Kitty Powers Don't Fail Me NOW ...

Chloe:

"I really want that toy over there ... but I don't want to go and get it ... "

"Maybe my kitty super-powers will work ... 'I want the toy' ... 'I want the toy' ... 'I want the toy.' ... "

"Drat !!"

Painting with Broad Brush Strokes:

A Family of Flickers

We have a family of Northern Flickers

living in and around our yard right now,

the other evening they were feeding together:

----------------------------------------------

My Goal ...

Last Thursday I stepped out of the shower and after drying myself stepped on the scale ...

I didn't like the number that twirled into view ... 220 !!!!!!

TOO MUCH !!!!

I decided right then and there that I HAD to lose no less than 20 pounds before the end of the summer ... and I got on my bike and rode and rode and rode ...

Today, I've decided to set my target at a minimum of 25 but a preference of 30 pounds gone by the end of the summer ... two minutes ago I stepped on the scale and it read:

218 !!!!!!

YES !!!! Only 23 to go !!!!

NOW, I'll be spending LOTS of time on my bike !!

Carpathia Here We Come ...

The United Church of Canada has been spending enormous amounts of energy, money and time in an attempt to attract the 25 to 40 year old generation back to the Church. They've set up the WonderCafe site, they've poured money into beautiful glossy advertisements in magazines, and they've offered training for congregationl leadership to embrace and welcome in this "Emerging Spirit" generation ...

Sadly though - the reality on the ground is that nothing has changed ... Congregations lumber along wondering why they are getting greyer and greyer, and why they are dwindling ... Periodically leadership arises that not only embraces the ideas behind the Emerging Spirit Campaign, but who work diligently and tirelessly to welcome those folks in to the circle that is Church on THEIR terms ...

It is prophetic work. It is hard work. But it is rewarding.

But it is also NOT wanted by those interested in preserving the status quo, and those who want to see the Institution that is The Church as a bloated out of touch bureacracy to continue as it has ad infinitum ... or perhaps ad nauseam would be more appropriate ... Whatever.

The reality is The United Church of Canada talks a good game ... but they want the Emerging Spirit for their monetary resources and little else. They can come and drop cash on the plate, but what they are looking for in the Church and what they want out of the ministry of the Church doesn't fit with the current ethos ... The Old Guard SHALL always prevail.

Back in the day, the Late Gordon Pokorny, a loyal and crusty figure in the United Church in British Columbia used to often shake his head at the decisions of the Church courts and say - "All we're doing here is shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic!!!"

I never fully understood what he meant ... Today I do.

Today, the band is happily playing, the lights are on, food is still being served, and everyone is strolling around tossing blocks of ice as though it is some sort of game ... but the ship - this Titanic we call The United Church of Canada is sinking ... and it is not sinking slowly, she is taking on water and getting ready for her final plunge into the abyss ... and in the midst of all of that, we blithely continue to shuffle the deck chairs in a vain attempt to improve our view of the lovely iceberg that suddenly appeared off our side ...

Today I completely understand what Gordon meant ... I see it ... The deck chairs are being shuffled and people are vying for position, closing their eyes, ears, hearts and souls to the simple reality that we are standing on a crippled and doomed vessel ...

Personally, I say we start swimming for the Carpathia ... Maybe by bring news of this disaster back to port we can prevent it from happening again ...

I may not have always agreed with Gordon, but he was an astute man, and he never really let the ministers serving in his Presbytery down ... w emight not have felt it at the time - but he ALWAYS had your back ... in retrospect, we need more like him ...

In the meantime - Bon Voyage !!!

IRCA - Sharing the Good News !!!

The following is the press release I recieved today from the IRCA summarizing the Conference we held in Brandon. It is a nice wrap up of a fabulous opportunity:

Gathering has Concern for Rural Communities July 13, 2007

written by Joyce Sasse

A deep awareness of world community quickly formed as 81 people visiting from 12 nations gathered for the International Rural Church Association’s (IRCA) fourth quadrennial conference.

Members of the Canadian Rural Church Network hosted these visitors at Brandon University (July 3-9, 2007). Participants, from South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland / Romania, Germany, England, Tonga, Indonesia, India, Czech Republic, Iceland and USA, were rural people (clergy and lay) and church leaders who shared concerns effecting rural communities, and sought to develop a deeper understanding about how churches might respond to these “Cries From and Heart” (which was the theme of the Conference).

Enroute to Brandon, twenty-five people enjoyed a week’s hospitality in different communities across Canada.

Keynote speaker John Ikerd, Economics Professor Emeritus from the University of Missouri, a strong advocate for the future of small sustainable farms, spoke about how “under the guise of economic development, our rural communities are being colonized“ by giant multinational corporations who have no commitment to the future of rural people nor their resources. He pleaded for delegates to name the evil and find alternative ways to carry on.

After speaking eloquently about the responsibility Christians have to conserve and sustain the earth’s resources, Roman Yuriga described the alternative energy initiatives his Orthodox Academy is making in the Czech Republic.

Reflecting on the Biblical story where Christ killed the fig tree growing on the edge of the Jerusalem Temple grounds, Cameron Harder (from Lutheran Seminary, Saskatoon, Canada) connected this imagery with “blood-stained food”. Authorities inside the Temple were ripping the poorest people off by forcing them to buy inflated Temple Money before they could make their offerings. When inside the Temple area, Jesus over-turned the tables and cursed the vendors for their corrupt activities. What of our food is similarly leached at unreasonable cost?

Some conference delegates shared stories about deteriorating water supplies, and discussed possibilities for intervention. Experiments are being done in New Zealand, for example, to fix nitrogen in the cold season and released it in the growing season. This makes the best use of nitrogen while slowing algae build-up in water-ways.

