Saturday, January 26, 2008

Justice, Peace, Life

The South Korean mission trip gave us a gift to remember them by:
life peace justice

Translation (reading from right to left): "Justice – Peace – Life"

Calligraphy by Rev. Changgong Kim Chai Choon, theologian and founding father of HanShin University's Graduate school of Theology.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Milk (and Honey)

An article in the Transcript and Free Press will share much of the same info, but our South Korean friends enjoyed an afternoon experiencing the rural uniqueness that is in our area. From Munro Honey & Meadery to this cutting-edge dairy operation, they journeyed through our Promised Land of milk and honey.
PROK dairy

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Unified Board notes - Ideas needing People

Some data from Stats Canada revealed that there are 1220 people within 10 minutes of Trinity United Church who identify themselves as "United Church". This amounts to 28% of the population.

The Stewards reported that expenses for January are $6084 with income being $3764. Some ideas for a spring fundraiser include:

  • Easter weekend breakfast/brunch
  • Silent Auction
  • golf tournament
  • bus tour
It's just a matter of finding people who will take those ideas and turn them into reality. Anyone? Anyone?

The Christian Education Committee reported that Sunday School will wrap up on June 1st, with a celebration service on the 22nd at Trinity. They are looking into new curriculum for the Sunday School and revisiting the idea of combining efforts with Glencoe Presbyterian. April 16 will be a book discussion evening on Oil and Water, a book that looks at Islam and Christianity.

"The Second Coming" initiative was introduced which encourages people to set aside the Second Sunday of every month for church and bringing others with them, building up to Anniversary Sunday in June.

The next meeting is set for February 20th.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Friday Night Scripture

For a scriptural focus this week, consider Acts 17:22-28 (listed below). The Korean worship on Friday night will use this lesson.

* * *
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And God is not served by human hands, as if God needed anything, because God Godself gives all people life and breath and everything else.

"From one person God made every nation of people who live on earth; and God determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that people would seek God and perhaps reach out for God and find God, though God is not far from each one of us.

'For in God we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are God’s children.'"

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The Home Office

With the weather being what it is, me feeling the effects of a cold, and having access to internet and heat where I am, I'll be working from home this morning for "Office Hours".

I've decided to follow the spirit of what I've been preaching and take it easier today. Things will be busy enough later this week.

Friday Invitation

People from the congregations are invited to join us on this Friday as we welcome our guests from South Korea. If you haven't already indicated your attendance, let us know (call 287-2048 or email glencoeappin.bellnet.ca) so we can have enough food and inform the tour sites of our numbers.

  • 12 noon - Pizza lunch at Trinity
  • 1:00 - Munro Honey & Meadery
  • 2:30 - Dairy Farm tour
  • 3:30 - back to Trinity; head to billets' homes to settle in, have supper before returning to the church
Even though worship begins at 7 p.m., we'll begin a little earlier to learn some of the music used during the service. Look forward to seeing you then!

Sunday Away

I forgot to mention at Trinity that I will be away this coming Sunday (the 27th) to attend Arkona United Church's final worship service. I'm know you'll extend a kind and attentive welcome to the guest speaker. Our Sabbath series will conclude upon my return to the pulpit in February (where did this month go?).

Sunday, January 20, 2008

sermon excerpts: "Sabbath Present: Too Tired to Rest"

Nehemiah 13: 15-22, Mark 2: 23-28

In our world today we can plainly see that Sabbath has been forgotten. It doesn’t take a lot of research or thought to list off the reasons why Sabbath is disappearing from our lives. It is an age of Sunday shopping, jobs with unpredictable schedules, sports practices. It is an age of all things convenient, and apparently, remembering that one day was not for work is inconvenient. ...
It seems we have competing agendas in the scripture lessons today. Nehemiah, as the newly returned exile and newly appointed governor of Judah, seeks to restore the glory of the kingdom before the Babylonian invasion and to restore the relationship of the people with God. He’s known for rebuilding the walls of the city, but we see here that he goes to great lengths to preserve the Sabbath.

