We are not alone ...

We are not alone ... this weekend the newspapers in Manitoba have shown us that this simple statement suddenly has ominous implications here in Minnedosa.

The fire of February seems to be connected to an international movement that "honours" its musical inspiration by doing silly things like burning down churches and trashing cemeteries ... we were told early on that the fire had "Satanic" implications, but now we have been told that our fire had specific ties to a Norwegian musician (I would use that term loosely) who is currently serving a jail sentence for killing a band mate and for torching some churches in Norway.

It would appear that the trio implicated in our fire (accused, but not convicted) had connected with each other and the movement through the Internet ... then one night to "honour" this musican's birthday they sat in the local cememtery drinking, and decided to torch our building.

I have been unable to get angry about any of this ... instead I just feel profound sadness that anyone could be so angry, delusional and foolish to think even for a micro-second that this could be a good idea ...

I will attach the articles for folks to read:

GOTH LINK TO FIRE?
By Dean Pritchard (Winnipeg Sun - April 28th 2006)

A fire that destroyed a 105-year-old church in Minnedosa last winter was not an isolated act of arson, but part of an international movement with links to a Norwegian "death metal" musician, say justice officials.
The disturbing revelation was made at a recent court hearing for one of three people accused of torching the Minnedosa United Church last February.
Deanna Lynn Mathews, 19, pleaded guilty in Brandon court April 13 to one count of arson. She will be sentenced May 25.
Court heard the Minnedosa church was set ablaze on the birthday of Varg Vikernes, a 30-year-old death metal musician now serving time in prison in Norway for murdering a bandmate and burning several churches.
'COPYCAT'
"Since Mr. Vikernes burned churches in Europe ... there have been copycat church burnings in California, in Texas, in Italy, in Australia and many of the people who have been sentenced have purported to be fans of his music," said Crown attorney Jim Ross.
The night of the fire, Mathews and her boyfriend, Kelsey Ray Taylor, drove from Brandon to Minnedosa to visit friend and co-accused Mark Wishart, Ross told court.
After drinking a while in a cemetery, Wishart went to his grandmother's house, where he was living, and picked up a can of gasoline.
From there, Mathews accompanied Taylor and Wishart to the Minnedosa United Church, "knowing that the purpose of attending was to burn it down," Ross said.
After a couple of efforts, they were successful.
Police arrested Taylor and Mathews a short time later driving out of Minnedosa. In the car, police found a homemade CD entitled Introduction to Blasphemy, with what police later said appeared to be Taylor's handwriting. The CD included several songs by Vikernes and his bands.
"We're not insisting for sentencing that there was a pre-determined plan to burn the church down," Ross said. "We do allege that Ms. Mathews has been part of a subculture that, among other things, is interested in Norwegian death metal, I suppose what you might largely call the Goth movement."
Vikernes, described as a neo-Nazi, is in prison in Norway serving a lengthy sentence for the 1993 murder of bandmate Oystein Aarseth of the black metal band Mayhem, as well as the arson of several churches and the subsequent death of a firefighter.
Mathews said she knew nothing about Vikernes and had no connection to the death metal or goth sub-cultures.
"I don't believe in it at all. It has nothing to do with that," she said. "I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it has nothing to do with anything."
Both Taylor, 21, and Wishart, 20, are scheduled to appear in Brandon court May 25. Wishart has pleaded guilty to arson. Taylor has not yet entered a plea.
Taylor has also been charged with arson in an April 25, 2004, fire that levelled the Brandon Hills United Church, and with vandalism to more than 100 tombstones in the Brandon Hills and Roseland cemeteries. He was also charged with cemetery vandalism in Lethbridge, Alta., after more than 200 headstones were kicked over last June.

