UNICEF - the third at bat ... it's a hit !!!

Well, a couple of things have happened over the last 48 hours ... one is - I noticed on my sitemeter that we've been visited by a couple of folks from the UNICEF offices in New York (I noted the New York reference and looked ...) and the other is, I went searching on the web and found a reference on the Canadian UNICEF web site that has been posted in response to the hew and cry folks have raised (this blog included) to the plan to cut the orange box ...

I'll add the link below ... But for now, I'm still not happy that they are axing the little orange boxes. Using the rolling of coins as an excuse doesn't wash with me ... I recall a penny drive I helped with when I was in BC. The youth group collected hundreds of dollars in pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters ... we spent a night in the hall of the church rolling the coins.

We hit the local Zellers and Dollar Store and bought a bunch of the gizmos that assist in rolling pennies and went to work ... it took a couple of hours but we got it done ... It was a time of fun, laughter and utter silliness - but we managed to do something wonderful. We rolled close to 1000 dollars in coins ... AND we had a blast and it didn't even seem like work ...

Why couldn't schools do the same??

Our local elementary school is involved in a programme called Lions' Quest, and one of the components in it is the involvement of the youth in community and outreach activities. Wouldn't getting the grade five class, or the grade 8 class to roll pennies be a community outreach activity??

"Oh," say the cynics, "they might pocket a few dollars in coins ..."

Well, that is a risk. But overall the majority of the pennies will make their way into the UNICEF coffers - and in time your loss will be minimized because it will become a school effort, and peer pressure can sometimes become a good thing. But if a kid wants to pocket a handful of illicit change - maybe he feels he needs it more then the kids in Somalia or India or wherever ... Isn't that a risk we all take when we give to charities of any kind???

I do hear the concerns about kids chugging around on Halloween with money in their boxes hanging around their necks ... I hear it and wonder why there are so many kids out by themselves?? Our three go out with a parent each Halloween (which bums me out, because Oct 31st is my B-day, and I'd rather be home ... but parenting duties trump all else sometimes ...). It's just the way we do it ... I know not every parent can, or will - but I will only say it is kind of fun to watch the excitement of the kids as they trick or treat, and to watch our neighbours respond to the costumes ... (It's worth the inconvenience - trust me).

I suppose the bottom line for me here is - helping, supporting and being part of the important work that UNICEF does. If there are no orange boxes this Halloween, so be it - I hope the education campaign works. I for one will do my part.

If you want to read the press release it is at:

http://www.unicef.ca/news/displayNewsItem.php?id=161&PHPSESSID=486756148bf75d9f77d8254da9443af1


SPEAKING OF STEWARDSHIP ...

On the issue of fundraising, I posted an entry at my United Online Blog yesterday that highlights the need for better stewardship within the Church ... I've gotten some positive feedback on it, and I think it is an area I want to spend some time during this sabbatical reflecting on ...

Are we good stewards of our time, our money and our talents?
Are we good stewards of the profound and abundant wealth we take for granted?

I think if we were/are honest the answer would be NO, we are NOT good stewards ... we have much work to do.

For now, I wonder why it is that we never speak of Titheing in the United Church of ours ... I say this knowing that as for me and my household we have some ground to gain before we can say that we honestly tithe. We give to a variety of charities over the year, and we donate generously of our time in a variety of ways - but we (like many) could do much, much better ...

Imagine a Congregation of 100 families. Let's suppose the had an income of about 40000/year, and they tithes 10% of their income (4000 per household per year) ... that is close to 400 000 dollars!!! Now, even if the Church only got half of that it's still $200 000. I bet each of those households spend more then 4000 a year on things like entertainment (cable, movies, video/DVD rentals and so forth) or holidays ...

It's all a matter of priorities ... It's all a matter of better stewardship.

We are the wealthiest, most affluent society in the history of the planet, and instead of closing the gap between the haves and the have nots it seems to be widening ... We are becoming more and more selfish - and yet we have more and more and more that we could share ...

Perhaps we need to go back and revisit that story about the Widow's mite and think about where our stewardship comes from ... If we were more generous as a society, and as individuals, organizations like UNICEF would suddenly be out of business ... hmmm ... do we dare dream of such a world ????

May it be so ...

UNICEF Boxes revisited ...

I got the following response from an old and cherished friend - I think his words say it all:

Yeah! Whenever we give out candy at halloween, it's always "Some for you, somefor you -- Oh, you have a unicef box, here's some money and here's extracandy for you."

Our kids don't fare quite so well on the collection side though -sometimes people snarl at them as they go to collect for Unicef.

It'll be sad indeed that we plow all kinds of money into increasingly packaged & fancy candy at halloween while simultaneously losing one of the few redeeming features to that candy festival.

It's a sad statement on the affairs of our world isn't it?

It would be nice to see the little orange boxes continue, and for those of us who care to work harder at informing people as to their value. I remember having a rant from the pulpit a couple of years ago when our sister churches gave out little anti-UNICEF tags to put into the boxes inlieu of pennies. The tags were from a pro-life organization that said UNICEF supported agencies and organizations were advocating the use of condoms in Africa ... hmm, let's see - Africa has a spiralling HIV/AIDS rate, and condoms are a proven and effective means of addressing that ... it isn't rocket science that to save lives we have to check our personal opinions at the door and be about saving lives BEFORE we preach our view of morality !!

I've witnessed first hand the good that the UN and UNICEF can do. It came back in 1989 when I was privileged to join a study tour to Israel, Jordan and Egypt from the University of Toronto. During our time there we spent a day in the Gaza Strip (this was during the first Intifada). Now, with all politics aside - the existence for many in the Gaza is simply abysmmal, but with Intifada raging, it went from bad to worse ... and many people were suffering. We were at an UNRWA compound when big white trucks were being loaded with food, water and supplies for the refugee camps that were under curfew. Those trucks meant life for the people ... the supplies came from a wide variety of sources, but first and foremost was the UN and UNICEF. In those days a jug of water and a bag of flour could mean life itself for a Palestinian family.

Such happenings occur all over the world ...

Such is the power of UNICEF. We can argue its efficacy later - today we need to commit to doing something that makes a positive difference in the world ... immunizations, food, medicine and a wide variety of other gifts are given to children all over the world on our behalf because of UNICEF and those ubiquitous orange boxes ... on that basis alone, don't we owe it to the children of the world to work diligently to save them ???

If your community is like ours, in the spring and fall our children are busy doing sales and fund raising for a wide variety of community and school projects. Money is needed for teams, for band trips, for school projects and so on - the list is very long, but all of the money is used to benefit children in the community. That's not a bad thing - but when and where do our children learn about helping those who are truly less fortunate then they??? The UNICEF boxes are one of the ways in which our loval school has a conversation about helping others ...

Hey UNICEF people: Keep the boxes and work harder at educating our communities about WHY they are important ??? I'll be one of the first to help ... and I'll follow my friends lead and tell kids that on Halloween there will be more candy for them if they show up at my door with a UNICEF box ... it's been said by wiser people then I, that if you want to change the future - start with the children. What kind of lesson are we teaching our children by neglecting a way in which they can help others rather then just raising money for the latest team, school or community project ... the Orange box is the one thing that moves beyond our immediate world: all the more reason to keep it !!!!!!!

