The Theology I REJECT:

We all know the nursery rhyme about Little Jack Horner:

Little Jack Horner sat in a corner,

eating his Christmas Pie.

He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum,

and said "what a good boy am I!"

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Sadly, this little childrens' ditty, has become symptomatic of the dominant theology of Mainstream churches today, even as they go through the motions of trying to reach out to those who have, for a diversity of reasons, walked away from them ...

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The church is blithely sitting in its corner eating its version of Christmas Pie and delighting in the selfishness that has taken hold and prevented it from seeing past the so-called "plum" it is happily holding aloft for all to see ... not that any one is looking ...

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The evidence of this theological delusion comes from the words of Martin Luther King himself who in 1963 said eloquently from a jail cell in Birmingham Alabama:

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There was a time when the church was very powerful--in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators."' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests. Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent--and often even vocal--sanction of things as they are.

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But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.
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I openly reject the Church of Jack Horner that ignores the need for change ... and instead blames the "outsiders," "the agitators," and dubs people like me who can see a better way of doing things as "troublemakers," and the other phrases cited in the previous posting ...

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I reject the Church that values the way things are (the status quo) MORE than spiritual growth and ensures everything is okay with lawyers rather than making sure it is okay with our faith ...

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I reject the Church that values niceness and complacency over action and faith ...

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I reject the Church that sits rubbing its hands together in distress and does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to address the problems that are gripping it ...

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In short, I reject the Church the way it is ...

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For too long the agenda has been set by people for whom the Church is a bobble to show "what a good boy am I" rather than a spiritual reality that engages in life affirming change in our world ... For too long the immature have set the agenda and bullied the rest of us into silence ... and as a result the Church has been slowly dying ...

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Today we start to live ... Today the Church reclaims the action of faith that lives change and transformation rather than sitting idly hoping things will get better all by themselves ...

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And it begins by living our faith ... and I can't think of a better image than the one below with Rabbi Abraham Heschel and Rev. Martin Luther King standing in solidarity with each other ...
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The Non-Jack Horner Church will NEVER be afraid to live its faith and to confront those who want to maintain the status quo ... the status quo MUST change ... and it will ...

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We can thwart many things - but we can NEVER thwart the Spirit ... waiting is no longer an option ... it's time to claim back OUR church from the unfaithful leadership who have done nothing to move past the toxic complacency that keeps them planted in their corner proudly prodding their pie and doing nothing constructive ...

Dysfunction, Anxiety and Failure ...

" We will hear of no problem ... we will see no problem and we will speak of no problem ... our family, our congregation, our community and our society are JUST FINE thank you ..."

Such is the sentiment operating widely across our society in places where chronic anxiety has become the dominant experience, be it in business, in families, in volunteer organizations, in faith groups or in political parties. The anxiety has allowed the unhealthy among us to hold the entire system hostage ...

Friedman cites the example of a presentation he once did where a woman stood and began to berate the presenters, the audience and the greater society while NO ONE did anything to stop her and silence her ... She used the "right words" to drive others into silence while abusing not only the opportunity before her, but those around her ... Sadly, people like that are NOT new ... Not only does Friedman cite numerous examples in his work, almost all of us can think of people who have been nothing short of bullies in imposing THIER personal agendas on others ...

Today as I read the five characteristics of a Chronically anxious system, I couldn't help but see many of those characteristics on the journey I've been treading over the last couple of years ... Many of the very symptoms that Friedman has named have been operating in the life of Minnedosa, both as a community, and within the micro-cosom that is the United Chruch here ... Perhaps most startling of all is the total unwillingness of ANYONE to admit to this and to deal with it ... identifies

Friedman identifies the five characteristics as follows:
1) Reactivity
2) Herding
3) Blame Displacement
4) A Quick-Fix Mentality
5) Failure of Nerve

He explores the impact and the outcome of these characteristics, and I will share some of the insights he offers in future posts ... but for the moment I would like to share one quotation that stands out as an ACCURATE description of EXACTLY what I experienced in Minnedosa as a toxic, dysfunctional individual began to spin the web of lies and half truths that the anxious members of the community lapped up likedogs ...