The Second Article:

ARSON DEVASTATED COMMUNITY.
By Dean Pritchard (Winnipeg Sun - April 28th 2006)

The people who torched the Minnedosa United Church didn't strike a blow against world religion, but against their neighbour, says the church's minister.
"You aren't hurting the institution or the church, you are hurting your neighbour," said Rev. Shawn Ankenmann.
The people hurting are the elderly who frequent the church for teas and bake sales, girl guides and cubs who hold their meetings in its basement and those who look to the church to hold their weddings, showers and funerals, Ankenmann said.
The loss of the church has been difficult, but worse is the "loss of innocence" that came with it, Ankenmann said.
"It's an act of thoughtless vindictiveness. It doesn't even make me angry -- it makes me very sad that people can be sucked in by that stuff."
Since the fire, worshippers have been sharing pews at the St. Alphonsus Catholic Church.
The church board is hoping to rebuild within the next two years. Ankenmann said the building committee is now interviewing architects and is continuing to fundraise.
"We are putting one foot in front of another and taking things as they come," he said.

Another day ...

Last night I was once again called by one of the newpapers in Winnipeg and asked about how I felt about the revelations that the suspects in our fire are connected to a Norwegian musician who is in jail for burning down churches in Norway ... The reporter said that "fans" of his music have burned down churches around the world to "honour and celebrate" the man ...

How do I feel about this??

My answer was - profoundly sad ...
What kind of hate and anger and thoughtlessness would lead someone to stroll into a community where they know no one and torch a church that is an active living presence to that community?

Consider for a moment what was lost, beyond the building ...

1400 pounds of food gathered to supply the community food cupboard, which in turn serves those in our community who have food access issues...

a place for the community to gather in groups like Cubs and Beavers, Brownies and Sparks, and for social functions like showers and concerts ...

our town nursery school was not only rendered homeless, but they lost EVERYTHING, from the toys and books to the childrens' shoes ...

a meeting place heavily utilized by community groups from the Womens' Institute to the Health Auxilary to meet, educate and inspire ...

a place where the community gathered to eat and spend time together ...

a place to celebrate God's presence through the simple actions of a community eating, singing, praying and spending time together ...

The actions of three foolish, misguided people, along with those of others around the world who have in their thoughtlessness torched other places of worship have accomplished very little ...

They've deprived a community of an important place to gather, but more importatntly, they've reminded a community of what's important ... the relationships we've build and maintained within the building that once stood on Main St are far more important then the building itself. Those who thought they could accomplish something by burning down the churches in Brandon Hills and Minnedosa have accomplished something - but it isn't what they thought nor wanted ...

They've reminded all of us of what's really important, and in the process they've helped us focus on what it is that makes us Church ... and in that, those who wanted to hurt "the Church" have actually helped it ...

I can't nor won't say thanks for the action - but I can appreciate the process we're living right now that sees a community pick up the pieces and move forward one step at a time ...

dayenu,

What's really important ...

Today in the middle of the day I got stuck behind a two mile long freight train ... I walked up Main St and on the way back a freight train pulled into town. According to one of the Railroaders there was a loose hose and they were looking for it ... I spent 35 minutes sitting on the side of the crossing waiting for the train to pull out of town ...

It was warm and sunny, and from where I was sitting you could see the Buffalo herd and watch the river (running high) flowing by ... It was a nice break in the middle of the day ...

Then the train started moving ... Do you know how long it takes a two mile long train to pass you when you are standing waiting??

A long time.

But what really struck me was the thought - "I wonder what all the containers on the train are carrying???"

Were the clothes or toys?? Where they needed essentials or frivolous consumer items that we don't need anyway??

I sat watching car after car after car pass by me ... on each care (save a couple) there were shipping container after shipping container filled with stuff ... I couldn't help but watch and wonder if we really needed any of it ... My other focus this week is spending time in vigil with two of the saints of our faith community. I've been holding hands in prayer as one of the two makes the transition from life through death to life everlasting ... As I sat in the sunshine, enjoying a massive delay in my day I wondered what is really important in life??

Is it the massive amounts of stuff we ship back and forth on trains and trucks?? Or is it the quiet presence of love shared and celebrated in places like the hush of a hospital room where we trust in God's presence and strength??

I thought this afternoon and I believe it even more so tonight that the important stuff in life is not that which can be loaded on a train and shipped across country ... The important stuff is what is passed from life to life when we hold hands, speak words of love and build relationships ... The important stuff of life begins and ends with people and relationships ...