Maybe a petition is in order ...
... hmmm, it's worth a thought ...

UNICEF Boxes History??? (I hope not !!!)

I heard on the CBC news tonight that Unicef is cancelling (after a remarkable 50 years) the Halloween Orange Box campaign in Canada ...

I for one mourn the loss of the little cardboard boxes that appear on our door step each Halloween ... Our three children have been proudly wearing their UNICEF boxes tied around their necks each year (for Rebekkah last year was the year she became a "grown up kid" when she FINALLY got her own UNICEF box - I'm sure she waxed eloquently at age 6 about "waiting my WHOLE life to wear the UNICEF box" ... no one said she isn't prone to the melodramatic !!).

Each Halloween we prepare a bowl of change to be duly dropped in the UNICEF boxes that come our way - admittedly, where we live we don't see lots and lots of boxes, but the ones that arrive are loaded with pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and even loonies and twoonies ... Each small donation is worthwhile ... each small donation can make a difference when added to the many others from across the country.

It's too bad only 3 million dollars are raised each year - it's a worthy cause (anything that helps children in our world is a worthy cause) ... and having organized several penny drives in my day, I know the work involved in rolling pennies - but at the end of the day, rolling pennies and accumulating them together can mean a fair bit of money is raised for a good cause ...

If offering health and life to a child half a world away isn't a good cause, I can't imagine what is ... I hope UNICEF will reconsider ... I hope Canadians, like those who take the time to read my BLOG will help UNICEF consider reconsidering ...

Let's speak out and push to have the ubiquitous little Orange Boxes remain a Halloween Institution for another 50 years - and let's make sure they raise MORE then 3 million in pennies ...

dayenu,

Is anybody out there ????

There have been moments lately when I've thought about wrapping up this Blog site and it's sister site - "minnedosa united" and shutting them down. I've wondered if anyone is really reading these entries, and whether anyone really cares ...

Then this weekend, on the floor of the AGM for the Conference of Manitoba and North Western Ontario of this United Church of ours, I learned that my musings and rantings are being read. Many, many people came up to me and thanked me for the updates on our Congregational experiences since the fire, many many people have come up and expressed and appreciation of my thoughts and my writings here and at the sister site ... It was humbling and more then a little awesome ... There really are people out there in cyber space who have been reading my blogs - WOW !!!

Today I have a huge mix of thoughts and musings that I would like to put here - but I need to order my thoughts a bit ... the weekend at Conference was inspiring. I spent more time at my table group this weekend then I think I have cumulatively in my career in ministry. It was an inspiring group of people - diverse in location, age and background. Good questions were raised - good dialogue followed (our facilitator did a FINE job !!!). It was a good place to be and to learn, listen and laugh ... isn't that the point of table groups??? Listening to one another, learning from the life experiences we bring to the table and being able to laugh in the fullness of life ???

I have some notes on potential "blog entries" that came to me over the course of the weekend ... (when the thought came, I took out my pen and wrote on paper - the laptop stayed home for a break for both of us ...) ... over the coming days I will offer my thoughts and reflections on some of the conversations that came both on the floor and outside this weekend ... I went to Conference with trepidation and I have come home recharged and encouraged.

The many comments of support. The hugs, the hand shakes, the smiles from people who expressed their horror at the fire we've experienced here in Minnedosa, and who in turn offered their love and support has been inspiring to say the VERY least ... and hearing Lynette Miller and Linda Murray offer their reflections on their ministry as they prepare to enter the new potential of retirement reminded me and inspired me of what ministry is about (they were awesome).

So, today I'm tired ... but I'm excited ... before me lie three months of sabbatical and reflection ... and a call to ministry ... Today is a very good day ...

thanks to all for listening - thanks to all for the support and encouragement ...

peace and joy to you all,

7 & 12 ... The Birthday Weekend ...

Today our "baby" turned 7 ... hard to believe that it was seven years ago that Mag woke me up through the night by calling from the bathroom that her water had broken ... But it is ...

That day started quickly and somewhat harshly ... at about 4:30 am, Mag went to the small bathroom that was in our bedroom and by 9am we had our third child - our second daughter ... Rebekkah's delivery was fast and she was a HUGE baby ... but she was and has been very healthy.

It has been a busy seven years ... we marked her first birthday waiting to move to Minnedosa after being fired from Sharon United in Langley ... unlike Hannah and Sam, Rebekkah has spent her formative years on the prairies. She is a BC girl by birth only ... Nursery School and Kindergarten have happened in Minnedosa - like the other children of Minnedosa, she watched on February 12th as her Church and Nursery School burned down ...

Now our little baby is slowly becoming a big girl ... she can read, write and ride a bike without training wheels or a parent running along side ... She started her life in a hurry-up sort of way, but has become a wonderful young lady, who like her sibs fills our lives with joy and meaning ...

And tomorrow, our eldest - our little baby boy turns 12 ... TWELVE ???? Where has the little baby I used to sing to sleep gone??

It seems like yesterday that Mag spent two days in the hospital as they tried to initiate labour ... then when it finally started it seemed to take forever ... But in the early morning hours of May 21st, Samuel Elliot arrived in the United Church Hospital in Bella Coola ... he was helped along with doctors and nurses who had been gathered and were employed by the United Church, and the first person he met that night (before the RCMP showed up to meet him - don't know if that bodes well for his future ...) was the organist from the United Church ... Sam was and remains our Mission and Service boy !!

I remember the next morning, going out to the garage and telling our friend Wendy (his God-mother and one of our dearest and most cherished friends) that I was going to see my son ... I was proud of him that day, and with each passing year I find myself more and more proud of him. There are moments I don't like him much - but I will always love him and I will always be cheering from the sidelines as he accomplishes whatever he sets his mind to ... He's a mouthy, smart, and incredible young man - and tomorrow he turns 12.

My mind still reels at that ... where did the last 12 years go ??

The last year has seen a huge change in him ... he's growing up ... he has a journey ahead of him, but he'll turn out okay ... and we'll continue to love and cherish him ...

I'm proud of all three of my kids, and I think they are all great young people ... I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in life and where they will go ... This weekend we can look back on a long and windy road while we look ahead a road that continues to wend its way forward ... and with Sam, Hannah and Rebekkah accompanying us it will be a good journey ...

Happy Birthday to my two Birthday Babies - you make me proud to be your dad ...

... and I look forward to sharing many more birthday weekends with you (and Hannah too)!!

Back in the Headlines ...

Must be a slow news day in West Man ... Today's Brandon Sun has a headline that reads: "Donors Help Church." and with it is a picture of yours truly ...

The article that follows highlighted the unofficial fundraising that we are undertaking ... I say unofficial because no one has said we're fund raising yet. In time, as we move closer to turning sod and knowing what it is that will replace our building, we will begin raising money to help make the vision move from paper to reality ...

So far it has been quite a journey ... In the hours after the fire we recieved (and continue to recieve) offers of hymn books, choir gowns, pianos, organs and a variety of other objects from sister Churches all over Canada.