Friedman writes:

... the herding family will wind up adopting an appeasement strategy towards its most troublesome members while sabotaging those with the most strength to stand up to the troublemakers. The chronically anxious, herding family will be far more willing to risk losing its leadership than to lose those who disturb their togetherness with their immature responses. Always striving for consensus, it will react against any threat to its togetherness by those who stand on principle rather than good feelings. The herding instinct will move and emotionally regressive family to a position where it edeavours to accomodate the disruptions of the immature and of those who think in terms of their rights rather than their responsibilities.

So rather than take stands with the most disturbed members and support those who stand tall, the herding family will adapt to the symptom-bearer (alcoholic, delinquent, substance abuser, gambler, hot tempered one) and at the same time undercut anyone who attempts to define him or herself against the forces of togetherness. They will often characterize that person as "cruel," "heartless," "insensitive," "unfeeling," "uncooperative," "selfish," and "cold."

Actually, this tendancy to adapt to immaturity and to sabotage strength is so often characteristic of chronically anxious systems that a good rule of thumb for leaders who are trying to pull any institution out of its regression is that when people start calling you "cruel," "autocratic," "heartless," "hardheaded," "unfeeling," "uncooperative," "selfish," and "cold" there is a good chance you are going in the right direction.

I read these words and found them resonating with the experience here in Minnedosa as a chronically anxious system sought to maintain the status quo rather than deal with itself and struggle to become something more than it is ... I wondered about the accuracy of these words, so I shared the above quotation with 13 year old Noahkila ... as I finished reading he smiled and said:

"Sounds like what you've just gone through in the church ..."

We then discussed the name calling and how ALL of those phrases Friedman identifies rolled off the lips of those who sought to reject me and my ministry ... So desperate to maintain the illusion of cohesive togetherness, they HAD no choice but to posit the blame on the outsider ... I couldn't help but wonder why - if a 13 year old can see this - why than can't the esteemed leadership of the Greater Church open their eyes to it ??????

Sadly, as Friedman goes on to explore this topic he notes that often denominations are so emeshed in this dysfunction that they lose the ability to see it and deal with it ... and ministers find themselves being bounced from congregation to congregation as the failure of the Pastoral Relationship is placed on THEIR shoulders rather than placing it where it belongs. I made mistakes - but my mistakes pale in comparison to the incompetence, dishonesty and fear that runs rampant in the leadership of this community and this church ... and NO ONE IS willing to hold the others to the same standard they so willingly held me to ...

Hearing Board members say - "wait, wait, wait," while they did nothing to address the problems that were becoming apparent, then hearing the voices call on the return to a fictious place of unity and togetherness (that's the WHOLE point of Friedman), by simply eliminating ME as the minister simply underscores the depth of the dysfunction that is gripping this community ... what worsens the situation is the unwillingness or inability of the Greater Church to open their eyes to what is really happening here (and in other communties as OTHER colleagues find their pastoral relations severed by THEIR Churches) ...

Maybe one day others will FINALLY read the words of Friedman instead of dismissing him and his wisdom (I've yet to meet a colleague in West Man who is at all familiar with Friedman and his work - and for the last two years it has been what my colleagues across the nation (And the continent) have urged me to read as I've struggled to wend my way through this morass - THAT simple fact alone explains a great deal about why the United Church in West Man is in the state it is in - but no one wants to HEAR THAT either!!??) ... But when reading Friedman and taking his words seriously truly begins to happen, the toxic dysfunction that has marked the lives of congregations like Minnedosa United Church will finally be addressed and the healing these places desperately need will finally begin ...

But first it requires - NAY - it DEMANDS the courage to say to the immature and unwell people who say things like "If this doesn't happen, we will no longer attend or give money ..." - "GO ahead, there's the door. Don't let it hit you on the ass on the way out ... See ya !!"

And then we can let the healthy and strong among us get to work creating the faith communities we need to truly live the Gospel.

Maybe one day ... maybe one day ... in the meantime the chimps still sit ... and the lies being told continue to roll around ... and everyone pretends it is all better ...

Come O Holy Spirit Come !!!!!! There's so much more work to be done here ...

What were you thinking???

I have to start by admitting that I love Micheal Buscemi who has played many memorable roles in movie after movie ... I just couldn't think of a better visual to go with this posting ... his look in Mr Deeds summarizes the scattered and borderline crazy thinking that has run rampant in places like Minnedosa for too long ... thinking serves only to hinder and hold back the community in its attempts to achieve something more ...

