News and Views

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The Coming Week
July 13: World Accord Update by Daniel
at their home. 

July 15: No Discussion Group this week

More on the >> Meetings page <<

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The Foyer

Can I get a witness?

This is an idea I’ve been playing around with for a long time. Years, even. If you’ve been following me you might have seen some of my musings about it. (Do you have these questions that keep coming back and demanding you chew on them some more? I do.)

When I was growing up in the church we had things called “witnessing weekends.” The basic concept, as I recall, was that a group from one congregation would visit another congregation and team up to make several visits to potential new members or folks we were trying to “bring back to church”? Is that what you remember? I don’t know if it ever worked.

It seems that the key concept upon which real “success” depended was the the ability to WITNESS. I wasn’t much of a witness. How did you do? I’m not sure I even knew what it meant. How do you learn to witness? Do you remember having witnessing classes? We would import some fab witnesses from time to time. Really exciting preachers; story-tellers to be more accurate. You likely remember some names. Impossible standards! I’ll never be that kind of witness. I’m a failure before I even begin.

I lived with that notion for decades. Then I had a new idea. I realized that as I went out into the community I often saw examples of the Holy Spirit at work in the world! When I looked for the helpers during times of trouble or tragedy, I had no problem at all finding them. Where there were folks in need I found all kinds of people already working to make things better for them. They were almost always more than willing to let me help!

One thing that got more obvious, the more I looked, was that we could head off some of those problems-in-the-making if we did something to keep it from happening. So we got busy feeding breakfast to kids who came to school hungry. Same principle with our music grants. Kids with music in their lives do better, have fewer of those life problems to be fixed.

Now one thing that is essential to MY idea is the need to be out and about. We need to go where the people are. And we need to be noticing that Holy Spirit at work in the world. We need to be actively witnessing where it is happening, or where it could be or where it should be happening. Can I be this kind of WITNESS? You bet!

Now, what about a new kind of witnessing weekend?

When we come back together after a nice relaxing summer camping or traveling or visiting we’ll have had plenty of time and places to Witness. We’ll be so excited to tell each other what we’ve observed. It will be so easy to share this kind of story. We’ll be full of ideas about ways we can help. We may have met new people already engaged in projects just waiting for us to join in. We’ll be excited to introduce our new friends and lobby for the ways we want to help next.

What do you think?

That’s where my mind has been this summer season. Now, can I get a witness?
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Useful Links
Community of Christ World Headquarters
Canada East Mission
Herald House Worship Resources
Daily Bread
Toronto Centre Place
Brian Carwana: ReligionsGeek
Encounter World Religions
World Accord
Children's Foundation of Guelph and Wellington
Hope House
Suzuki Early Childhood Music Classes

Conversation

We were a small group this week. But we were operating on the “where two or three are gathered” principle. So our discussion group met as usual on Tuesday morning. Without a specific topic we talked about “conversation.”

I confess the discussion touched several subjects and took lots of detours, but on reflection I’ve decided that the main point we made was the importance of conversation! It’s how we establish and maintain relationships. Conversation is how our understanding evolves and grows. True conversation is more than just talking. It has long periods of listening.

We try to keep our conversations generous. Not every thought is fully developed and ready to share. But there is grace in our sharing. We’ll help with the word that escapes and wait for a point to clarify. We definitely do not just wait for a turn to speak and we’re patient as we listen to the same point we’ve heard last week or something that’s coming round yet again – a favourite theme. Because sometimes we notice a slight change, a new emphasis, some nuance that wasn’t there before.

Conversation can be the way we change our minds. It’s definitely part of the identity of our little congregation. It’s how we’re reinventing ourselves. I guess you might say that the chats we have in the Foyer play a serious and important role in who we are. And when we miss our regular times to get together and just talk, we miss something critical to who we are.

I’m looking forward to hearing from those who are at reunion this week. And at least part of the reason is that you’ve had the opportunity for lots of conversations, chats under the trees or around the dining tables. I’ll be listening for ways you’ve changed or things you’ve learned from your conversations.

We’ll have lots to talk about when we meet again.

Summer

It feels as if it’s really summer!

Oh I know it was officially summer last week sometime, but really this week real summer begins. For example, the first few days of this week were really, really HOT. It’s the end of Pride month with parades and festivals (which are always hot). School is finally finished. Exams are done, over, in the rear-view mirror with fun times ahead. For some it was even a graduation. Next week is Canada Day. Break out the maple leaves and the red t-shirts; get that barbecue ready or whatever food does it for you,

Vacations plans are being finalized. I’ve got grandkids en route for a much anticipated visit as I write this. And another with their plane ticket ready. I’m hearing every day of planned camping trips, an island escape, two weeks with girlfriends.

And some of you are going to reunion! Loaves and Fishes begin this weekend. But if L&F is here, can Healing and Freeing be far behind? Or Erie Beach, or Noronto? Almost all of us have some reunion memory. Some have years of memories just waiting to add some more.

We all look forward to hearing from you on the other side. Go out into your summer, make memories. Be blessed and come back refreshed and ready to share your stories.

(If you have a minute and you’re so inclined you can drop into the Foyer. We’ll be here every week. Probably not too serious or deep subject matter though – after all, it’s SUMMER .)