Others discussed ways which rural people are devalued. Stories of healthy rural communities are dismissed as unimportant. Language is manipulated to equate “big” with “good”, and “technology” with “resolving all problems”.

“Leadership” was the topic of the third Issues Group. Shared leadership and cooperative decision-making is an essential factor in building vibrant communities.

Churches have opportunity to offer support, healing and hope in rural communities that have been made to feel devalued and ignored, according to the fourth Issues Group. But it takes time to build trust and help the community work toward a vision of what they believe they can become. It is work that requires long-term commitment, and is often enhanced by surprising interventions of the Almighty.

There is a “Cry From the Heart” of rural people around the world. But through story-telling, prayer and song it was affirmed that there are many visions of hope in the rural landscape.

Incoming IRCA Chairperson is Lothar Schullarus, a rural parish minister in Switzerland and Romania. Incoming Secretary is Gary Hardingham, a parish minister who travels by plane to service his churches in out-back Australia. The fifth such gathering will be convened within four years at a place to be announced.

Your prayer news collector, Robyn, has a story to share from her home. The morning many of us left Brandon I received news of another flood in one of the communities I serve in Northland, New Zealand – Kaeo. You may recall the news and prayer request I sent out in early April. That flood was rated as a 125-year flood. This time the water rose even deeper through the town and it has been very distressing to read and watch TV news clips on the internet and know that my people at home have been hit so badly but be unable to be there with them.

Please pray for us as we cope with a changing environment, as that is how it seems to be.

Updated photos can be seen at http://www.kaeokerikeriunionchurch.org.nz/gallery.php

Shalom - Rangimarie - Peace

Robyn

Robyn McPhail, Chairperson IRCA

The Fun Fest Parade in Dosa

Ms H and Beetle on the Junior Gardener's Club Float.

Beetle looking very happy amid the foliage.

They REALLY were happy to be on the Float !!

Honest !!

A reminder that our Freedom isn't free ...

Fun Fest Begins ...

Today was the Kids'

Decorate Bicycle Parade.

I think they all had a good time.

Happy Friday the 13th !!!

All references to slasher films not with standing, I don't understand what the big deal is about Friday the 13th ... even with my birthday on the 31st of October, I just don't get what the big deal is.

I suppose I'm not superstitious, and so it doesn't matter to me. It's another day on the calendar.

Admittedly Friday the 13th has been co-opted by Hollywood and utilized as THE day to launch the latest spooky slasher films, using the superstition surrounding the day to add to the mystique of what can only be described as a mediocre genre ... Personally, I'd rather watch the old horror films with names like Lugosi, Hitchcock, Karloff and Cheney (not the VP!!) than anything Hollywood has produced in the last 25 years ... blood and gore does not make a good horror film ... suspense and tension does !!!

So, I'll mark the day like I've marked other Friday the 13ths ... by simply going about my day ... Maybe tonight I'll pop on the Karloff Frankenstein, or the Lugosi Dracula, or something by Hitchcock to honour the day ... otherwise ... it's just another date on the calendar !!

This morning out by the dam ...

This morning as I went to work, I decided to take the LONG way in, and instead of biking the three blocks it is from house to office, I would go out around the dam and take some time riding around the trails and paths that lie around the Buffalo compound and the dam ... "Should I take my camera?" I asked myself as I went out the door ... "Nay," came the answer, "You won't see anything ..."

WRONG ANSWER !!!

I rode out to the dam and as I passed over the spill way I noticed not one, but three pelicans quietly paddling in the lake water about 3 metres from where I stood ... moments later two of them lifted off in flight and circled higher and higher until they met up with a small flock of 5 more pelicans that was flying overhead ... MAN !!!! I wish I would have had my camera ...

It never fails though ... the days I pack my camera there is very little to see ... but the days I decide NOT to bring it ... I see all manner of wild life ...

In the last week it's been several sightings of pelicans, a momma deer and her two wee babies walking down Main St, and a deer looking in the passenger window of the car at Ms H. when we stopped at a corner near the golf course ... Each time my camera was elsewhere ...

Oh well ... the images are in my mind's eye ... and that will just have to do ...

Oh My Gawd ...

Today started as a hard day ... I had a tough decision to make ... and it had not been a good night ... I found myself in a place where the hurt and the sorrow had taken over ...

This morning I crawled out of bed with a heavy heart, and a weary soul ... I wanted to be a turtle and pull inside my shell and ignore the world ...

A friend suggested that what I needed to do was take stock of my day and celebrate the good moments, the warm moments, the moments of love and support that came my way, and not only take note of them, but let them define my reality ...

So, I moved through my day mindful of those words, and open to those moments:

supportive words from a community member,

words of thanks for my blog postings,

words of appreciation for a recent funeral,

laughter with my co-worker,

riding my bike instead of walking,

the warmth of the sun,

teasing of my fellow Rotarians

& the laughter that rolled around the tables,

the hug of a friend,

being scared by a pretty cool little kid,

sharing fresh bread with my family,

receiving a text message from a dear friend,

getting a phone call from a friend,

biking out and around the dam,

coffee with my people,

and last in the day

standing underneath a BILLION stars and being awed !!

When I look at it, it's a pretty decent list. There are lots of positives that came in a day that started out hard ... Tomorrow morning I'll start a new list and see what the day brings ...

There's only one way to go and that's up ... and today has started me back on that path ...

Some days, this would be a good thing:

Some days I wish I could be a turtle ...

and I would pull my head back into my shell

and ignore the world and just hide away.

Today is one of those days ...

I kind of envy turtles in this moment ...