We've opened emails, letters, cards and notes from all over and often there are donations to help us in our rebuilding project ... The meaningful ones to me are the ones with a little note that says why the donor is sending his/her gift ... Watching one of the choir members last week bring Mrs Comrie a five dollar bill out of his wallet for the rebuilding brought tears to my eyes ... Those gifts are very meaningful. The card in a child's writing ... the gift of a young boy ... every donation - will make a huge difference in the long run ... They are the widows' mite that Jesus praised so highly in his ministry. They may not seem like much, but they are - to the giver and to us the reciever.

So, like the head line says - Donors DO help the Church ... every penny, every nickel, every dime sent to help us in our rebuilding WILL help us achieve the dream that lies ahead ... one frost February morning, we were robbed of something that is irreplacable, but in time we will rebuild something that to coming generations is as meaningful as what once stood on Main St here in Minnedosa ... and that dream will come as a result of the work and donations and effort of many, many people ...

The work has already begun - as we continue along our journey all we can say is: THANKS.

dayenu

Sticks and stones ... and words ...

Remember the little ditty: "Sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but words will never hurt me ..."??

I know mom was trying to be helpful when she taught it to us - but really, can we say that words are NOT hurtful?

I've watched in the life of my children the power of words, both those spoken and those withheld. There is a piece that many parents encounter that says - "If a child lives with ... she will develop ..." It's a series of statements that remind us of the power of words, and the profound impact they can have on the lives of our children.

As parents we are careful to nurture and encourage and build up our children. We protect them and try not to belittle nor humiliate them.

I remember reading a parenting book that said over and over, "Never say - 'you're stupid', when criticizing your child. Always direct your criticism at the action, not the child. Instead say "that action was kind of silly ... but I still love you ..." I remember reading that and thinking - "wow, what a great concept ..."

I love my children, but I don't always love some of the things they do. But what is important is making sure that they know when they are appreciated and when you disapprove of their actions. I will always love my children, but there are moments that I don't really like what they've done ... expressing our disapproval needs to be done with care and love ...

Likewise, expressing our support and our encouragement needs to happen too. If we never praise our children (or our partners, or our friends, co-workers and so on) what kind of example have we set?

I read a story this week that reminded me of the power of words ... It seems a man was heading down to the coffee room at work and he passed the office of a co-worker that he hadn't spoken to for quite awhile. He passed the door and thought - "I should see if he want to join me for coffee ..."
He stopped and backed up an said - "Hey, you wanna join me for a coffee?"
The co-worker was surprised and looked startled, but said "sure ..."
They went for coffee and had a lovely time chit chatting about nothing in particular. They laughed and told each other stories and jokes before they went back to work.

The next day the first man was visited by the co-worker. The co-worker confided in his refound friend how much the offer of coffee meant to him ... he went on to explain that he was sitting in his office contemplating opening the office window and jumping out ... his life had taken some bad turns and that very morning his wife had walked out on him, leaving him utterly alone.

The co-worker was deeply wounded and feeling utterly unloved and unappreciated. He sat watching the clouds pass on the horizon and had come to the conclusion that no one really cared ... he was about to open the window and leap when a head popped in the door way and said simply: "wanna join me for a coffee?"

In an instance care was offered - simple words were spoken and a life was altered ...

In the life of a child, offering words of care and support can mean the difference between a love filled with nurture and love and a lonely life bereft of these things ... In the life of our friends, co-workers and neighbours, words of care and support can sometimes make all the difference in the world.

I learned in the Native Tradition the value of simple words like "Thanks ..." and how potent a single word can be ... It's too bad that sometimes we choose to say nothing at all, or worse we simply forget ...

May we in the coming days remember that sticks and stones AND words can hurt or heal ... and may we have the courage to be a healing people:

If A Child Lives With. . .
by Dorothy Law Nolte (altered slightly)

If a child lives with criticism. . . . . . . .he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility. . . . . . . . she learns to fight.
If a child lives with fear. . . . . . . .he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with jealousy. . . . . . . .she learns to feel guilt.
If a child lives with tolerance. . . . . . . .he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement . . . . . . . .she learns to be confident.
If a child lives with praise. . . . . . . .he learns to be appreciative.
If a child lives with acceptance. . . . . . . .she learns to love.
If a child lives with approval. . . . . . . .he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with recognition . . . . .she learns that it is good to have a goal.
If a child lives with honesty. . . . . . . .he learns what truth is.
If a child lives with fairness. . . . . . . .she learns justice.
If a child lives with security. . . . . . . .he learns to trust in himself and others .
If a child lives with friendliness. . . . . . . .she learns the world is a nice place in which to live

errata

On the advice of a trusted and much appreciated friend ...

I've withdrawn the previous post for today ...

As Buddy on Night Court used to say: "But, we're feeling much better now !!'

The aggravation of computer problems ...

This week the AC adapter on my laptop packed it in ... in and of itself, not a big deal. If I was living in somewhere like Toronto it would have been an easy crisis to resolve ... but in rural Western Manitoba, it became a major hassle.

It meant I was limited in my computer access and unable to cruise the net, blog and do my email easily. Fortunately, I live in a wonderful small town where many people will still go way above and beyond to helpa neighbour.

I have been into the Library three or four times a day to check email and do "computer stuff". I could have gone cold turkey, but the withdrawal symptoms would have been too hard to face.

In reality, I could and did survive without computer access at my fingers. I hauled out my OLD lap top that has served me since I was gifted it in 2000 (it was a 5 year old computer then) - and it helped me do the funeral service I presided at this week. But, the victims' impact statement we are preparing on behalf the church was stuck in my new laptop, and had to wait ... I spent more time in conversation with people, I spent more time out and about in the community, I spent more time reading - all in all it was an okay break from the key board.

The other notable contribution to the week came from Dany Hamel, owner and operator of Minnedosa's Hamel Computer (a business on Main St). Dany and Sandy (his wife and business partner) called right away to order a new AC adapter, and Dany let me charge my laptop in the store, then in the evening loaned me his AC adapter to keep me online ... Talk about service. If there was a reward for exceptional business service Dany and Sandy would have my vote.

Hopefully on Monday the new adapter will arrive and I will be able to carry on ... For now, I will enjoy the chances I get to go online ... and I will appreciate what a treat it really is ...

dayenu,

We are not alone ...

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

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

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

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

I will attach the articles for folks to read:

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

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

The Second Article:

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

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

Another day ...

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

How do I feel about this??

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

dayenu,

What's really important ...

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

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

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

A long time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

dayenu,

Under normal circumstances ...

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

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

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

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

It's all a matter of perspective ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

dayenu,

Gathering with the Greater Church ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Church of the Holy Rubbermaid Tubs ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks be to God - dayenu,

A good Good Friday Service ...

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

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

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

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

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

dayenu

Signs of spring ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

dayenu,

The Shredder is one of my best friends ...

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

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

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

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

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

dayenu,

Integrity, inspiration and frustration in ministry ...

Ministry is perhaps one of the most rewarding careers around, but it is simultaneously one of the most frustrating and lonely professions imaginable ...

The UCC of late has had a debate within it about the role and place of a union for its clergy. I have been opposed to the notion (for starters it would require a massive reorganization to make it happen), but I can appreciate the motivation and the feelings that lead to wanting a Union to protect our interests and keep us from being abused ...