It's funny what some time in the warm spring sunshine can do ... it helps you appreciate what's important ... give me a warm sunny day beside the quiet murmur of a river ... or the profound hush of a hospital room where every moment of life becomes a gift to be celebrated and appreciated ...

dayenu,

Under normal circumstances ...

As I write this note tonight, across the room my son (age 11) is sitting in front of the tv with two rather plump beige coloured rats running over him ... under normal circumstances, I would be horrified and considering a call to the exterminator ... but the normal circumstances in our home means that Sam has the rats out for a run ...

We share our home with two little biege rats named Coco and Olivia. They complement the three cats, two dogs and three children who fill our house with activity ...

As I watch the rats scurry about on the love seat, I can't help but consider that in most of the world rats are nothing more then vermin ... heck, here on the prairies rats are considered vermin. Yet, here in our home, we have two little vermin as pets ...

It's all a matter of perspective ... one person's vermin can become another person's pet - or I can remember an article in a National Geographic where a man was walking home holding his dinner by the tails - he had a half a dozen rats he'd caught in the field ...

It's all a matter of perspective ...

What is right and just and holy to one, is evil to another ... look at the history of Apartheid. To the black South Africans it was an abomination to God, while to the faithful members of the Reformed Church in South Africa, they could see nothing wrong ...

Or another example that for some reason is in my head tonight is Galileo - the guy who pointed out to world a variety of scientific ideas and earned only the scorn and condemnation of the Catholic Church. It took close to five hundred years before the Catholic Church apologized to Galileo for its mistake ... the Church was just and holy - but brutally WRONG !!!!!!

What do we do when someone's perspective conflicts with what is right ?? They "KNOW" that they are right, and that what they are doing is "RIGHT" - but reality says something very different ...

The Church knew it was right to condemn Galileo, but it didn't make their actions honest or right - history showed who was right (five hundred years too late).

Sometimes its a matter of perspective, sometimes it is obvious who is in the right, and sometimes it takes a bit of work to show where the truth lies ... under normal circumstances, the truth is obvious ... but right now confusion seems to be the dominant feeling - may one day we'll be able to see things clearly ...

For now I'll enjoy watching the vermin crawl over our love seat and our son, and know that from where I sit, they are pets ... but that remains a matter of perpective ...

dayenu,

Gathering with the Greater Church ...

Today was a meeting of Assiniboine Presbytery ... the regional court of the United Church that stretches from Minnedosa west to Russell, and south to the US Border and encompasses all of the United Church communities within that vast territory ... it is peopled and staffed by a diverse group of people ...

Our meetings last all day - they begin in the morning with worship, involve a lunch, and wrap up in time for most of us to be home for supper. Today's meeting happened in Kenton, in the Legion/community hall. The lunch was a roast beef feast and was superb, though it left out the vegetarians (so much for a fully inclusive church).

It was awesome to gather and to be able to laugh, and play and pray together. It has been a long time since I've felt good about Presbytery meetings, but today I came away refreshed and somewhat inspired ... The gathering of our Presbytery at times is onerous, but today wasn't one of those times...

When we gather we are reminded over and over that what affects one of us, affects all of us ... today we noted the challenges of a colleague who is awaiting test results on health concerns (we offered her up in prayer and joined with her and her family and circle of friends seeking wholeness and healing, while entrusting her to God's care) ... we celebrated the achievements of Brandon Hills United Church who are nearing the beginning stages of rebuilding their sanctuary that was lost to arson two years ago ... we cheered the renovations and pending anniversary of our sisters and brothers at Knox United in Brandon ... and we delighted in hearing the status of the redevelopment/rebuilding project at Killarney United Church ... and we of Minnedosa were able to share the stages on our journey so far ...

It was our turn to lead worship, so we brought with us the banners that were gifted to us from our sister congregations in Winnipeg (the banners that we are currently able to share with our sisters and brothers at the Catholic Church). We hung them in the sanctuary at Kenton United Church, and our reflection time in the worship service involved sharing what the banners are and where they come from. When then spoke of the Lenten journey that takes us through the darkness to the light of Easter Morning.