Can't Ignore This one ...

It is garrish, it is loud, it is unique and it is distinctive ...

Kind of like the man who founded it ...

and today we say farewell to Honest Ed Mirvish,

a Canadian Institution in his own rights.

How does one describe the impact Ed Mirvish has

had on the world ???

The proprietor of a unique and unusual store on Bloor St,

a patron of the arts with names like

The Royal Alex,

the Old Vic,

and the Princess of Wales

left as his legacy.

A restauranteur,

and a

SO MUCH MORE.

Ed Mirvish, in his 92 years left Toronto very different

from when he found it ... and we're all better for it.

Rest in Peace Ed.

And thanks!

The Loss of Sanctuary ...

An online dictionary defines "Sanctuary" as 1) a consecrated place and 2) a place of refuge and protection ... I would add that a Sanctuary is a place where you find refuge and protection ...

In recent months I have witnessed the loss of the significant sanctuary spaces in my life ... First on February 12th 2006, I watched in horror as the sanctuary space that was Minnedosa United Church (a sanctuary that for me was far more than a building) was consumed by fire ... Then in December of 2006, I ended the year with one last visit to the Building that had for almost 100 years been the home to Centennial United Church ... in hours, they would be handing over the keys to another, non-United Church congregation and the place that WAS Centennial beyond the building would be simply a memory ...

As this year has progressed I've felt the twinge of losing sanctuary after sanctuary ... places that have fed my soul and nurtured my heart ... places that I could retreat to to find solace and comfort and healing ... The loss of each one has diminished me and lays heavily on my soul ...

Today I realized that even the simple act of going to get a coffee, and action that has been a tangible sanctuary in my life, has lately become an extremely stressful chore ... the sanctuary that that simple action once represented has been taken from me ...

Even the very act of writing my thoughts and words here has been weighted heavily by the presence of those who wait to pounce on things they disagree with, or things that aren't to their liking ... Even here, in this place, I find no sanctuary any more ...

So, in this moment, I'm wondering if there are any sanctuary spaces in my life that are left ... the place of in-between where I move from the sanctuaries that once were, to the sanctuaries that will be is not a comfortable place ... and today I feel the many absences more than the potential ... and that is not a good place to be ... it makes the absence of sanctuary that much more poigniant and even painful ...

In time I will find new sanctuaries ... but right now I miss the ones I've lost ...

They came ... and now they head home ...

From the four corners of the globe, 86 delegates representing 12 countries, came to Brandon Manitoba for the International Rural Church Association Conference:

Iceland,

New Zealand,

Canada,

England,

Australia,

The Czech Republic,

The United States,

Korea,

Indonesia,

Switzerland,

India,

Germany,

and a favourite in our house:

The Kingdom of Tonga.

Those who helped organize this event have before them a time of well deserved rest, and the thanks and appreciation of all of us who were part of the happenings in and around Brandon University this week.

We've shared stories, compared experiences and talked about the possibility and potential that Rural Churches have not just in Canada, but around the world ... The stories told from the South of India have remarkable similarities to those told in the Mid-western US and southern England. The world over, Rural Communities are facing enormous challenges, but with folks like the 86 who came together for a week in Brandon, there is also enormous potential for not just find but also embodying and living out HOPE in the rural landscape ...

I have in my hands today a pile of paper work to read and re-read as I process all that has gone on, and as I begin to incorporate some of the experiences, lessons and stories into the life and work of my ministry here ...

Today, in a very real way, I am mindful that the rural communities can live out the creedal statement - "we are NOT alone ..."

Hands across borders and oceans show us that in a very real and tangible way ...

My one concern is the willingness of others who weren't there, to hear this lesson ... but then, that's what hope is ... Believing inspite of the evidence and watching (and helping) the evidence change !!!!

May it be so !!!!!!!!!

Wise words from a wise woman ...

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

-----------------------------------------

Loneliness is the most terrible poverty.

--------------------------------------

Intense love does not measure, it just gives.

------------------------------------

We can do no great things, only small things with great love.

- Mother Teresa

2:09am Local Minnedosa time:

The laundry is on the line for tomorrow,

the bread is baked,

everyone else is asleep,

and

the house is breathtakingly quiet.

It is amazing how much you can get done

when there are no distractions,

and no one to interupt.
If there is an up-side to sleeplessness,

it has to be getting lots done

in the middle of the night!

I LOVE them ... BUT:

It was the band Steppenwolf who offered the immortal lines:

"Get your motor running. Head out on the highway ..."

After the day I had, the last thing I really needed to do was head out on the highway ... but I needed to clear my mind and get my thoughts in order for my sermon tomorrow ... So, after gathering a variety of things I would need in this evening and tomorrow by zipping back and forth between the office and home - I was ready - with tunes BLASTING to head out on the highway to enjoy the feel of the cool wind blowing through the open van windows (I know, I know - you can only be moderately "Cool" in a toyota van ... ), and to let the tunes and the drive relax me and get me ready for tomorrow ...

My schedule for today was as follows:

7:45 am - wake up ... "no you can't hit snooze - GET UP" yelled the little voice in my head.
7:46 am - put on coffee ...
7:48 am - shower and get dressed ...
8:00am - begin drinking coffee ...
8:30 am - start driving west on Hwy 16 to pick up Beetle from Camp
9:55 am - arrive at Camp
10:30 am - begin driving in a southerly direction to pick up Noahkila from Camp
11:15 am - stop at a Bakery for "lunch" on the run
1 pm - arrive at Camp on North Dakota Border
1:30 pm - watch the Band Concert with Noahkila and his bandmates
2:00 pm - short walking tour of the Peace Gardens in the stifling heat ...
2:45 pm - begin driving north to Brandon
4:00 pm - stop for lunch/dinner in Brandon
5:40 pm - arrive home in Minnedosa
5:55 pm - start scaling the pile of laundry that suddenly materialized in the kitchen
7:00 pm - (not sure where the last hour went ... mighta been the laundry!??) drive BACK to Brandon for the evening events at the IRCA Conference ...
9:00 pm - drive home to Minnedosa ...