As way of illustration, I would cite the criticism that was lobbed at me a while back after I spoke out about the "work" of Boards and volunteers in the community ... the person calling me down offered the blatant implication that because at the time I was the Minister - I should not have offered any comment about the work of groups in the community that could be construed as critical about the effort of "hard working" volunteers ...

It is an interesting quandry to consider ...

My first thought was to dismiss that notion as foolishness ... but ...

I then wondered if jealousy and envy played a roll ... that may be a possibility - one learns to fear and attack that (and those) which we don't understand ... in short - ignorance often leads us to savage those who are smarter, more articulate and better spoken then ourselves, rather than opening our minds to the possibility that there exists more than one way to view the world ...

The reality is that volunteer boards often lose their way, and become SO focused on what they are doing that they DESPERATELY need fresh perspectives - but in small towns, too often that fresh perspective is blocked and actively denied ... in short - they become gridlocked and are unable to envision creative and NEW solutions. The status quo becomes defended at ALL COSTS and no contrary opinion is welcomed.

Witness as an example the Chamber of Commerce in our own little town ... they've publically stated that perhaps the economic path of salvation for this town is by attracting businesses like a Pizza Hut or a Subway ... blithely ignoring the sweat and devotion a half dozen small restaurant and food service enterprises have invested in their place of businesses that would suddenly find themselves in an even tighter battle for survival. The actions of the Economic Development Officer and the Chamber is NOT only counter-intuitive, it runs counter to EVERYTHING out there about Community and Economic Development (something they would know if they had an EDO who had even a little bit of training in the field)!!!!

Today I read a comment by Rabbi Edwin Friedman who points out that often the grid locked systems display three dominant traits:
1) an unending treadmill of trying harder (with less and less achieved)
2) constantly looking for answers rather than reframing the questions (and thinking outside the box)
3) the predominance of either/or thinking that creates and perpetuates false dichotomies

Today I realized that I live in a community (thankfully I no longer have to work in it) that is totally GRID LOCKED ... it is dying, no longer incrementally, but rapidly ... Those of us who want to see change are NOT welcomed ... those of us who want it to be better than it is are excluded and shunned ... and those of us who actually care about seeing the community prosper are criticized and cast out for it ... the treadmill of destruction is fully engaged ...

Thankfully though ... there is a small and very dedicated group of people who not only want to see this community - THE TOWN OF MINNEDOSA - live, we are working actively to see it happen ... the funny thing is - the majority of them are not long term residents - we are outsiders - ... and we have never been integrated into the life of the community beyond a superficial "welcome" that left us like the last kid picked for a school yard game - standing wondering "WHY?"

Yet as outsiders, WE WANT TO BREAK THE GRID LOCK AND SET THIS TOWN FREE FROM ITSELF !!!!

AND we won't take no for an answer ...

We will work that much harder to illustrate the short-sightedness of those who want to maintain the status quo ...

We will set our goals and work to inspire others to join us so that Minnedosa will become more than it is now ... instead of rubbing our hands together in distress and taking our hard earned dollars down the highway to spend them in Brandon (like too many of the voices who have spoken out harshly against me and others) we will continue to invest our time, our energy, our enthusaism and our committment into this beautiful little town ...

We will NOT let Minnedosa simply wither away ... instead we will raise our voices and speak out and WE WILL bring the change this town needs ...

There is more to this town than the hockey rink and the golf course ... there is HUGE untapped potential all around us ... the problem is:

MINNEDOSA isn't a WARM and WELCOMING Place like it thinks it is ... so, instead of waiting to be welcomed in, WE (the outsiders and the newcomers) will create our own place of warmth and welcome ... and in the process WE WILL CHANGE THE VERY FABRIC OF THIS TOWN, and make it BETTER.

Who says you can't criticize a volunteer on a Board who has been there too long, and who has only thier own interests at heart, and not the best interests of the community OR the group they are volunteering with ??? The last time I checked Canada was a free nation where our right to speak was guaranteed in the Constitution ... and as part of that right to speak, we have the obligation to hold Boards, Committees and our elected officials responsible for the TRUST we place in them ... they ANSWER TO US !!!!