Nehemiah closes down the city of Jerusalem, using the newly rebuilt walls to keep those who would break the Sabbath out. Yes, desperate times call for desperate measures, but we can imagine the effect that such bully tactics might have on the people.

Shutting the doors to business and commerce, people grudgingly went into Sabbath day, not contemplating the wonder and greatness of God, not appreciating family or giving thanks. The people spent Sabbath thinking about the work that wasn’t being done that still needed to be done. The business owners thought about money that wasn’t being made. It very much was a negative exercise of focusing on things not done.

Do we try to legislate and police faithfulness and spiritual care by force and might or can we adapt and shift to effectively address the quirks of our particular time and place? Such is the age old dilemma of the church, the synagogue, the mosque, the temple and any other faith community.

Jesus however, speaks about the spirit of Sabbath rather than the law of Sabbath. The purpose of the Sabbath is to nourish the soul, to honour our spirit by remembering God, to celebrate creation and to cherish our lives. In Nehemiah’s own words, it is about relieving “all kinds of burdens”. In keeping with this understanding, Jesus and his disciples nibbled a bit on the food that was in a field to feed oneself and to ease the burden of hunger. The Pharisees and lawyer-types made a big deal because this was done on the Sabbath.

... The fact that Christ rules over the Sabbath is indicator that he rules over time itself. And perhaps it’s instructive to think this is a commandment for us to rule over our time, make the priorities and choices that nourish and nurture us, that work for the benefit of the world.

Yet we see that if we do not take Sabbath for ourselves, our bodies will take it for us. They break down, we get sick, sometimes so much so that we have to stop our lives completely. (And even though the health expert on Oprah last week said that it was very clear that the more rest we have, the healthier we are, I do need to clarify that this not to say that every affliction or disease is because we don’t take time to rest – sometimes things just happen).

This principle extends to include the component of Sabbath that is care for creation and all others. If we do not extend this care ahead of time, the earth will find a way to rest. We see it happen in the form of drought and famine, of devastating forest fires, all signs and means of creation rebelling against the burden placed upon it.

It’s a fairly simple message, make the time to rest and rejuvenate, find time to focus on God not just in church or in worship, but in the ordinary and everyday part of life. That’s why Sabbath is intended to be a whole day of the week, one-seventh of our entire life.

We have to see Sabbath as an investment in ourselves and in the future, not so much as a time to refuel as the proposed theme for the now cancelled young adult event advertised, but as a time to pre-fuel. We may not have mastery over time and space the way that Christ had, but we are able to budget our time effectively and prioritize faithfully so that we’re better able to ease the burdens of others, of our world and our lives.

One last thing: Sabbath is not the absence of work as much as it is fullness of life. We see the bumper stickers that proclaim “I’d rather be ______” Sabbath is an invitation to be doing what we’d rather be doing (hopefully being here in worship is one of the things) because when we’re pursuing our interests and our passions, we nurture ourselves, we replenish our life energy and we honour the Holy One who made us.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Rural Regional Update

There was a meeting of the rural regional United Churches last night in Melbourne. Some of what we did follows:

We shared updates on the plans for the last meeting: Christmas advertising for the churches in the Transcript Free Press was paid for by one individual, a commitment was made to submit a similar ad for Lent/Easter; wording for an ad seeking people for a praise band was approved.

We discussed further ideas about social small-group gatherings among the regional churches such as golfing or Scrabble groups. We wondered how we might be present in the arena - buying advertising space or convening a small discussion group during practises?

Plans for a Lenten Study series and Maundy Thursday Seder services are in the works.

The next meeting is February 28 at Wardsville, combined with planning for the Regional Rural worship service on March 30.

EDITED to correct the date of the next meeting in Wardsville: the 28th of February, not the the 27th as originally posted.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Practising Sabbath

While the first things that may come to mind when thinking about Sabbath may be worship, rest or reading scripture, other elements could include:

  • Making a special meal
  • Inviting family or friends over
  • Reduce "screen time" - avoid using the computer or TV
  • Leave the car at home
  • Don't spend any money
  • Love-making (can I say that on the Internet?)

Another suggestion I've seen is to take 7 minutes of silent prayer/reflection 3 times every day (morning, afternoon and evening).