While I'm not currently in a place where I am being abused, I've been in that place before, and it is not an enjoyable place to be ...

The issues for a Union are legion, but for some of us in ministry it is a matter of being appreciated and feeling valued for what we do ... Would teachers or factory workers continue to work for minimum wage after years and years of service?? Yet, many clergy continue to struggle financially while being paid at the minimums recommended by National. The comments like "you got a raise last year ..." when you went up a category, or the categories marked a whooping 1% increase, are insulting when you consider that for many of us it has require a 7 year commitment to university education (8 in the new system), and a leaving behind of one's family and many of one's support network and friends.

Comments offered even in jest like "buy less books," when you request an increase in your book/study allowance are cutting and insulting to the value we place on continuing our education.

Complicating the whole issue are clergy who say clearly "It's not about the money ..." I can't disagree with that, but when there is a lack of appreciation it becomes about alot more then just the money ...

Small gestures become significant ... small actions become important.

It is hurtful to be the last kid chosen in a sand lot ball game, and it is equally hurtful to knock yourself out only to have EVERYONE else thanked and acknowledged, but because you are the paid staff, you get over looked.

It is hurtful to have the lay leadership note the commitment and devotion of the other staff, offering them thanks and small tokens of appreciation, while as full time you get the same as the part timers, or nothing at all.

It is hurtful to work day in and day out only to be barraged by negative comments about the one little thing you missed that week, and criticizing you for what you didn't do with little or no acknowledgement of what you did do ...

It is hurtful to feel undervalued and under appreciated ... it happens quickly and subtly and it is devestating to the ministry personnel who care deeply about what they do ...

In ministry, it seems that everyone laments you when you announce you are going to leave, but too often they could care less when you slough day in and day out doing far more then what is expected or asked ... I suppose it is stupid to give more then what is asked of you, but in any other profession there would be a reward for hard work ... In ministry it seems that too often, the more you give the more is expected and the less you are appreciated ...

Today we continue to face a crisis of leadership in the United Church of Canada ... we lack new clergy to replace those of us who are resigning and moving on. I no longer wonder why. Too often the neglect of our Pastoral Relations and allowing angry and vindictive people to reign supreme have shortened many wonderful and creative ministries ...

Sadly, I doubt even naming the toxicity will help. I have a shelf of books on conflict in Churches and dealing with unhealthy behaviour ... I wonder if other clergy have the same experience of having the resources, but never seeing the wisdom put into action ... such are the vagaries of the Church.

If it dies by neglect, I wish it well and may actual mourn its passing, but I will look forward to what the Spirit will bring into being to replace it ... I doubt a Union is the answer, but I can appreciate why the question has been raised ... My only hope is that someday our lay people remember that we are people too, and we hurt and bleed and weep just like they do ... we are called by God into ministry, not into spiritual slavery ... and there is a BIG difference.

dayenu,

Prarie suppers and building community ...

Tonight we held our annual Spring Smorg Banquet ... we usually have a couple of hundred people ... we usually hold it in our Church centre ... we usually regard it as well attended, and enjoy the time of fellowship ...

Tonight we fed over 360 people !!! An enormous number. And we came close to running out of food ... well, we ran out of things like turnips, gravy, stuffing and veggies ... thankfully we fed everyone and no one went away hungry ...

The best part of the night was watching a community come togethe to organize, prepare and serve the meal ... the kitchen was filled with people who rolled up their sleeves and washes, filled, bussed and sorted ... food flowed from the kitchen and the tables were filled. It was great.

There were friends from Rivers, Dauphin, Ochre River, Rivers, Strathclair, Brandon, and almost every point in between ... it was truly awesome. Many came to offer their support to our congregation and to get a meal. The wonderful weather today helped ... but whatever it was that drew the crowd, isn't as important as their presence there. They came, they ate and they helped all of us to continue rebuilding the sense of community that took a beating in the fire.

On the prairies dinners and meals are important ... hanging out on coffee row and getting caught up on the news is important ... any gathering with food and refreshments is important to the life of the community (why else are there community halls all across WestMan??). Tonight we've affirmed the strength of the community around us - thanks to all those who've come and shared a meal with us - and a HUGE thanks to those who made it happen ...

The church is alive and well in Minnedosa ... tonight we've proved it.

dayenu

The power of a phone call ...

A couple of years ago we launched an outreach campaign here called "Just callin' to say Hi". The intent was NOT to ask for money. It was NOT to encourage people to get more involved. It was NOT looking for anything. The intent was simply to call ALL of our members and say - "Hi," on behalf of the Church and see how they're doing ...

It was quite interesting. We learned alot about the people in our community, and we also generated alot of conversation and interest in what we're about as a Church ... It helped to open some dialogue that reminded us that the Church isn't just the folks who gather on a Sunday morning in the sanctuary. The church is a wide circle of people who look to the Institution for a variety of things ...

Recently in Minnedosa we've come to appreciate the importance of a phone call ... Calls from our sister Church in Brandon Hills who bear the same burden of losing their structure to arson (apparently by the same suspects) ... calls from our leadership in Toronto and Winnipeg ... calls from people for whom the building once held great meaning ... Every phone call was appreciated and valued. Each underscored the simple truth that we say so easily, but sometimes find it challenging to live - the truth that says boldly: "we are NOT alone."

Today I emailed our United Church leadership in Toronto and encouraged them to call the folks in Hartley Bay to send their support and prayers and encouragement after the sinking and rescue operations for the Queen of the North ... in a community of 200, such an undertaking affects everyone. And yet in finest form the people of Hartley Bay rose to the occasion and offered those in need the best they had ... They even risked their own lives to race through the dark and retrieve those who evacuated the Queen as she sank ...

This summer's trip to Port Hardy will be different for our family ... we won't be watching for the Queen of the North as she steams into Hardy Bay around 11pm ... her lights and her presence will be missed ... Tonight I'm mindful that my last night in Port Hardy as a student, we met to review my 16 week internship there, and a heavy fog settled in over the bay. As we sat and discussed the ups and downs and twists and turns of my time in Port Hardy out on the bay echoed the mournful cry of the Queen of the North's fog horn ...

The sound was sad, but the outcome wasn't ... a year later Mag and I were married in Port Hardy, and the rest as we say is history ... and for me it all started with a phone call one weekend saying - "you're student internship site is Port Hardy BC ..." I had to get an atlas out to find it ... but I have few regrets. A phone call can be a powerful thing ...

dayenu,

A rediscovered treasure ...

This article was one I wrote in 2000 when I was looking for a call. This past week, a friend here in Minnedosa found it and suggested that I should share it on my blogs ... I reread it, and it helped me rememeber what it is that is important to me in my life and ministry.