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The Self-preaching Sermon

I’m not sure I can adequately tell you what I want to tell you this week; but I can’t seem to think of another topic, so I shall try.

We had a very special gathering last Sunday. I have been thinking about it all week. Of course it was fathers day, and that was part of it. We had a room full of children and grandchildren who are part of our extended family, and who were there to honour their father/grandfather. As it happened their “baby brother” was in charge. It was the first time he had agreed to take charge and organize the service. Imagine his feeling as this whole troop of his siblings began filling up the empty seats around the circle.

Now I’ve told you before that our services tend not to be traditional. Our hymn sandwich every Sunday days are behind us. We don’t have a lot of formal “sermons” but every so often, a sermon shows up. Somehow, I think the Holy Spirit just decides to step in. It’s what I have come to think of as a self-preaching sermon.

We were welcomed to our familiar circle by our presider and introduced to the theme for the day—God’s Peace.

We lit the peace candle and had some words about the great need for peace in today’s world. One person couldn’t let the moment end and spoke further about what we, a little group of Christians in a little Ontario town could do to bring peace to our big troubled world. He spoke about the need to step up, to speak up, to do the things we know we can do. Another took up the thread and reminded us that real Christians cannot let the distorted idea of Jesus become the prevalent story. Jesus is about Peace and about looking after the suffering and we need to also be about making peace and ending suffering.

Remember that big circle of children and grandchildren? They began to share too. The sermon grew and evolved. We agree that we cannot remain silent when words spoken in our presence distort Jesus‘ message, or actions do not care for the marginalized and the suffering. We need to speak and act for Jesus.

One of the daughters told of her work place, an extended care home, where every day she watches as caring people take care of their charges. Others shared similar stories. It is good to know that these peacemakers bring compassion and concern where it is needed. We can pray for this army of caretakers and caregivers at work everywhere there is suffering. We can send them resources, or support, or prayers wherever they are working.

Brother in charge then read the scripture he had chosen, which summed up the sermon perfectly, the sermon the circle had preached to itself. I’ve got to think his prayerful preparation helped make it possible. I know I’ve been thinking about it all week. Now we don’t always have this kind of service, but every so often the Holy Spirit steps in with such a sermon.

The offering for the day was dedicated to World Accord and the jar was filled to overflowing. One small thing we can do to bring peace to the world.

Summer Plans

Our leadership team met this week to nail down our summer plans. It has become our habit (we’ve had exactly one summer of experience) to give ourselves a long rest and time to recover and build up energy for a serious season of business ahead. Here’s what to expect:

We launched our summer season with a picnic in the Marden pavilion. Our Fathers Day gathering will be inside our Marden room and next week we meet at Sharon’s house to reflect, discuss, review the whole World Conference experience. Sharon, as our official delegate, will host and lead the conversation.
Then our schedule loosens up considerably. Some of us will be attending reunions; some will be enjoying home and family, and gardens and company. There are community festivals, and day trips. Some will be preparing for surgery or recovering from treatments or illnesses. Some will be welcoming new grandbabies. Of course there are always soccer games and tournaments.

We have a Summer Communion gathering planned at our Marden room at the end of July. And we expect to get together, some of us, for midweek discussions. We are determined not to lose track of each other. Our regular weekly e-mails and Foyer conversations will continue so you all can follow our meanderings through the warm days of summer.

We’ll get together at the Rowe farm in August for some socializing and rejoin for regular congregation gatherings in September. Communion service to start our fall season is on September 7.

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Watching World Conference

I’ve been watching for you. Eyes peeled to see familiar faces in the crowds. Lots of opportunities as had been promised. I know some of you are also watching from home or some of those remote sites. We’ll have so many notes to compare when we get back together.

I’ve got lots of ideas for Foyer conversations. Look for them in future posts. But for now I’ll just let them pile up because you can’t decide too soon what it all means. So many images, prophecies and poetry. Some of them even expressed in words.

I don’t ever remember a World Conference with so many personnel changes at once. Do you? We are indeed in for a new future. Are you ready?

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World Conference

This week the church is gathering for World Conference. And we are part of that gathering. Just like in every other area this is a first for our little group, so we’re trying out new or different ways to participate in a gathering church.

Of course, we’re not the only ones trying out different ways to be a global church meeting in conference. Some of us will be delegates in remote locations linked by the internet. Some will observe from those remote sites and enjoy a new kind of fellowship. This remote site is one of a few in different parts of the world. Travel restrictions, cost, distance, technology, disabilities, even fear and uncertainty all enter into individual decisions how to participate and our little group is very, very grateful that our global church has worked so hard to make those decisions possible.

Our wee group of nomadic church people have talked most about finding our way as a congregation in this community where we find our selves planted. But our conversations don’t end there. We regularly talk about our place in a world wide church. We feel so enriched by the opportunities we have to learn about, and from brothers and sisters in other countries. We appreciate the stories shared by our apostle; we love meeting travelers who have come our way to share with us. We look forward to the speeches and presentations that are central to the conferring process. We know that there are other ways to look at almost any question, many that we haven’t though about.

We have learned that our faith journey is indeed just that—a journey. And that what we think today may be different next year, or even next week. We are grateful to be associated with a church without borders and we pledge to play our part is figuring out how to make it work. This week, and next, that will be our focus. We’ll see you at World Conference, one way or another.