I'll add more as "Comments" if I remember, or learn of, any others.

Using Technology

I've been doing some exploring with Google Documents and believe we can share information like meeting minutes and longer documents like sermons or Wedding Policies so that the posts don't get excessively long.

As a test, minutes from the December meeting of the Unified Board of Trinity United should be found here.

Little Things that Can Make a Difference

The heavier plastic of milk bags (the outer bag of a 4L package) and LCBO bags can be used to make sleeping mats for people in South America and Africa. Bring these plastic bags to church and they will be re-used to help the environment and help people in developing countries.

In the same vein, Trinity United is gathering old prescription eyeglasses for the Lions' service club. The glasses will be distributed in developing countries.

The needs of the hungry don't abate with the change of the calendar. Appin United will continue to receive non-perishable food donations for the local Food Bank.

sermon excerpts: "Sabbath Past: A Historic Commandment"

Genesis 2: 1-3; Exodus 20: 8-11

Why does it take so much effort for our day and age to remember the Sabbath? We can blame Sunday shopping, sports practices, the NFL, the multiverse of the Internet, or the moral decay of the social fabric, but when it comes right down to it, Sabbath is about choice. We decide what we do with our time and it speaks volumes about us.

If we look to the original practitioners of Sabbath, those of the Jewish faith, we see that to observe Sabbath takes a lot of work. No fires could be lit, no food prepared, no money spent. Anything not done in time, was left undone. Recreation, feasting, worship, delight in creation, in one another (especially blessed is the act of love-making which carries with it a double blessing in the Bible). This was to be time spent with family and friends.

However, as a result of 16th century religious reform, Sabbath practices became more obsessed with things not to do. In an effort to focus on the holy and sanctified, all that was ordinary and profane was prohibited. So we have the stories of children unable to play on Sunday, of somber and dour days of sitting still and behaving.

The true spirit of Sabbath was rest and nurture for our spirits, for God’s creation which includes the greater human family. So we are called to abstain from pursuits that would distract us from such a focus like commerce, work, worry, even sadness and mourning. These admonitions should not overshadow the fact that the Sabbath is a delight.

Rabbi Abraham Heschel refers to Jewish scholarship when he imagines God speaking to us with the instructions:
Call the Sabbath a delight: a delight to the soul and a delight to the body. Since there are so many acts which one must abstain from doing on the seventh day, “you might think I have given you the Sabbath for your displeasure; I have surely given you the Sabbath for your pleasure.” To sanctify the seventh day does not mean: Thou shalt mortify thyself, but on the contrary: Thou shalt sanctify it with all thy heart with all they soul and with all thy senses. “Sanctify the Sabbath by choice meals, by beautiful garments; delight your soul with pleasure and I will reward you for this very pleasure." (The Sabbath. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2005. pp 18-19)

Admittedly, Sabbath is a little understood or appreciated phenomenon in our society of high achievers and workaholics. It begins at the beginning, in the first days of existence, when time and space first began. After all the work of creation had been set into motion, (whether by literal creationistic powers or by virtue of a theoretical Big Bang is not important to me), after 6 days of labour, God rested. It was to be a holy time, a holy day, a recognition of our spiritual need for rest and rejuvenation.

Something else happened: God blesses Day 7. This does not happen for the other days of the week. Yes, God approves of what was created on those days, blessing humanity, and the living creatures of all kinds. God saw that all of it was good, but makes a point of blessing and hallowing the seventh day itself.

Again from, Rabbi Heschel (p. 20): Creation was not “finished” after 6 days of labour. Sure, there was light and land, flora and fauna, men and women, but the universe was missing something. The verse states, “on the seventh day God completed creation. So what was missing? Menuha. We simply translate it as “rest” but like so many rich Hebrew words, it means that much more. “Tranquility, serenity, peace and repose.” In later times, it came to mean “life in the world to come; eternal life”.

The fact that God gets to Day 7 and says, “There we go! I’m done; this is good enough. Time for a break.” I’m sure it would have been tempting for God to fidget and fuss with the creation that took so much time. I mean it would be something that you want to get right. What about tilting the earth’s axis another half-degree? Or setting the moon a kilometer closer? Why not make the platypus look more natural?