It was published in the fall 2001 edition of the now defunct publication PMC (Practise of Ministry in Canada). On the suggestion of the friend, I dug out a copy and re-read it ... As I read it, I couldn't help but consider that many of the stanzas here are associated with real people ... for example, the baby discovering her hand is now a wonderful almost 7 year old, the three year old living the Holy Wow is a delightful 9 year old, and the Lego loving 5 year old is still a lego loving 11 year old ... Time has passed, but the reasons I enjoy and live in ministry remain ... It's all about the JOY:

I’m currently in ministry in Minnedosa Manitoba (population bout 3200). Minnedosa is a small rural community halfway between Brandon and Riding Mountain National Park on the Yellowhead Highway. The congregation has about 390 families under pastoral care with an active roll of about 150 families.
Ordained in 1993, I found myself searching for a call in the spring of 2000. As part of the process of applying and interviewing for a call, I was asked by a search committee to summarize my theology of ministry.
The result was something that I continue to feel embraces what my ministry has been about since my student days in Ontario and as a minister to the Nuxalk First Nations people in Bella Coola B.C. where the people live out their joy despite real and challenging social problems throughout the community, as well as in community based ministry in the Lower Mainland of B.C.
In Minnedosa, I have found a community that not only embraces the notion of joy, but has been living it out for many years. Deeply involved in the rural crisis gripping much of the prairie region, the people of Minnedosa also have a deep commitment to the Canadian Food Grains Bank, helping those in need through a church sponsored Food Cupboard, numerous community programmes, and the use of Fair Trade products.
On the personal side, I am the husband and partner to Mag, a registered nurse, the father to Sam, Hannah and Rebekkah, who along with two dogs, and two cats have called Minnedosa home for a little over a year.
In the last year, I have encountered again and again, God’s infinite joy through the community, my co-workers, and my family. When I wrote this, joy was a distant goal, but since then a joyous community has made it an ever present reality.

My Theology of Ministry:
I would describe my theology of ministry in one simple word: JOY.
The definition of Joy in a dictionary refers to great happiness, or a source of great delight, but I want to be clear: I do not see joy as pasting on a happy face and pretending that everything is lovely. To me, JOY is embracing life in its fullness and proclaiming with certainty that we are never separated from God’s love.
Among many things:
Joy is being a child of God.

Joy is being a husband and a dad.

Joy is being welcomed into the most intimate moments of life and being asked to pray, of just be present with family and friends.

Joy is the opportunity to hold someone’s hand in a moment of tragedy.

Joy is holding a new born baby, or baptizing an adopted child.

Joy is weeping with the hurting and laughing with a Bible Study group.

Joy is watching a baby discover, for the third time today, her hand.

Joy is seeing the world through the Holy Wow of a three year old child, who is discovering what a wonder creation is.

Joy is building Lego sets with a five year old, and wiping away his tears when he scrapes his knee falling off a bike.

Joy is crying over injustice and rejoicing that we have a community that truly cares about us.

Joy is having tea with an elder who shares her memories of a world seven decades away.

Joy is having a pop with a group of teens who think everything is “cool” or “awesome.”

Joy is struggling to find our way, and enjoying the journey as much as the destination.

Joy is leading a worship service erupting with the noise of children and quiet with the reflective wisdom of seniors.

Joy is the quiet presence of the cognitively impaired in a care home.

Joy is knowing that sometimes life just isn’t fair.

Joy is the enthusiasm of welcoming in the visitor or the newcomer.

Joy is asking the tough questions and sometimes agreeing only to disagree, but knowing that we love each other anyway.

Joy is sharing the Gospel with the help of my puppet friends.

Joy is love eternal and everlasting.

Joy is knowing God’s love and being able to share it every day in some little way.

Joy is breaking bread and sharing the cup, then having a cup of coffee and a good chat afterwards.

Joy is planning a memorial service of a cancer victim, and sharing laughter and tears as a life is celebrated.

Joy is trusting one another enough to share life’s joys and sorrows, knowing that together we share God’s love.

Joy is embracing the homeless.

Joy is loving the unlovable.

Joy is praying for the sick and visiting the hospitalized.

Joy is making worship relevant, exciting and fun.

Joy is communication and community.

Joy is facing controversy and conflict and journeying to reflection, resolution and healing.

Joy is the ministry of all of God’s people.

Joy is being a servant of God journeying with God’s children and sharing the ups and downs of everyday life with openness, with honesty, and most of all with love.

Joy is making a difference in one life everyday.

Joy is the church, the children of God in action.

Joy is the journey of faith through all the twists and turns of life.

I could go on. But suffice to say, to me the theology of ministry is about doing, not taking. It is about using the gifts and talents which God provides to care for those around us and to welcome in all of God’s children.
A friend recently described my approach to ministry as “hospitality” and observed that I move to the periphery and work very hard to draw the circle in. He may be right. I value the outreach of the church, but sometimes we need to look close by and embrace those who are hurting right beside us in the pews, and that may be the toughest challenge we face, but it is a challenge I embrace and value.
To me, ministry is about action. It is doing, not theorizing. I’m not afraid of facing issues head-on, but at the end of the day, we must, as God’s children, be able to break bread and share the cup in faith, and if conflict prevents this, then we have to roll up our sleeves and work. I am not afraid of that.
It is not easy to summarize my theology of ministry on a couple of pieces of paper. Instead I am most comfortable going out into the world and living out my faith and ministry with JOY.
My understanding of ministry is living out the word JOY in all its infinite fullness.

Technology and the Church ...

It started with the Gestetner (remember those??), then came adding machines, calculators, amplifers and microphones ... from there came electric typewriters and on to computers ... then came pagers, cel phones and even PDAs ... Like the modern business world, the Church is not immune to the use and utilization of technology in the life and ministry we embark upon.

Even in Minnedosa computers and cels are the rule of the day. In many ways, we can't do the work of the Church without the technology. Finances are done on the computer ... bulletins are done on the computer ... sermons are done on the computer ... even the lowly cel phone plays a role in keeping in touch with the community around us.

Our fire on Feb 12th showed the strengths and the weaknesses of our dependency on technology ... the fire cut off the telephone lines - yet, that simple fact didn't stop people from calling the Church phone number (bear with me on this - the fire leveled the building - yet, people continued to phone ... luckily for us, we had a phone company voice mail service, and not an answering machine) - nonetheless, for the first couple of days after the fire, I was able to check the voice mail from home, or from my cel phone. The cel phone too became indispensible in the days prior to establishing and getting an office running. It rang constantly and I have no doubt my air time is off the scale ...

Then in the hours and days that came right after the fire, the internet and the web became an equally indispensible means of communication. The blog I had established earlier for the posting of Church news quickly became a means of keeping our Church family around the world in touch with what was happening. The record of hits on the site meter I put on the blog site, had a wide variety of countries represented - from all over Canada, across the US, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Thailand and others ... People from around the world came and visited the blog.

Emails have come and gone from a wide variety of places. Words of encouragement and best wishes from across the United Church and from sisters and brothers of faith ... technology can be an amazing thing.

Rightly used it is a means of communications and even community ... wrongly used it can be a means of devestation and destruction ... Thankfully in Minnedosa recently we've proven the benefits of the technology around us.

dayenu,

Showing appreciation and learning to say thanks ...

It' funny, we teach our kids to be respectful, to wait their turn and to work hard ...

There are moments I have to wonder - WHY ??? Why bother teaching our children values that are based on respect, care and so forth?? Why not encourage the to embrace the ethos of the market - sieze the moment, take whatever is your, don't worry about anyone else, and do it for yourself cause no one else will look out for you ...

