of our discussion points focused on the aspects of his campaign as he ran for President. Obama seemed to find a way to captivate people and inspire them to imagine a new reality. With his slogan “Yes we can” he shifted the usual political stance from “Here’s what I will do for you” to “Here’s what we can do together”. He is a gifted orator and a charismatic presence. He has needed those gifts and more this week as he made decisions and announcements about the US presence and, in fact the global presence, in the political quagmire of Afghanistan.
It is commonly acknowledged that the social climate has changed over the last couple of decades as the baby boom generation (my generation) has aged. My parents’ generation typically saw loyalty to institutions as paramount. Churches, service clubs, and other institutional activities thrived and grew after World War II. But as the baby boom generation grew up people became disaffected from such institutions and sought instead individual pursuits; then, with the Charter of Rights attention shifted even more from the good of the community to favour and protect the rights of the individual.
Obama’s message seems to have opened people up to imagine using individual rights for the good of the community. It is a new way of thinking that has empowered people to a cause beyond themselves. He has challenged individuals to work with others to serve the greater good.
I am not sure how well his early ability to inspire will see him through his four years. He has a long, tough job ahead of him with many critics waiting for any sign of a misstep. But as his book and our Book Club discussion disclosed he also has many people cheering him on.
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