SO, on one level, a midnight drive seemed redundant after so many hours spent behind the wheel of the van criss crossing the province ... but because ALL of the above mentioned schedule involved having children in varying numbers by my side - I NEEDED to just clear my head ...

And so it was with the tunes blasting (and I MEAN BLASTING !!!), and the van windows WIDE open that I headed out on the highway ... it was excellent therapy and got me in the groove for tomorrow's worship service ... I highly recommend midnight drives on a summer's eve along the open highways that cross the prairies.

With open apologies to my environmentally sensitive readers (I share your struggle) - I know driving for the sake of driving is not the most eco-friendly things to do, but sometimes you just gotta do it !!! Sorry ...

Like the man said:

Yeah darling gonna make it happen

Take the world in a lovely embrace.

Fire all of your guns at once

and explode into space...

Some learnings from Yesterday ...

In one of his routines, Comedian Bill Hicks talks about his addiction to the TV programme Cops ... He confesses that when it is on he is hooked ... He says bluntly - "I've been to more trailer parks than a tornado ..."

But what came to mind yesterday was his contention that as he watched this "fine" programme, he is struck by the number of domestic calls the Cops respond to where the female partner is battered and bloodied and in obvious distress ... but when it comes time to arrest the male partner for his violence and load him in the squad car and haul him away, the wife will start yelling - "He didn't hit me ! He's a good man! I love him! He didn't hit me! I tripped ..." The promise of safety and freedom from abuse is outweighed by the simple fear of being alone and the abused partner denies any of it ever happened ... I won't offer Hicks' response to that - but I would be willing to loan you the album ... The harsh reality is that sometimes the comedic among us speak a bitter truth that is simply softened by the laughter, but not denied ...

That bit on one of Hicks' CDs came back to me yesterday as I was having a conversation with someone about the issue of abuse and domestic violence and the hair-pulling frustration we feel when we watch an intelligent, capable person go back over and over into an abusive, soul deadening, and potentially dangerous relationship. We had been toured around Brandon and saw what Samaritan House offers to the community, and also saw what the YWCA and the Womens' Centre offer as well. The presenters spoke of the emergency shelter beds, the need for a safe house for victims of violence, and the importance of support and counselling for men and women in bad relationships.

As the day wore on, we began to discuss the impact in a community these service have, both positive and negative. But we also began to describe the absolute gut wrenching frustration that comes with the work these services do. The person I talked with had tears in their eyes as they described examples of women who fled for their safety, only to drift back because "He's changed ..."

It is a cycle that repeats itself over and over and over ... Until the victimized partner finally sees that nothing will ever change until they change themselves ... Others from around the world joined in the conversation and showed us ALL that sadly this is not a unique North American problem, but is one found everywhere ...

As we spoke my mind wandered to a book I've been reading lately about ship wrecks and maritime disasters. I kept thinking of the passages where would be rescuers describe arriving on scene to save those in peril only to have those in the water unable, or unwilling to grab on to the life rings, the life boats and the items being held out to them ... Help was offered, but they either couldn't or most heart-wrenching of all - wouldn't take it and they simply perished.

I have always wondered how many of the victims of the Titanic simply succumbed to the cold because they lacked the willingness and even the strength to take help when it was offered ??

The parallels to domestic abuse and violence in this are staggering ... help is available, but rejected ... YET, instead the familiar is reclaimed and justified ... How can that cycle be broken? And how can strength and courage be offered to men and women who lack the where-with-all to break free and claim the wholeness they deserve, rather than running back and convincing themselves that their abusive partner has miraculously changed??

The conversation I had yesterday made me very very sad for the people who can't or won't break the cycle ... but it made me realize that sometimes the only thing we can do is to offer the help ... and then pray when the "he's a good man ... he's changed ..." mantra begins that one day the Spirit will break through and the chains of the cycle will fall ... and freedom and health will reign ...

And prayer is what many of us do - unceasingly ...
... it just doesn't feel like enough ...

That time at Band Camp ... Maybe One Day ...

When I was the age my children are now, I remember being impressed and proud of living in one of the two countries in the world world that had "the LONGEST UNDEFENDED Border" between the two of them.

I was struck by the pictures of places in the East where the border ran through buildings like a library and a pool hall ... I was awesome to think that Canadians and Americans could freely come and go from each others respective countries ...

This past week, Noahkila has been attending the International Music Camp held annually in the Peace Gardens that straddle North Dakota and Manitoba's border due south of Brandon. He was apprehensive about going (some of that had to do with the emphasis on music, but some of it was because he would be living cheek to jowl with American teens, and he was worried that his left leaning values would get him in trouble).

Today we went to pick him up and following the concert when I caught up to him his first comment was - "you know how I was nervous about talking to Americans about President Bush?"

Cautiously I answered, "Yes?"

"Well," said Noahkila with a big smile, "most of the American kids feel the same way I do about him and what a lousy job he's done ..."

I breathed a sigh of relief as Noahkila excitedly shared some of his conversations with me. And as he talked I thought to myself that if the world is going to get any better it WILL be because of kids like Noahkila and those he meets who have the courage to talk about the state of the world and what needs to change to make it better ...