So, not only will I continue to speak up ... I WILL encourage others to do the same, and together WE WILL CHANGE THE WAY THINGS ARE TO THE WAY THEY ARE MEANT TO BE !!!

... and so, let the revolution begin ...

Oh, and to those who take offense to what I've said here - instead of huffing and puffing about what I wrote here, either piss or get off the pot ... you either part of the problem or part of the solution ... and so far the so-called solution isn't working ... SO make your choice ... but first - JUST STOP TALKING !!!

One life ...

Gandhi is known for saying - "Be the Change you seek ..."

This week I've been finding myself in places where the change I seek is not only present in the moment, but is unfolding around me in exciting ways ... This week I've helped Chipperfield Coffee Company join in Fair Trade Manitoba's One Month Challenge, and as of last night (two days in) our expectations have been exceeded, and our customers have asked for more Fair Trade Products that we were prepared to offer at the present time ... a quick chat lead to a dozen emails and we're moving towards expanding our Fair Trade selections sooner than planned - NOT A BAD THING !!!!

Yesterday I spent some time walking up and down the back alleys and the out of the way corners of downtown Brandon exploring the places where some of the shelterless folks find themselves sleeping at night ... under bridges, behind dumpsters, in abandoned loading docks, and in protected entrance ways, the ingenuity is startling ... but the very fact that humna beings - people like YOU AND I are sleeping in such places at all in a country overflowing with resources, wealth and possibilities is APPALLING !!! But getting a sense of where it is happening is part of understanding the broad solutions needed to address the problem to begin with ...

That walk came on the heels of several provedential encounters with folks who may prove to instrumental in helping actualize some of the solutions needed for Brandon ... over coffee, in the produce aisle of a grocery store, and on a cold and windy street corner, I've come to appreciate that the Spirit has guided me to those moments for a reason ... I'm not sure yet what the reason is, but I have no doubt that in the fullness of time I will look back on those moments and see their importance through the unfolding of future events ...

Overall, though it has helped me realize the impact that one person can have ... often we underestimate the impact that a single person can have ... yet over and over in history we see individuals who manage to do astounding things by living their values and principles and helping others ... Last night I started reading the latest book by the late Edwin Friedman entitled "A Failure of Nerve" where he examines leadership in the modern era ...

His early book has been a constant companion in the journey I've been on over the last two years ... but this new book challenges us to not only re-vision leadership in an era filled with fear and cowardice, but to consider the way to lead IN SPITE of the fear and cowardice that has too often sacrificed leaders in the pursuit of the status quo.

As I read Friedman and thought about the things I've been busy with in the last couple of days I thought more about the impact a single person can have ... right now my goal is to encourage and empower folks to realize the impact they can have in the areas of Homelessness, Housing and Fair Trade ... but then I thought about the toxic nasty people who have had profoundly negative and hurtful impacts because people of Good Faith have done nothing to stop them ... Too often we underestimate the viciousness people are capable of, and by the time we begin to realize just what lies in their heart the damage is extensive, wide spread and perhaps irrecoverable ...

Gandhi's statement - "be the change you seek" MUST be connected with that change being reflective of your heart ... I look back on the presence in my journey of people who were toxic, nasty and vicious and marvel at the trust OTHERS (and myself at times) have placed in them and wonder how we could be so incredibly stupid to believe their intentions were even remotely nobel ...

The costs for that folly have been simply enormous ... I pray that one day others will see their folly and REAL and SUBSTANTIVE change can begin ...

Starts TODAY !!!!

It starts today ...

The One Month Challenge,

a 30 day commitment to use and promote

FAIR TRADE Products at home, at work and at play.

To learn more

CLICK HERE

and consider joining the Challenge.

A Breakfast I'll Never Forget ...

It was early one morning at the Train Station/Bus Station on Hastings in Vancouver ... I had just dropped a friend off to catch his bus home, and was heading back out to my van when a gentleman whom I assume was homeless, or atleast economically challenged approached me and said:

"Some spare change so I can get some breakfast?"

I stopped and looked into his face and said with a smile, "I won't give you change, but if you need breakfast I would be happy to buy whatever you want from the restaurant inside." I motioned to the McD's franchise just inside the door.

"Really?" came a surprised reply as the extended hand was withdrawn.

"Really," I said still smiling, "what would you like?"