I wonder why it is that we are surprised when execs are caught with their hand in the cookies jar ... we fail to express our appreciation for a job well done ... and then our outraged when folks help themselves, or seek bigger and bigger rewards ... We can't have it both ways can we??

Either we teach our children respectful and caring attitudes, and treat others accordingly, or our world will continue to spiral into oblivion ... I fear that it is a lesson we might be too long in realizing ... I hope not though, but tonight I'm not so sure ...

Why Bother ???

In the early fall - the picture to the right was the image that greeted us in the life and work of Minnedosa United Church ... we were fixing, cleaning and renewing the glorious stained glass windows on the west wall of our church ... The centre window, not show here - was an image of Jesus knocking at the door ...

The windows had been dedicated in memory of the pioneers who settled Minnedosa 50 years earlier. With the help of bequests from two saints who had gone before us, and the hard work and generosity of people in Minnedosa and beyond - we had a two year period of renovations:

- the basement (new kitchen and washrooms with a revamped Centre)
- the windows
- the bell tower

Today those renovations have simply gone up in smoke ... makes you wonder why we should bother ... why put the work and effort into anything when in the blink of an eye a cold and calculating act can rob a comunity of its legacy ...

Yet, to do nothing - to sit on our hands and to not take a risk is letting the cold and calculating among us triumph ... as the saying goes: all that evil requires to triumph is for people of good faith (and conscience) to do NOTHING.

In Minnedosa, we can shrug our shoulders ... count our losses and take stock of our blessings and get on with the task ahead ... the next time we take a picture like the one above will be when the new windows are being installed in our new church ... it may be a few months away, but it WILL happen ...

dayenu,

It's funny how pictures taken incidentally suddenly can become cherished items ...

I have a photo of my dad on my office wall that was taken during his stag ... at his elbow is a bottle of beer, he's playing card and he's likely had a couple ... My Grandfather took it many years ago, and after he died, my Grandma gave it to me ... it is a cherished heirloom.

I have another photo of my dad taken in his police uniform. It was taken for a safety column in the local Stratford paper. It is the only picture I've ever seen of him in uniform ...

Lately I find myself searching out photos taken of the Church Building here in Minnedosa. The one to the left, is a photo I took last summer when my friend Garth was visiting from Jamaica. We went down to the church building one afternoon and took a photo for posterity's sake ... Today that photo has added meaning. It's special because it is a photo of a cherished friend, but it has added meaning, because the place he is standing no longer exists ... I hope in the coming days and weeks more and more incidental photos turn up, and we are able to share the imagery of a special place that is no longer.

The advantage, or blessing (to use a churchie term) right now is that the sanctuary and the heritage building that we've lost is still standing in our memories ... we can still sit in its pews, walk down it's aisles, and prowl through its stairs and hallways ... the fire hasn't robbed us of the memories, and it never will.

dayenu,

Transitions and farewells ...

Today I presided at our first Church funeral since our fire ... It was hard ... the service was a celebration on a long and well lived life, but the preparation and the running around to make the service happened was a challenge ...

Not being in our own building means everything gets moved from one place to another ... if I forget something it could be disasterous ... who would have thought I would actually be using check lists??? (when I was a student way back in 91, my then supervisor recommended them and I scoffed ... sheesh, it took 15 years, but I see the wisdom in the recommendation ...)

Not being in our own building also means that my tendancy to do last minute prep has to be abandoned ... when you have to be in another building, seperate from your office and your computer - you have to be prepared in ADVANCE ...

Not being in our building means that the locale has a different feel - it's not the semi-circle of seating that we had ... it's a wonderful, friendly and great place - but it still isn't our home. I'm not advocating for a rapid redevelopment, but rather I want us to proceed slowly and carefully, and build a building and a space that is a HOME to us ... right now, we are temporarily homeles, and even though we have a borrowed space to offer our services - it's not HOME.

Like the Psalmist asks: "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" ... the land we're in now is friendly and wonderful and warm - but it is not OUR land ... We've been warmly welcomed in and given a place ... but it is not OUR home ...

As we celebrated a life and gave thanks for his legacy, I couldn't help but ponder, how much nicer the service would have flowed in our own sanctuary ... we'll never know for certain, but in time we will return to a home that is ours ... for now the journey of a pilgrim people continues ...

dayenu,

Ashes and new fallen snow ...

This morning the site where the church stood was finally cleared ... the sand and gravel were smoothed and the last vestiges of the old church were removed ... The only marker noting her passing is the church sign, which will be changed to provide folks with information about our life happenings as a church ...

The day, Ash Wednesday, ended with Mother Nature providing a heavy coating of white to cover the lot on which the building once stood ... like a canvas awaiting an artist, the lot will be a pristine white canvas awaiting the work of art that will in time rise from it once again ...

Today is a day of penitence and looking back ... today as a community we look back on what we've lost and we begin to look forward to what we have to gain ...

It's hard to realize that the grand old building that for 105 years has been at the heart of our faith community is actually gone ... I still head down the street and expect to see it, to step through the doors and go into the offices that were created just before our arrival here in 2000 ... I still have the keys on my key ring ...

I expect the vision in my head to be the reality in my eyes ... but there is a disconnect ... something we expected to remain for another Century or so, has been ruthlessly wrenched from us ... and like a family losing a loved one - we've lost an old friend ...

Today we haven't marked our foreheads with ashes ... today the fresh fallen snow has covered our ashes and invited us to move into the Lenten Journey that leads us to Easter ... our Lenten Journey may continue for a couple of years ... but we will one day stand gazing at a resurrected Church Building on Main St ... it may take time, but today the snow has offered us a canvas that is clean and blank ... the rest is up to the people of God who are temporarily homeless here in Minnedosa ...

dayenu,

It's still hard ...

I have had this picture in my document file for a week or so ... I haven't been able to use it in the Church blog ... It is a powerful image of what we watched over a couple of hours on an early Sunday morning ...

I still find myself coming up short when I'm on Main St here in town ... the vacant lot is hard to see ... I still expect to see the majestic white church that stood there for 105 years ...

105 years ... 5460 weeks ... 38351 days ... How many marriages?? How many baptisms?? How many funerals?? How many socials?? How many showers?? How many concerts?? How many Sunday School classes?? How many Nusery school classes?? How many cubs, guides, scouts and brownie meetings?? How many choir practises?? How many worship services ?? ... The list of losses goes on and on and on ...

There has been over 331 352 640 seconds passed in the building ... 331 million seconds, each one represents a memory held by people who have called the building thier home, physically, socially, and spiritually ... It's a grand legacy ... one that ended in a few short hours on a icy cold February morning ...

Too bad we couldn't have a dollar for each of the seconds and memories that were held in the Old Church Building on Main St ... we could replace her in fine style ...

dayenu,

As the dust settles ... Lent will begin ...

What do you do when your energy level is in the basement, and you still have too much work to do??

I poked around what is left of the Church today - big hunks of shattered concrete, stones, twisted rebar, and clumps of icy dirt ... only the sign remains above ground level - everything else has been cleared away. It has been a long and challenging week for the crew clearing the site - it took a good three days to clear the steps alone ... They were no doubt tired by the time the weekend came ...

Such is the challenge I face today ... I'm tired ... bone weary and exhausted ... yet we are on a journey just begun ...