If we entrust the world to kids like Noahkila and those he just spent the week with at Band Camp ... maybe one day the sign pictured below that stands right on what was once the "longest undefended border in the world" will again stand vigil in a world filled with peace, and world where there are no more borders or boundaries ...

May it be so ...

The WTC Memorial at the Peace Gardens ...

Tucked under some trees on the American side of the Park at Peace Gardens is a pile of rusty, twisted, battered old iron I-beams ... Today as my kids and I stood looking at them an American tourist came up and loudly (too loudly) said - "What are those rusty old things doing here?"

Her companion, in an equally loud tone said - "I dunno, but it looks awful ... lemme read what it says ..."

I said softly with my teeth clenched and a tear in my eye, "They are beams from the World Trade Centre ..."

The two women gasped and assumed a reverential demeanour ...

I still remember vividly the morning of September 11th 2001 ... I was getting lunches ready while Noahkila, Ms H., and Beetle were getting ready for their day ... on CBC Radio, the special announcement music broke in and a voice said "a plane has flown into the World Trade Centre in New York City ..." I gasped, dropped what I was doing and dashed into the living room. I turned on the tv and was struck by the visual image of the first tower smoking ...

I called Noahkila to come and see ... He arrived just as the second plane slammed into the second tower ... My heart stopped ...

I remember ALL of my conversations through the rest of the day ... the common theme was shock, bewilderment and confusion ... then later in the day fear started to set in. Not fear of the terrorists and what they might be capable of doing, but fear what would happen now as President Bush prepared to respond ...

I believe that it has been a fear that has been warranted and justified ...

Today as I stood again gazing at the steel girders that were once a piece of New York City's skyline, I thought of those who died that day ... then I thought of all the Afghani and Iraqi citizens who have died since ... and all the soldiers, Canadian, American, and others who have fallen in a war few of us want ... and I thought of all the conflicts in the world ... and with tears in my eyes I could utter only one prayer:

May we one day have a real and lasting

peace in our world ...

and may we have it soon ... Amen.

New Friends ... IRCA Conference Day Four.

Last night when we got home, we had to haul out the Atlas and look up the location and information on the Island Kingdom of Tonga, where some of the delegates at the International Rural Church Association Conference have come from.

Ms H. has been smitted by the Tongan delegates and spends her time hanging out with them through out the conference.

So, last night we found Tonga on the map and looked at how far they had travelled to come to Canada, and Ms H. was amazed.

Today, we had a walking tour of Brandon and area with the staff of Samaritan House Ministries, an ecumenical, non-demoninational outreach Ministry that offers far more than a Food Bank and Soup Kitchen. I personally learned ALOT about what the Samaritan House offers to Brandon and area ...

Among the tour group were folks from Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada and of course Tonga. Ms H. walked with them and spent the time in session sitting with one of the women and one of the men ... and in my humble opinion, the three of them had entirely TOO much fun !! (just look at the picture below:)

I think the image of Ms H. laughing hysterically because the gentleman to her left was getting her into mischief AND blaming HER ... is my image of the conference. Not only have we formed connections and friendships across countries and continents, we've formed friendships across many age groups, and at 10, my daughter has been able to connect with Church folks half a world away ... and they've invited her to come and visit "any time" ... she was likely checking out flights tonight on the internet ...

It was a long and exhausting day ... but it was a wonderful, wonderful day ... Thanks to Marcia and her peps at Samaritan House for sparing the time and offering us such a wonderful day of experiences, reflections and learnings ... THANKS !!

Cry from the Heart - Finding Hope in the Rural Landscape

The IRCA conference has held day two and day three ... and it has been astounding ...
Yesterday our key not address was from Dr John Ikred, who inspired us with a message of hope that envisions our economic systems as something responsive to and responsible for our neighbours. He nailed it by saying over and over that the current system - the current way of doing business and farming - the current socio-economic way of living in the world is BROKEN and in desperate need of transformation.

But most inspiring was his insistence that the CHURCH (that's you and I) have the moral obligation to speak a message of faith, hope and love - the gift of Grace to the world, not just by word, but by our actions, by our economic decisions and by everything we do ... It was truly, truly awesome.

However, what has made this Conference truly memorable for me is the decision by Ms H. (aged 10!!) to attend it too. She came along with me for an afternoon session yesterday and has stayed - she even insisted that we needed to get up early to be there for breakfast this morning, so we could meet MORE People ... She is particularly taken by the delegation from the island Kingdom of Tonga. She looked on a map to find out where it is ...

The Conference Continues for the next few days - and the networking and relationships that are forming will last far longer ... This brief sojourn in Brandon truly is a whisper of hope in the rural landscape ...

Stay tuned - more to come ...

The news of six more fallen soldiers ...

61

62

63

64

65

66

There are simply

no words ...

Thoughts and prayers for

six families,

and for ALL

our men and women in

Uniform,

at home and abroad.

We shall remember them ...

Lest We Forget

International Rural Church Association (IRCA)

And so it begins ...

85 representatives from 12 countries,

have gathered at Brandon University for the

International Rural Church Association Conference.

Our theme is:

A Cry From the Heart: Finding Hope in the Rural Landscape.

The conversation will be about the many challenges

that face rural communities and their leadership

around the world.

Even the act of connecting with folks from rural places

from AROUND the globe has been delightful ...

... watch for more as the week unfolds !!

July 4th ...

Inspite of everything ...

I would like to wish our southern neighbours,

and those amongst them that might happen by here:

Happy Independence Day !!

And So It Began ...