He thought for a moment, then answered, "I would love a sausage and egg McMuffin with hashbrowns and a coffee with cream and sugar."

"Just one?" I asked.

"I don't want to be a pig," he said looking down and whispering.

"Two it is," I replied, "would you like an orange juice to go with it?"

He nodded as I turned and went in and bought two sausage and egg McMuffins, hashbrowns, an extra large coffee and a large orange juice and carried it back out to the gentleman who was waiting by the bench in front of the entrance way.

When I returned he had been joined by a friend and the two of them were talking excitedly. The first gentleman turned to me and apologized saying he was going to share his breakfast with his friend because they both were pretty hungry.

I handed the first man his breakfast and said, "You don't have to share," as I asked his friend what he would like.

The second man said, "Just an egg McMuffin would be fine."

"I'll get you the same as your friend," I said, "How do you take you coffee?"

When I came back with the second breakfast the two men settled in on the grass not far from the Memorial to the victims at Polytechnique, and happily enjoyed thier bounty. As I turned to head to my van they both looked up and smiled and said "Thank you."

I smiled back and said, "NO, Thank you for letting me do this ..."

I was out less than 12 dollars, but for a brief moment in the sunshine of a summer morning, two men feasted like kings and made me feel like I had done something worthwhile ... the smiles of contentment they shared with me and each other meant more to me than I can even describe ...

When there is a problem in the world ...

I found this image last week as I was beginning my new work adventure ... It struck me then, as now as an ICONIC visual of what homelessness in Canada can truly mean ...

The mean streets are down right vicious when it is in the minus temps, the snow is falling and the wind is howling ... and yet for thousands of people across this nation, this is the simple reality they find themselves having to endure ... We need to stop asking "WHY?" ... and embrace fully the notion of Housing First, in our collective efforts to address not just homelessness, but also hunger, poverty, and the housing crises that are gripping our nation ...

As I've considered this image, and shared it with those I am working with I keep recalling the words of Palestinian Melikite Priest Father Elias Chacour, who in his book Blood Brothers, shared the following story:

My mentor shared the story; "... if there is a problem somewhere , this is whathappens. Three people will try to do something concrete to settle the issue. Ten people will give a lecture analyzing what the three are doing. One hundred people will commend or codemn the ten for their lecture. One thousand people will argue about the problem. And ONE PERSON - ONLY ONE - will involve himself so deeply in the true solution that he will be too busy to listen to any of it ... NOW," he asked gently, his penetrating eyes meeting each of ours in turn, "which person are you?"

It remains a question that haunts me ... which person shall I be ???

Which person are you ???

Two Years Ago Today ...

My day began at 5:58am with the telephone ringing in the kitchen ... as I charged down the stairs to answer it I smelled smoke (not a good thing in a 100+ year old home) ... my first thought was it was something INSIDE the house ...

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Then I answered the phone to hear the news that Minnedosa United Church was on fire ... by 8 am it was a loss ... by 11 am it was a smouldering foundation full of shattered ruins ... that day we broke bread, shared the cup and set our face to the future ...

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It was a journey that would be fraught with more grief, more losses, and more hurt than I could have ever imagined ...

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Now 2 years later ... the vacant lot remains ... the pastoral relationship has ended ... and Minnedosa struggles ... and I am left feeling spiritually homeless ...

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There is no way to count the tears that have been shed in the last 24 months ... nor to account for the hurt that has been inflicted ... or to tally the losses that continue to mount ...

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Today I am mindful of just what has been lost since that day two years ago ... Maybe one day the healing will really begin ...

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For now I can only weep at what has been lost ...

A reply from a friend ...

A long time ago ... seemingly half a lifetime away, we used to shop at a wonderful jewel of a general store that carried a dizzying selection of just about EVERYTHING imaginable ... it was a favourite place to go for a wander with a then toddler Noahkila who LOVED the toy section ... and urgent gift needs were seldom unmet in the amazing breadth of items the store carried ...

Last week Ms. H noticed a price sticker on a deck of cards and asked where "that store is?" and we told her about it ...

Yesterday, or more truthfully, early this morning the proprietor of that business sent me an email in reply to my posting about the product recalls ... I was delighted ... thanks to the internet in recent months our family and his have been able to reconnect and get caught up on the events that have transpired over the last 11 years ... BUT the latest email caused me pause to proclaim a hearty - "AMEN !!!"