I know that today I am totally tired because we've had our AGM and our first congregational conversation about where we're going and what we're doing ... We've decided to rebuild. We've empowered our Board to deal with the issues that will arise from this ... and we've begun accepting (officially) donations to the rebuilding fund.

It's exciting times ... but, it is also exhausting times ... I still have an office to set up - boxes crowd out the available floor space, and the second office in our digs is still 1/2 full of boxes, boxes and more boxes ... Hannah and I made head way in my office space yesterday - we got two shelving units up and filled with books, and tomorrow I have plans to eliminate some more boxes of books, and to cart some books to the Rotary book sale too ... But there is much to do ...

In some ways I suppose this is a feeling of being taken for granted - it's been a long and weary-ing two weeks ... the support of the community has been great, and the encouragement we have gotten from beyond our town has been simply extraordinary ... but I'm tired and feeling outta sorts ... It will likely pass with a good night's sleep, but right now I'm feeling crusty and grumpy ...

I'll be like my Grandpa - he had days (and weeks) like that, and he would say - "It's my right to be grumpy ..." and then smile or wink, or wiggle his ears ... I have never been able to wiggle my ears ... but I have more of Grandpa in me then I care to think about ...

So ... we'll see what tomorrow will bring and face it when it comes ... and all the rest - well, that I will leave in God's hands ... cause that's the best place for it ...

dayenu,

In and out of boxes ...

When I came to Minnedosa I brought with me 48 boxes of carefully packed and organized books. In the time since I know I've added to my collection - the shelves in my office groaned under the weight of an ever growing library ...

On Sunday February 12th, when we were allowed into the office to begin packing up, Rev. Joe Ball and I packed up most of my office in less then an hour ... the result was several dozen over full cardboard boxes, and my library in no particular order ...

Today I set about to change that ... I began unpacking some of the boxes and setting up a working library to help me in my service prep ... It has been a good process. I have been able to reaquaint myself with some of the gems in my collection, but it has been a hard process in that I am beginning to realize the totality of the affect the fire has had on things as mundane and very day as my books ...

We move forward ... one step at a time ... There are many challenges (like not enough bookshelves) and there will be many more ... but with the cards and letters that are pouring in and the many emails we've recieved here in Minnedosa we know that we have the prayerful support of many people across Canada and even around the world ...

It's a humbling experience to be walking this journey ... I have been saying - I wouldn't wish this on anyone, but I also wouldn't miss it for the world ...

Over and over I have come to realize that the words we speak so easily in worship as part of our creed in the UCC, those that say - "We are NOT alone ..." are not easy to live, but in moments like this we can be thankful that they are true ...

We are not alone ... God is with us ... and God's children are with us too ...

dayenu,

Finding our way from smoke blackened ruins ...

I'm tired, I'm weary, but I'm feeling profoundly blessed and thankful ...
Blessed because none of the firefighters in Minnedosa's volunteer department were hurt in our recent fire that claimed our 105 year old sanctuary ... thankful to be in this place, with the people I have been honoured to minister among ...

It has been a hard week. My body aches ... my fingers are chapped and cracked and bleeding ... my lips are chapped ... and my heart is broken ...

In April 2000, when I came for an interview in Minnedosa I stepped into the sanctuary and I remember the feeling that washed over me. It felt good and it felt right and later when they offered me the call to come and minister with them, I was 99% sure I would accept ... I'm glad I did.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about that day and the conversation that began the relationship that on Sunday was called on to endure and suffer its greatest challenge.

The day began at 6 am when I was called and told our Church was on fire ... since then, life has been a blur ... we worshipped in the basement of the Catholic Church on Sunday morning ... we set up our office the next day ... we have wept and raged and run the whole gamut of emotion. The whole while, a dear friend lies as nothing more then a smouldering ruin on the main st of our town ...

It is sad and it is tragic. The age of the building does not tell the whole story. It was a 105 year old building in age only. It had been renovated, added to, and was dearly loved and is in constant use by the people who are the Church, and the community around us.

How many children have passed through it's doors on the way to nursery school??
How many musical events have happened in its hall and its sanctuary?
How many weddings, baptisms and funerals have marked the passage of time in our town??
How many community socials, showers and gatherings have been hosted in its walls??
How many cups of tea and coffee have been passed around in times of distress and celebration??

I could go on and on ... but for now I have to walk through its familiar comfortable rooms in my mind's eye, because a senseless act of stupidity and foolishness has robbed not only me, but the community I call home, or a dear old friend ...

My body is sore, my soul is troubled, but today I can honestly say that "we are not alone." Today our community has been offered the love and care and support of our Presbytery, and as I look over my inbox here and at the office, I can say that messages have come from around the world ...

What better proof of the resurrection can there be then that???
When one part of the body grieves, we all grieve ... and today in Minnedosa we grieve, but tomorrow (whenever that comes) we will rise up and mark our steps on the way to the resurrection ...

The message of Easter is alive and well in Minnedosa today - we're walking it as a community ...

Gold Medals and a Hockey Blow out ...

Good day in Torino ...

One gold medal and a 16 to ZIP blow out in Hockey.

It bounced the Gretzky's off the front page (so too speak) - and that's a good thing ...

My only beef with the Olympics is the emphasis on medals placements. Why can't we celebrate the guy or gal who comes in 13th !!! They are 13th in the World for crying out loud !!! Let's celebrate ALL our athletes and give them a pat on the back for the hard work and dedication they've shown to be among the very best in their sport.

I'm proud on anyone who has earned a trip to the Olympics, medal or not.

Look at the teams with one or two athletes that marched into the stadium yesterday - their smiles said it all.

The lesson of the Jamaican Bob Sledding team was simply the competition, not the medal. That's the Olympic Spirit we need to emphasis ...

dayenu,

Gretzky and Gambling ...

Why are we surprised?? Why are we overreacting??

We live in a culture addicted to gambling - VLTs, Lotteries, Casinos, Bingos and so on ... and we're being frothed into a frenzy because the First Family of Hockey may be involved in an illegal gambling scheme.

What's the real issue here?? Maybe Mrs Gretzky has an addicition to gambling - afterall, she's spent most of her life living in the Hedonistic, fake world created by Hollywood, Heffner and so on. So, if she's developed a gambling addicition (one her husband's earning power can afford) and Wayne has chosen not to speak of it - so what ??? It's a personal family affair.

OR, if Wayne himself is gambling so what ??? Maybe he buys lottery tickets too!! Maybe he likes hanging out at Bingo halls trying to win the ghetto blaster or the TV!! Maybe he plays the VLTs when he's up in Canada between games ...

What's the real issue here ???

The issue is the myopic view of the world put forth by the media.

The media celebrates drinking then cries foul when someone like Mickey Mantle is devoured by his addiction.

The media promote gambling, then screams foul when a prominent person is caught doing it ...

The media create celebrities, put every action under a microscope, then chortle with delight when they crack and do something stupid ...

Maybe the problem - the issue here - has nothing to do with the Gretzky family at all. Maybe the issue here is the need for all of us to look deeply into the mirror that Wayne and Janet are holding up before us. A mirror that asks each of us, if we really are faultless ourselves.