It was 14 years ago yesterday that we awoke early in the morning and in the pre-dawn hours drove the 5 plus hours across the Chilcotin Plateau to arrive at the community of Bella Coola (Pictured below)
The next four years would see us living in the United Church Manse on the edge of the village the Nuxalk people called home ... But our arrival was less than spectacular. The Manse was to be unfurnished and cleaned - neither had happened adequately. Eventually we tracked down the Chair of the Board who was volunteering at the Rodeo, and had the briefest of chats, and watched some of the rodeo (it's self a new event for this old Ontario boy) before heading back to our new home ...

Then M and I, and our year old dog Mindy were left to our own devices to find out about this new community that was to become our home ... There never was anything resembling a formal welcome ... we just kind of arrived and were there. No fanfare, no welcome - NOTHING ... just a house half-filled with stuff and a moving van due to arrive the next day ...

Four years, and two children, two cats, one rabbit and an extra dog later, we left with a casual pot-luck supper as our farewell and headed off to the Lower Mainland ... Our arrival in Langley was marked by a massive gathering of people who helped unload the moving van in short order, and then after our first Sunday, they had a "Pound the Minister" event where they gave us food stuffs to stock our larder ... Little did I know how attached they would later be to the notion of POUNDING the minister - the second time sans the food !!

But it was in Bella Coola where my ministry began ... There is seldom a day that goes by that I don't think about it and the friends we met there ... Our house is filled with reminders of mementoes of our time there ... and one of my most cherished possessions is a Traditionally Painted Preaching Blanket that was given to me by a friend, who is now gone ... I was terrified the day of the fire that it would be lost ... Thankfully it wasn't ...

But it was 14 years ago yesterday - Canada Day that my journey in this United Church of ours began ... I've learned many things, but the next time I move there better be a party planned, or I'm not going ... and if I arrive and there is no one there to say "Hi," I'm getting in the van and leaving ...

It's been an interesting 14 years ... I wouldn't trade it for the world ... but I would do MANY things differently ... but such is life !!

As the Nuxalkmc say - "stut'wan'eetz!" Thank you !!

The Missing Key ...

Sometimes the simple act of misplacing something can set in motion a series of events that leaves you laughing, or at least smiling with pleasure ...

On Saturday, I decided to drop some stuff off at the Church before calling it a night ... I got there only to discover that I didn't have the key for the door ... the last time I remembered seeing it was on Wednesday when I had it in my hand and thought "I should take this to the office so it is there for the summer ..."

Oops ... So instead of dropping stuff off at the Church as planned, I instead popped on a CD int he stereo of the van and went for a country road tour ... cruising the highways and the gravel roads with the music of Tiller's Folly and Francis Dunnery playing, I had time to think, to reflect, to pray, and to just chill out ... It was lovely ... As I noted earlier, I highly recommend it.

BUT, then Sunday morning the missing key again became an issue ... I drove to the Church later than my usual time of 10:30, to discover a group of folks standing on the front step waiting for the door to be unlocked !!

It turned out that our Hosts - The Catholic Church didn't have a 9:30 Mass ... and so the church was still locked up tight ... I rolled through the parking lot and zoomed home (yes I exceeded the posted speed limit!!) to look for the key ... I checked ALL the pants and jackets I'd worn in the last few days ... I looked in all the usual places ... I looked in a few unusual places too ... Then I zoomed to the office and looked on my desk ... I looked but couldn't find the key ...

I decided (at about 10:40) that someome - ANYONE - who knew the code for the key box on the side of the building was likely to have arrived by now, and will have unlocked the door ... SSSOOOOO, I drove back to the Church only to discover that the crowd on the front step had grown, and there was no key nor code to be found ... DRAT !!!!

I rasced over to the local convenience store and asked for a phone book and began calling people who would know the code, or have a key ... I started with our regular organist, who is on a much deserved summer vacation - no answer ... I tried the custodian of the Catholic Church - no answer ... I tried two or three elders from the Catholic Church - no answer ...

Glancing at my watch I realized it was now past 10:45 ... and the 11 am start to our service was in peril ... I tried the home of one of our choir members who I KNEW knows the code ... after five rings his brother answered and said "he's not home ..." I asked if he had his cell and if it was on?

The reply was - "yes, but ... he's in the Park, so he may be out of range ..."

It was a chance I had to take ... I got the number and called ... and was THRILLED, absolutely breath-takingly THRILLED to hear his voice ...

"I need the code for the key box..." I pleaded ...

"Why?"

"I haven't got time to tell you. Please, just give me the code and I'll tell you later ..."

Through peals of laughter I was given the code and as he told me, I punched the numbers in and VOILA !! I had a key ... "Thanks," I said as I snapped my cell phone closed and at 10:52 (I checked on the phone as it closed) with a mere 8 minutes to spare - we were good to go ...

There was ALOT of laughter and smiles as we made our way into the building for our Canada Day Worship service ... we hurriedly handed out hymn books and bulletins and got ready in a rush ... But we started at 11 and had you walked in at that point, you would NEVER know anything had happened ... The Thunderstorm that rumbled overhead simply added to the drama and the background ...

I've already gotten a fair bit of ribbing about showing up with no key ... and it will no doubt continue ...

The funniest part for me was arriving home after Church and strolling into the kitchen to get lunch ready only to find the key sitting on the stove behind the KETTLE !!!

Another DRAT !!!

I hadn't looked there !!!!

Oh well, after 15 years in ministry, to have arrived at a locked church only TWICE sans key, is pretty impressive, particularly when one considers how scattered I can be on a Sunday Morning ...

The morale of the story: Tomorrow the key goes to the office for safe keeping !!!

Fireworks in the Fog ...

I can't and I won't say it was the most spectacular Fireworks display I've ever seen ... I would even say it was a HUGE disappointment ... having waited all day to see them, only to have the lake fog over and envelope the dam and the fireworks with a thick coating of mist ...