Sharing his experience with the aforementioned product recalls, he rightly posits the blame where it belongs ... I bear no grudge on any small business owner just trying to make a living ... I don't even begrudge them buying products - afterall, THEY do have to make a living in a global market ... but like my businessman friend I DO place the blame for this at the feet of the manufacturers who have embraced the race to the bottom a little too eagerly ...

So in support of small local businesses anywhere - I offer the following quotation as a reminder that what WE chose to do with our hard earned dollars has an impact ... it's our job to seek a positive impact:

I'd also like to offer a little more information on your item today about the lead paint recall issue. Those of us who read newspapers (yes, there are still some of us out here) have been well-informed on this matter for months. It WAS in the headlines, and all responsible retailers have long since pulled these products. In our own case, our suppliers sent us lists, they gave us full credit for any goods on the lists, and we checked every product made in China, whether it was on the list or not.

The problem has arisen because lead paint (banned in Canada for at least the last twenty years) dries in 1/4 the time of non-lead paint. The manufacturers have put so much pressure on the factories to deliver larger orders faster and faster, that many Chinese factories started using lead paint because it dries faster. In principle, of course I completely support your "buy local" position, and other aspects of concern about people shopping only for price. However, in this case I think the blame has to fall with the manufacturers (Mattel, et al) who have moved their facilities offshore, and with impossible delivery demands create bad results. I believe that they are the real villains.

Once again: "AMEN!!"

Are YOU In ?????????

Valentines' Day marks the beginning of Fair Trade Manitoba's One Month Challenge ... for 30 Days you make the pledge to drink ONLY Fair Trade Coffee and Tea, and consume Fair Trade Chocolate and OTHER products wherever feasible ...

You agree to participate in some surveys to track the success of the Challenge, and you do you bit promoting Fair Trade Products amongst your family, friends, co-workers and others you may meet during the challenge ...

For me personally, the One Month Challenge isn't really much of a challenge - I drink only Fair Trade Coffee at home - my favourite is Cafe Awasa DARK - an Ethiopian Coffee from Level Ground Ltd. And to switch to Fair Trade Tea would not be a HUGE leap ...

I've been helping the good folks at Chipperfields gear up for the Challenge by introducing a Fair Trade Coffee Selection EVERYDAY for the 30 days ...they've broadened their selections and with the help of their staff, will be promoting Fair Trade Products throughout the month as they introduce to Minnedosa Coffees supplied by four marvelous Fair Trade Roasters from ACROSS Canada.

Stay tuned ... I'll share more as we move through the challenge ... but for the moment I have to ask - "ARE YOU IN ???"

Click here - to learn more, and to consider signing up for the One Month Challenge ...

Changing the world is as easy as your morning cup of coffee !!!

WHERE ARE THE HEADLINES ABOUT THIS ????

Today while checking the latest news on the CBC website I noticed a link on the side bar that made reference to "recalls and consumer advisories". Intrigued I clicked and discovered a web page that is nothing if not FRIGHTENING.

The web page (click here) has 194 Childrens items on a recall list over the last couple of months - the VAST MAJORITY of them as a result of concerns over the level of LEAD contained in them. From building blocks to buttons - there is a dizzying array of everyday childrens' items, some that my own kids have likely played with in the past, that are on the recall list because the manufacturers saw fit to USE LEAD IN THE PRODUCTION !!

As I read through the list I couldn't help but wonder WHY ???

Not only why is lead there at all, but why as consumers do we have to DIGGING to find this information???

One of the items is a baby sleeper and bootie set sold at Zellers that has lead in the BUTTONS!! How many of these sleeper sets have been wrapped on children across Canada?? And how many of those parents have the TIME and ENERGY to go LOOKING for the recall notice buried in a subcategory of the CBC web site????

I found it because I'm confortable with the technology of the web, and today as I contrinue to recover from whatever bug has thumped through our house, I have little else to keep me occupied - so clicking a few side bar links was EASY ...

But I seriously doubt many people even KNOW this link exists, and if they do, I doubt they go looking very often ...

