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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?
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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’.
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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”.
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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?
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