If there was an upside it was the occassional blast of light and colour that broke through the blanket of fog, and left us with glimpses of what the entire show might have looked like ... Tonight's Foggy Fireworks were an act of imagination more than sitting back and "ohhhing" and "ahhhing" at the appropriate time ...

Oh well ... here are some of the few "clear" images from the fog:

This year's Canada Day Celebrations were at best: Okay.

I'm glad I went, but I don't think I would have missed

much if I had decided to stay home instead ...

Oh well, there's always next year !!

Scenes from Canada Day at Dosa !!

The last one kind of sums up the experience of the

kids who spent the afternoon running around and having fun:

EXHAUSTED !!!

My Favourite Corners of Canada ...

In further honour of the Day ... I would offer some of my favourite corners of Canada in which to hang out and enjoy the setting, the scenery and the place ... They are diverse and spread across this vast land of ours, but what unites them is a deep connectedness that I feel for them ...

1) Confederation Park (known to the oldtime locals as Centennial Park) in Stratford Ontario - The waterfalls, the sledding hill, the nearby art gallery, the bridge over the train tracks, the towering spruce trees, the funky scultures, ... it was a special place through my childhood, and when I come back as an adult, if I'm quiet I can still hear the laughter of children playing throughout the tiny gem of a park tucked on Romeo Street.

2) The Atnarko Valley - Located south of the Highway into Bella Coola at the foot of the infamous "The Hill" that takes you from the Interior Plateau into the Valley, the Atnarko is the home to deer and grizzlies and some of the most striking scenery on the planet. If you walk far enough you find Hunlen Falls and where The Birches - the Homestead of the Edwards family once stood. It is a beautiful enchanted place filled with stories and memories of a different time.

3) Purgatory Glacier - Located a few kilometres west of the Atnarko, the logging road wends its way up the side valley from the Bella Coola valley until the road runs out under the watchful gaze of the northern end of the vast ice fields and glaciers that lie in the Coastal Mountains south of Bella Coola ... Words don't do justice to the scenery ... Odegaard Falls is worth the hike to stand under its thunderous plummet, and to feel it glacial spray on you face ...

4) The Forks, Portage and Main and The Exchange District in Winnipeg ... Where the continents meet - this small pocket of neighbourhoods in downtown Winnipeg are chock-a-block full of things to do, places to go and people to meet ... It is a place where cultures come together and the multi-ethnic nature of Canada is celebrated ... Like Granville Island in Vancouver, or Kensington Market in Toronto - one has to visit it to truly appreciate it.

5) Riding Mountain National Park - from the town site on Clear Lake, to the Bison Compound to the back country trails - RMNP is simply exquisite, and worth visiting ... We've spend many happy hours in and around the park since we moved here, but the last couple of years as we've been able to explore it on bikes has been the best ...

6) Stanley Park and the Vancouver Aquarium - I miss standing in front of the huge glass tanks, savouring the marine life indigenous to the North West Coast, listening as my well trained children say with delight "there's alot of good eating in that tank" much to the HORROR of people nearby who give nary a second thought to where their fish came from on their fish and chip platter ...

7) UBC and the Museum of Anthropology - with a stunning view of the Pacific, and the monumental North West Coast carvings the Museum of Anthroplogy is simply incredible ...

8) The dam here in Minnedosa - It's not majestic, it's not magnificent, but it is nice and it is a lovely place for a walk, a bike ride, or just to sit and watch the lake ...

9) Goderich Ontario - Standing on the bluffs overlooking Lake Huron and watching the sun set, or a winterstorm close in, or freighters steam in or out of port, or even just watching the waves wash in and out - it is a beautiful spot.

10) Niagara Falls - How can you NOT include the Falls on a list of favourite corners of Canada ?? Even with the garish tourist traps everywhere - the falls are still amazing and worth the visit ...

11) San Josef Bay - due west of Port Hardy on the west coast of the Northen Island. San Joe's Bay, as the locals call it is a gem hidden two hours down a tough slough of a logging road - but it's worth the drive ... the sandy beach that opens out on the vast Pacific Ocean (next stop here is Japan) is breath taking ... it is truly beautiful ... Ronning's Gardens near the trail head is worth the stop too - the botanical gardens an eccentric loner planted and maintained are unbelievable and worth spending time exploring ... he planted temperate rain forest plants from ALL Over the world including a male and female Monkey Puzzle Tree that are HUGE !!!

12) The Ontario Provincial Police Memorial - tucked in a park just east of the Parliament Buildings in downtown Toronto, this tiny park is a vivid reminder that our peace and our freedom are anything but free ...

There are no doubt many more ... but this is a start ...

Great Living Canadians ...

In my previous posting, on of my "loyal" readers took exception to the number of late great Canadians in the authors list ... So, I offer her my top ten choices for Great LIVING Canadians ...

1) Jean Vanier - Founder of L'Arche, writer, gentleman, and a gentle soul.
2) David Suzuki - Scientist, Environmentalist, Activist, and Media Personality
3) General Romeo Dallaire (re't) - Former Head of the UN Mission to Rwanda, his voice is the conscience of a generation who saw a genocide unfold and did NOTHING ... his book is powerful and painful to read ...
4) Farley Mowat - writer, activist, curmudgeon ... I just love the guy and his writings !!
5) Moshe Safdie - Architect (creator of Habitat in Montreal and the National Gallery in Ottawa)
6) Alex Colville - Painter. (I just love his stuff)
7) Roberta Bondar - Dr, Astronaut, Scientest - 1st Canadian Women in Space!
8) Dan Ackroyd, Eugene Levy, Michael Myers, Jim Carrey, Martin Short, Lorne Michaels, Catherine O'Hara, Rich Little, Steve Smith (aka Red Green), Howie Mandel, Brent Butt, and Tommy Chong - to name just a few of our Canuck Entertainers ...
9) Fergie Jenkins - Baseball Pitcher and member of The Hall of Fame.
10) William Shatner - Actor, "singer" ... come on - Captain Kirk HAS to make the list !!??
11) Oscar Peterson - Musician
12) Tantoo Cardinal, Adam Beach, and Graham Green - First Nations Actors who have made quite the name and reputation for themselves with extra-ordinary skill and acting ability.