I don't dare to offer a solution here ... but I think there needs to be MORE AWARENESS out there about the dangers lurking in the toy bins ... handing kids lead tainted toys just ain't on ... ALL of this is the direct result of consumers' foolish desire to get the lowest price - the race to the bottom has its costs ... but I'm not willing to tolerate that cost being exacted on the backs of our children ...

Spread the word ... tell your friends and neighbours - the more who know about the sheer number of recalls the better ... maybe when we wake up and realize that the world isn't getting better through shopping, then we can really address the issues facing us and our planet ...

Today ...

This morning we awoke to highways closed across Manitoba,

the wind gusting heartily bringing with it extreme windchills,

and weather warnings to stay off the roads and indoors.

It all sounded like good news in this household ...

the bug that has been making the rounds of town

has hit us HARD ... I lumbered through yesterday

and today have been sipping tea, juice, and cup'o'soups

while trying to stay warm ...

Unfortunately we're NOT the only household

struck with these bugs ... it's running rampant!!

The only healthy one here is Beetle ...

I wonder what she'll cook the rest of us for supper !!

It doesn't matter ...

In the last week I've read a dozen or more studies about

homelessness and the housing crisis we're facing Nationally.

Over and over the authors have mused on how such an

epidemic can exist in a time of unprecedented economic growth.

And over and over

they have insisted

(both the left and the right wing commentators)

that the time for studies and conversations is OVER.

NOW is the time for ACTION.

It doesn't matter why they are HOMELESS,

the very fact they ARE in our nation is appalling.

It's time ALL OF US DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

With eyes to see ...

The other day Beetle came to the front door very excited about something ...

"Look, look ..." she said holding up a chunk of snow, "it's shaped kind of like heart."

"Hmmmm," said curmudgeonly me.

But she was insistent ... and she won me over ...

I think I learned in that moment that it is sometimes all about one's perspective, and one's openess to see ... Beetle saw a heart in a chunk of snow ... I wonder what other amazing things she'll find as she journeys through life with her eyes and heart wide open ...

Not quite THAT BAD ... YET !!!

One of the first things I've been busy doing is researching, accessing, reading and printing recent and current studies into poverty and homelessness in Canada ...

I've spent time the last couple of days reading a HUGE variety of web pages, studies and research papers about the state of poverty and homeless across Canada and I was absolutely blown away by how bad things really are ... my desk is awash in print versions of these tomes and I've begun pulling pertinent bits and pieces out of them to undergird the work of the committee I'm now working for ...

It's a daunting task ... it's a far reaching problem and there are no simple solutions ... but along with stacks and stacks of paper work I have begun to connect with a multitude of people who want to see more than words offered as a solution ...

Stay tuned ... in the coming days I will share some of the links and papers with you ... and who knows? Maybe together we can ALL be part of the solutions that are so desperately needed ...

Your vote is needed ...

And the winner is ...

Come on loyal readers ... while we've been enjoying a mixed bag

of weather across the lower reaches of North America,

my dear friend Indigo has been truly "going Native," or

in this case "going Inuit!!" to stay warm in the far north.

NOW, she needs your vote to pull ahead in the poll at

Nunavut Nonsense

Head over there and cast a vote for

INDIGO

THANKS.

Check out the other fun and funky postings there too !!

In the hands of the Cosmos ...

The other day I offered up a post reflecting on the importance of a song by Elton John to my life's journey, both past and currently ... The song "I'm Still Standing" is, as I said a personal favourite since the first time I heard it many years ago ...

Today, coming back from appointments in Winnipeg I decided to call a friend I hadn't talked to for awhile on my cell ... as we got caught up on life and the happenings in our respective worlds we talked about the challenges our life journeys sometimes toss our way ... we laughed, we danced along the edge of shedding a few tears (at least I did), and we reaffirmed a friendship that has been a gift and a blessing ...

The conversation covered a lot of territory ... As I hungup I had the realization that life is best lived entrusted FULLY to the hands of the cosmos while focusing on the potential of today rather than getting hung up on the battles of yesterday and the fears of tomorrow ... we said our good byes and I tucked my phone in my pocket. I reached over and turned up the radio in the van only to hear Elton John's song "I'm Still Standing" playing on the Winnipeg radio station I was tuned to ...

You can't tell me THAT song in THAT moment wasn't a sign from the cosmos ... Like Sir Elton says - "I'm still standing better than I ever did. Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid. I'm still standing after all this time !!!"