I’m one who is always fiddling with my work – what about changing the phrasing of this sentence, or moving this point over here? Especially when I’m working with a multi-media presentation with graphics and slides, if I don’t watch myself hours could go by with me fretting about colour and size of font or placement of an image.

This Sabbath lesson bears remembering during the upcoming season of Church annual meetings and seeking people to sit on committees, to take leadership roles and engage in the work of the church. It would be unfortunate if being part of a community of worship became a chore and a source of resentment rather than inspiration and nurture. Are there places where we can take a break and say, “that’s good enough for now”?

I see elements of Sabbath in what we do here: gathering of community, shared company in worship and fellowship over refreshments. Yet, it doesn’t seem to connect with the wider population. While this maybe a symptom of our Sabbath-less society, we’ve also admit that church could do to be more appealing to our spirits.

... Once more from Rabbi Heschel (p. 76): “In the language of the Bible the world was brought into being in the six days of creation, yet its survival depends upon the holiness of the seventh day. Great are the laws that govern the processes of nature. Yet without holiness there would be neither greatness nor nature.” Amen.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

sermon excerpts: "A Walk in the Dark"

We often cast light and dark as opposites like good and evil. When we talk about a life of faith, following God’s commandments and we speak of being people of the light. Seeking the light that brings justice to hidden things, letting our light shine, and Christ is the light of the world: these are all appropriate images.

But there is value in the dark. It doesn’t have to necessarily be evil. The absence of light does not equal the absence of good. Rest and recuperation happen with sleep, healing and dreaming happen in the dark. Sometimes the harsh brightness of day is too much and we need the security and sanctuary of darkness to gather our strength.

I imagine for the wise men, there was a comfort in traveling in the dark. In the light of day, the prospect of traveling to a strange land, with strange customs, and strange language would be overwhelming to say the least. These learned scholars and adventurers pinpointed a star in the Israelite sky that simplified their task. Follow the star.

The fact that they could only journey during the night, when the star is visible, changed their priorities. In the darkness, the task of finding the king of the Jews in a strange kingdom, becomes instead, finding their way to the next morning. There could be no temptation to push through and take shortcuts. It was a very much a time of one step at a time. In the dark of night, things are simpler. Follow that star.

With the long winter nights, we need not be afraid of the dark, of the unknown that it brings. In the dark times of life, we find the blessing in the way our priorities shift. Suddenly we know with brilliant clarity, what is most important to us. The darkness blocks out distraction and danger, so that we become aware of who we are and what we are doing and where we are going.

The wise men paid attention to their dreams, avoiding Herod on the return home. It is in the times of sleep and rest that God’s call can reach our subconscious and speak to our spirits. When we are quiet and still, having turned off all distraction and worry, God’s presence surrounds us with love and care and compassion.

In all of these ways, the darkness is like the love the God. Comforting and protective, calling us forward to the promise of light. Whatever our situation, we take one step at a time, one night at a time, so that, like the wise men, we find ourselves closer to fulfilling our purpose.

Here, Jesus is moved off centre stage for a moment and other characters have a chance to shine. It is a reminder that the New Testament isn’t just about Christ, but about those that would seek him and follow him and worship him. Already, as a toddler, he is breaking boundaries of culture and class and religion.

For us, centuries later, as a community of faith that seeks to follow and worship him, we face the dark and cloudy task of figuring out how to be a successful church in this day and age. The path to finding an answer to this question seems slim and distant. But it bears remembering that we are not going to solve all the problems in one night. It will take time, effort and persistence. One step at a time.

We’ve learned at an early age to be afraid of the dark. Let us instead, with the wise men, journey ahead into the darkness and receive the blessings that are there. We’ll dream our dreams; find strength and energy to face what the morning brings. We move onward, step by step, to finding the presence of the Christ alive and waiting the gifts that we bring: our faith, our determination, our fears and our hopes – the gift of ourselves. In the blessed comfort of night, by the bright energy of day, we are not alone. We live in God’s world. Thanks be to God. Amen.