I think that will do for now ...
Happy Canada Day !!

Happy Canada Day !!!!!!!!!!!

July 1st 2007 marks the 140th Birthday of this fair nation called Canada ... In honour of the day, I would offer the list of the following things I like about Canada ... They are in no particular order, and they are neither definitive, nor limited ...

I love BEING a Canadian ... I love this nation ... and there is MUCH about both to simply adore ... So, consider this a start:

1) Canadian Literature - Margaret Lawrence, Timothy Findley, Farley Mowat, Pierre Berton, Robertson Davies, Margaret Attwood, Roch Carrier, Mordecai Richler, W.P. Kinsella, Thomas King, Nino Ricci, W.O. Mitchell ... the list goes on and on and on ... Old and new, living and gone - they are ALL great!!

2) The Stratford Festival ... even with the likes of William Hutt and Nicholas Pennell gone, it remains a cultural institution and icon with a heritage and history that is unparalleled.

3) Universal Medicare - thanks to Tommy Douglas and the CCF'ers, we enjoy unprecedented Medical care in this country. It might not be perfect, and no one likes waiting lists - but the alternative is far scary than anything our current system can offer on even its worst day !!

4) The Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheiller - If you've been there, you know why ... If you haven't - why NOT ?? It's worth the drive !!

5) Stanley Park in Vancouver - Like The Tyrell, it's one of those places that can only be experienced, not described ... Many of our family memories are tied to Stanley Park: roller blading behind Noahkila pedalling furiously on his training wheels aorund the sea wall, countless visits to the Aquarium, walking the sea wall, Prospect Point ... it's all good.

6) The Parks - National, Provincial, even civic ... from Stratford to Vancouver, from Kingston to Winnipeg, I have been in parks both large and small, and every one of them has been incredible ... I have so many memories associated with time spent in parks - walking, reading, riding my bike, camping, or just hanging out ... I could fill this blog with THOSE memories ... Canada has some absolutely incredible parks.

7) Haida Gwaii - Otherwise known as The Queen Charlotte Islands - Located across the Hecate Strait from Prince Rupert. The Islands known as Haida Gwaii, are utterly breath-taking. I visited them once for a Presbytery meeting when I served in Bella Coola, and I was awestruck by the tiny corner of them that I saw ... I've wanted to go back and see more ...

8) Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa ... I love Canada's cities. Even TO could have made the list, but what I thought about were the trips I've taken to these cities, the sites I've taken in, the meals I've enjoyed and the time I've spent in the older, downtown sections of these grand cities ... They may not have the pulse of a New York, but they have a charm that is distinctly Canadian.

9) The Museum of Civilization in Ottawa ... It is an incredible place to visit. It provides you with an overview of Canada's history, heritage and breadth, all under one roof. A favourite corner of mine is the Bella Coola (Nuxalk) Long House in the Great Hall ... a video within shows a potlatch feast from the fall before I arrived in Bella Coola - I've stood and watched the video and wiped away tears from my eyes ... it brings back too many memories ...

10) Bilingualism - Whether it is in Quebec, in St Boniface, or in Kapuskasing, where I once was the ONLY anglophone in the McD's ... it is an amazing thing to live in a country where Bilingualism is the RULE of the day ... It speaks of our tolerance, and our acceptance. We're not perfect, and there are more than enough unilingual red-necks out there (although I think with most rednecks, you're hard pressed to call them lingual at all ...). But Canada has tried pretty hard to be a Bilingual Country, and we would be much poorer if we lost Quebec and its rich cultural and linguistic heritage ...

11) The CBC - I am a CBC fan ... I can't say enough about CBC, and I listen to CBC Radio One constantly, and watch CBC Television for something OTHER than hockey. One of the great cultural institutions we possess as Canadians is the CBC. Most people in the urban sprawl fail to realize what a resource it is - but when you live miles away from any other radio or tv signal, CBC is a link to the world ... The luminous personalities like the late and very great Peter Gzowski are like trusted family members ... They come into our homes and share their stories, then leave us laughing, crying and thinking ... I LOVE the CBC !!

12) Pierre Elliot Trudeau - Any nation that boast of a Prime Minister the calibre of Pierre Elliot Trudeau joins the ranks as a great nation. The current pool of political leadership causes me to yearn for one like PET ... he was witty, intelligent, sharp tongue, and most of all PROUD to be a CANADIAN !!!! The image of Pierre, wearing his buckskin jacket and paddling a canoe is indelible in the minds of those who grew up in the era when he was our leader ... Love him or hate him ... you had to admit he knew what it meant to be Canadian !!!

HAPPY CANADA DAY !!!

A quotation that caused me to pause ...

A friend is someone

who reaches out for your hand

and instead touches your heart.

-unknown

------------------------------

I'm glad I have one friend

I trust enough to touch my heart ...

I Highly Recommend ...

Late night drives with the music playing ...

it helps clarify things,

it helps answer questions,

it helps to reveal truths,

and it helps to make decisions ...

... much is revealed in the dark of night,

and that is never a bad thing.