This year the Lenten Journey for Minnedosa began early, and in some ways continues ... But today I was able to reflect on the many ways in which the greater Church has been able to reach out and offer us guidance and support ... I likened the experience to that of Thomas in this week's lectionary readings ... as I write this, I am in a place that Thomas knew well - a place of doubt, a place of uncertainty, a place of profound aloneness ...

I do not doubt that the Resurrection has happened, and I do not doubt that the Resurrection will happen for the folks of Minnedosa ... today I can't hear, nor feel the call ... today, for the first time in my ministry I'm not sure the road ahead for me is one that leads me on in ministry within the Church ...

Outside the court, a wise colleague and friend, who has been down many roads and has been an inspiration to me and many others listened and offered her prayers and her sage wisdom ... "listen carefully," she said, "maybe you're being called elsewhere, that's okay ..."

Like Thomas I stand bewildered, exhausted and uncertain ... I yearn to place my hand "just here" and to feel the surge of the Risen One again flow through me ... Like the disciples gathered in the upper room that night, the way ahead is blurry and unclear ... the dominant emotion is sadness and apprehension ... the atmosphere is tense ... something needs to happen ... Today, I just don't know what that will be ... there is no room for ego in this moment, there is room only for discerning the call of the Spirit ...

The only question I have right now is simply this: "when will I again hear the call of the Spirit??"

tonight, even dayenu, isn't enough ...

The Church of the Holy Rubbermaid Tubs ...

This weekend we loaded all of the Hymn Books we bought after the fire, all of the worship ware from our collection plates to the prayer shawls, we rolled up the banners and carried out the basket of books and colour sheets for the kids and loaded the WHOLE works in our van ... Almost everything went into Rubbermaid tubs ... 20 hymn books to a tub ... a tub for the collection plates and guest book, a tub for the bulletins and other items ... and all of the tubs were neatly stacked in the van ... We became for the weekend The Church of the Holy Rubbermaid Tubs ...

Thursday night we worshipped in one of the Chapels belonging to the local funeral home, Minnedosa Funeral Services - we shared communion, and told the story of Jesus' final night on earth among his disciples.

On Friday morning we joined with our Protestant sisters and brothers in a Good Friday Service at the Community Conference Centre. The music was lovely (thanks to Eleanor and the choir she organized), but the service went in a direction that I wasn't comfortable with, nor happy about ... I think that next year's service will be held somewhere as a United Church service ...

Then on Sunday we unloaded the van at the elementary school and held our services in the Band Pit. When the morning had ended, we loaded all of the stuff back in the van and I drove over to the Seniors' aparment building Townview and held a third service there ...

On one level it is inconvenient to have everything in rubbermaid tubs and loaded in a van, but on another level it is a moment worthy of reflecting on what is really important in the life of the church, and what do we really need to be a church ...

We carried our hymn books, we brought our bulletins and we gathered in a borrowed space to worship and to join in a fellowship. Thanks to the men of the AOTS, and Services to Seniors our three services on Sunday were framed with food and fellowship around the table - a true connectedness to the New Testament Church that arose from the ashes that were left following the death of Jesus and the scattering of his disciples ...

The early church began simply, in houses, in places where people gathered. They sang their hymns, they offered their prayers, they reflected on their faith, and then they ate and drank in Jesus name. In time tensions would arise over how the Church shared their foodstuffs, and on the wording of the prayers and hymns, but for a moment, the Church was able to offer a pure moment of worship. They gathered, and in Christ's name they worshipped. This weekend in Minnedosa, we did the same thing - we gathered, we unloaded a van and we worshipped, then we loaded up the van and moved on ... At the end of the day, what was important wasn't the place, it was the gathering of the community ...

We are an Easter People - we are people of the Resurrection, and what is important in that is the people ... where two or three are gathered in my name, says Jesus - I'll be there, and this weekend in Minnedosa we lived that simple truth over and over and over ...

Thanks be to God - dayenu,

A good Good Friday Service ...

Tonight I was feeling disconnected and unsettled ... something about the community Good Friday Service didn't speak to me or where I am at as we move through the Holy Week observatons.