Okay, time for a confession: I buy the occasional lottery ticket with grandiose dreams of maybe winning enough to pay off some debts ... I have played a VLT once some time ago to know what they're like ... and I've even played BINGO in the past ... Guess, I'm a horrible person ... I guess I have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God - like almost everyone else.

Oh wait, in today's paper there are a number of ads for trips to Casinos all over North America, on the TV this afternoon will be a bunch of ads urging me to buy a ticket (or twenty) as a way of gaining financial freedom, and if I step into the local hotel I will hear the mesmerizing jingle of the VLTs that are helping to finance our province ... Gambling is common place, why should we be surprised by the "revelations" being put forth by the press right now ...

Let's give the Gretzky's a break and focus on real news items like poverty, hunger and trade inequities. So, Janet may have put a 6 digit bet on the super bowl - aside from the issue that she could likely afford it, and it wasn't taking food from her children - she is not unique. How many other bets, legal or otherwise were placed that day?? Where are the headlines for that??

The issue here is more the lifestyle promoted in our media that pushed people to want the quick easy wealth gambling seems to promise. Maybe we should focus on the illusion that lifestyle represents rather then trying to bring down a hero who has done more for sports in Canada then almost anyone else. Kids my son's age still want to be like Gretzky as they tool around playing shinny - that's the Gretzky we should be remembering and celebrating, rather then trying to bring him down.

I've never been a big fan of Wayne's, but today I'm willing to say he is still "The Great One." Let's focus on things that really matter and let's leave Janet and Wayne alone.

The real crime here is the media taking advertisements promoting gambling as a lifestyle, then criticising people who have fallen into that delusion ... the media can't have it both ways ...

At the very least, the Gretzky's are owed an apology ...

dayenu,

A text ... a bird ... a name ... encounters of the spirit.

Memories of eagles ...

This week's lectionary reading ends with the refrain - "shall rise up on wings of eagles ..." Yesterday at Bible Study we ended up in a discussion about why the eagle was the imagery chosen by Isaiah for this particularly text.

It began with the question - "would another bird be as effective?"

We agreed it would not - but then I reflected back on the times when an eagle's presence brought added meaning to a moment in my ministry ... I'd like to share some:

Burials in the First Nations' Community of Bella Coola ALWAYS had an eagle circling overhead, above the cemetary - the elders regarded it as a good sign.

When our son Sam (now aged 11) was baptised in a ceremony by the River one summer's day, an eagle flew back and forth over the icy green waters. It was said by the Elder Daisy Moody, when she stood to give Sam his Indian Name (Noahkila - a creator being name held by her husband and passed down through his family), that the eagle's presence that day was important - a good spirit.

On our last day in Bella Coola, with the moving van backed up to the door of the manse and almost fully loaded, a majestic bald eagle landed in the front yard of the manse not three metres from Noahkila, and with a loud cry, launched himself into the air. I was told later that it was a very, very good sign - the eagle came to say farewell (for now) to Noahkila, a name that special connection to eagle and merganser ducks.

Since then, almost every time Sam (Noahkila) has walked into the range of sight of an eagle in zoos across the country, the eagles turn and look at him and call out. Again, an elder from Bella Coola has said this is a very good sign ...

And one last memory ... one day following a tragic death in Bella Coola, I went into the home where the death had occured with the family, and as we walked out the front door an eagle landed in the spruce tree, not 2 metres from where we stood. He gazed at the mother of the deceased and called out ... she smiled and greeted him in Nuxalkmc and said - "he (the deceased) is here, he came to say he's okay ..."

Isaiah's words ... a majestic bird ... a profound moment of spiritual meaning ... thanks be to God.

The real costs ...

Today I drove past the "new" W-l-Mart on the Northside of Brandon and was horrified and dismayed by the number of cars sitting in the parking lot ... Pathetic, was the only word that could rise to my mind.

On the Prairies today, our farm families are struggling to survive ... in Ontario over the last two weeks close to 3500 industrial jobs have just vanished ... across the praries more local elevators have closed and fallen ... and over and over and over, I hear stories of people from our area here in west-man who are working in the Alberta oil patch just to make ends meet ...

Are we so blind that we can't see that the "cheap" stuff (shit is more like it ... sorry to those who this may offend - but it IS true) has a cost that must be borne somewhere.

That cheap loaf of bread you buy today at the supermarket means that the farmer gets next to nothing for his/her input ... actually, in today's market, the farmer doesn't get next to nothing, he ends up owing more then he get paid for the wheat, so he ends up owing MORE then nothing.

Can we not see?? Can we not hear?? Can we not act??

There is NO SUCH THING AS A CHEAP LUNCH????????

There is a cost to be paid somewhere. We may get a "bargain" - but we must ask ourselves - "at WHOSE expense???" It won't be the shareholders of the multinationals - they need to get their fair share. But the cost could be paid by the workers for the company ... or perhaps it will be the workers in the factory that once stood down the street, but today is operating in mainland china ... or it could be the people who live down stream from THAT new factory, and are overwhelmed with pollution ... or it might be the producers who get pennies for their hard hours of labour ... or it might be the permenant underclass who are forever being ground under the heels of a global market that doesn't give a damn ...

SO tomorrow, and next week and next month when you stand in the aisle with your latest "BARGAIN" in hand, think about what the real cost of the item is and ask yourself the simple question - "am I paying the real cost of this, or is someone else going to have to pay, perhaps with their health, their security, or even their lives????"

If we dared to ask those question a little more often, maybe things would start to change ...

One can always hope ...
dayenu ... dayenu ...

Do we really make a difference??

I've been sitting on the couch ... okay, I've been lying on the couch the last couple of days - laid low by a cold or some sort of bug ... and I've been reflecting on what it is that we keep ourselves busy with ...

We scurry around - filling our lives with activity and busy-ness. But do we accomplish anything??

The church I serve, has a food cupboard to offer help to people in need, but often we struggle with the "what to do" around abuses that we witness ...

The greater Church in which I hang my hat (so too speak) has all kind of programmes and ministries to care for the marginalized and the overlooked, but I wonder if it really makes any difference ...

I found a great note on the blog of a friend that said that while most of us have been busy debating and arguing over things like same-sex marriage and wishing one another a Merry CHRISTmas, groups like Sojourners' have been busy demonstrating on behalf of the poor in the US. That comment disturbed me, not because I disagree with it - but because he hit the nail on the head.

Too often we are busy arguing and debating stuff that really doesn't matter ... Kind of a modern Nero fiddling while Rome burns ...

Where I sit today I see around me deep concern for the rural farms and the way of life family farms represent - yet, there seems to be nothing that we can do to change the "way things are" and help the farmers being ground up by the market forces of the global economy ...

Why does the Church not get this?? Why can't we begin to look beyond our petty squabbles, and start bringing the change to the world we so desperately yearn for ???

I'm feeling very cynical today ... I don't know if we can really make a difference, but my conscience and my family and my faith (not necessarily in that order) won't let me give up the fight yet ... I want to spend more of my time focused on the issues that make a difference, and less time arguing over theological differences ...

I want to make a difference - even if it is a little difference ...
May God guide me on this path ... and May God guide others to join me ...

Dayenu,