I AM still standing ... and after the last couple of years, that counts for A LOT.

AND a HUGE THANKS to my friends for helping make THIS possible !!!

It's ALL Just a Ride ...

It's funny ... in the coming days I begin a new job in a new area of MINISTRY that lies beyond the structure of the Church ... while my heart yearns to be in the day to day ministry of preaching and pastoral care, I know that this is simply not possible for me right now in my life ... I am a round peg being forced into a square hole ...

And so my departure is bitter sweet ... I will miss the "WORK" that is the day to day reality of Pastoral Charge ministry ... but I have become increasingly aware that my theological take and my insistence (thanks to Martin Luther King) that the ENDS and the MEANS must not just connect but be in synche with each other, as pushed me from the fold of the United Church ... My read of the Gospels and the source material that motivates us is that the nice words are pointless if we fail to live them out ...

I do, as I've said a dozen or more times here - believe that we can change the world ...

We just have to believe it is possible ... and make BETTER choices as we journey forward ...

To me the greatest irony is that THIS SIMPLE message is running rampant ALL OVER THE world - voices raise this cry over and over and over ... BUT in the institutions we have become defenders of the Status Quo, and we resist change while speaking hollow words that proport to be transformative ...

I AM A BELIEVER IN THE RESURRECTION ... not a narrow view of "Get Right With Jesus" and have your life altered ... but a BROAD COURAGEOUS view that says - "With GOD all things are indeed possible ..." and we then open ourselves up to the transformative power that comes from THAT kind of FAITH.

The Resurrection is about rocking the boat and getting those in the boat wet while we tray to make our way to a safe harbour and pull in those floating on the waves around us ...

The Resurrection is about comforting the afflicted and offering them more than empty words ...

The Resurrection is about afflicting the comfortable and like the Biblical Prophets of Yor, calling the wealthy to task, particularly when they sit in their comfortable pews and nod to the words that call us to DO MORE ...

The Resurrection is about LIVING YOUR FAITH ... clothing the naked, caring for the sick, picking up the downtrodden, sheltering the widows and orphans and seeking justice, compassion and love in ALL THINGS ...

These concepts have been said in countless ways by countless people ... and sadly, our world still struggles ...

Today I realized that perhaps the clearest message of "FAITH" comes from a voice outside the Church ... I've used this clip before ... but in the coming days, I will hear these words in a different way ...

When Bill Hicks says - "It's all just a ride ..." and goes on to elaborate on this ... he speaks a profound (and for many: uncomfortable) truth ... the power of Hick's vision comes when at the VERY end he speaks of HOW we can change the world ... it really IS that simple ...

With over 400 BILLION Dollars spent in Iraq alone by the US Government, we can't help but pause and consider what incredible transformations COULD be possible if that money was used for health, education, food and shelter around the world ... but instead the ride continues ...

Maybe one day we'll have the courage to listen and follow these prophetic voices instead of setting out to destroy those who can see what life really is

Bill Hicks - "It's ALL just a ride ..."

Another song ... Crank That Kosher Boy!!!

Crank the volume and ENJOY !!!!

It Ain't Tuesday - BUT ...

I know it isn't Tuesday but ... the revelation of what new path is unfolding for me has begun to seep out, so it is time to reveal all ...


The keys pictured above ARE THE KEYS TO MY NEW OFFICE IN THE CITY OF BRANDON!!!

As of Monday morning, I will officially become the Homelessness Project Co-ordinator for the City of Brandon, working out of the office of Brandon Neigbourhood Renewal Corporation.

I accepted a 13 month contract for the position this past week, and I unofficially began my new job yesterday with an all day meeting with the Homelessness Steering Committee, and I truly hit the ground running ... my first formal day will be on Monday !!!! I'm very excited by the work before me and what has been laid out by the committee and the community of Brandon.



To learn more about The Brandon Homelessness Project and Committee - click here.

To learn more about The Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation - click here.

It will be an interesting and exciting, and no doubt challenging 13 months ... but I'm looking forward to EVERY minute of it ... for the first time in since 1990, I am working outside the United Church of Canada, and it feels more than alright ... it is what ministry REALLY is !!

Thanks BE to GOD !!!