Today we joined with the other Protestant Churches in Minnedosa to observe Good Friday ... it was a nice service, but it wasn't what I need, or what I am comfortable with ... Through the afternoon I called my colleague and friend Rev. Barb Jardine, who serves the Forrest Douglas Pastoral Charge south of us ... we were chit chatting about stuff and she mentioned the evening service she was holding in Forrest ... I decided it was worth the drive to take in Barb's service.

Tonight, I'm glad I did ... Barb combined the readings of the Passion from Mark with music, hymns and the extinguishing of candles ... it was beautiful. It was precisely what I needed to get ready for Easter Sunday ...

SO, thanks Barb. Thanks to the folks at Forrest for a wonderful service and a time of reflection. It truly was a good Good Friday service ... It told the story of the Passion and called us to journey into the uncertainty that the disciples felt as they watched the dying and spent the next two days fearing for their lives until ...

... well, the next step can wait ... this part of Holy Week is about waiting, not jumping to the Hallelujahs ... and tonight I've been able to do that ... thanks to a little community and a very capable and competent minister who often serves as the pastor's pastor while she leads them in a powerful ministry of presence and prayer ...

dayenu

Signs of spring ...

This past Sunday, we zipped over to Neepawa and on the way back we saw what we first thought was a flight of geese ... from a distance they looked white, so we assumed they were snow geese making their way north from their southern sojourn. But when we pulled into Minnedosa we had a chance to see them relatively close up, and they were not geese at all ...

... They were PELICANS. There was about 30 or 35 Pelicans winging their way north ... They circled over the lake here in Minnedosa, but finding no open water they continued on their way.

If they came today, they would find our lake thawing rapidly in the warm weather we've been enjoying ...

So, it is spring in Manitoba ... the Red River is running high and flood waters are threatening a wide variety of communities including parts of Winnipeg ... the snow is melting ... soon the prairie crocus will be making an appearance and spring will be here in its fullness.

I commented to someone today whent he rain stopped that it was a beautiful day - but in three months we'll be complaining that it is too hot. He agreed and said - 'three months ago we were complaining it was to cold ... there's just no pleasing some people.' We both laughed - but such is the reality of our seasons ...

We chat about the weather - but we don't appreciate it at the time ... we always pick fault with the weather - be it too hot, too cold, too damp, too dry - whatever!!

But watching the snow vanish before our eyes in the last couple of days all I can say is - it's spring on the prairies, and with the sun shining it's beautiful ... hopefully the flood waters will recede before they do much damage. In the meantime, our prayers and thoughts go with those who watch and wait as the waters swirl and rise ...

dayenu,

The Shredder is one of my best friends ...

When we lived in Bella Coola, one of my stress relievers was to go over to the Federal Nursing station and sit in their supply room feeding papers through their shredder ... There was something wonderfully relaxing shredding reams and reams of paper ... the noise ... the crunching ... the outcome ... whatever it was - it was a good stress reliever ...

Yesterday and Today in the office I rediscovered that joyful experience ... while sorting through the dozens of boxes that have been lying on the floor of our new office space on Main St, we accumulated quite a pile of stuff that needed to be shredded (there was a BIG box of stuff then went out to a farm yard and was burned too !!! - sorry I missed that!!!???). So, I stood by the shredder and fed reams of paper through it (two BIG recycle bags so far !!). It was a wonderfully relaxing experience ... it helped me gel some thoughts about Sunday's service and it helped get me ready for the Holy Week Journey that will begin in a few short hours as we wave our palms (figuratively in our case - my palms went up in flames) ... and shout our hosannas.

The formation of a Building Committee, the holding of debriefing sessions and the time to sort, pitch and put away the vast pile of stuff from the offices has been positive developments this past week. They may not be earth shattering, but they are steps in the right directions.

In the coming days, we will name the darkness and the hurt and the isolation that is around us, and we will move intentionally and with care towards the resurrection that is promised at Easter ... for the folks of Minnedosa, this year Easter will be about speaking of resurrection - the experience of Resurrection will be delayed, but it WILL come ...

Being able to relax and shred a few dozen reams of paper have helped me remember that, now I will help the people I share this journey with to remember that too.

dayenu,