Seventy

The weekend of March 16-18, 2012 saw the Seventy of Canada East Mission of Community of Christ come together along with other friends for a special retreat in Barrie, ON. No, this was not a gathering of Senior Citizens. The Seventy are a group of Community of Christ Elders with a calling to be “special witnesses.” This is a band of ministers who have particular skills in witnessing and inviting, something the church could use a lot more of in our current day.

This gathering was the first of its kind in CEM for several years. The weekend saw 5 of our 7 Seventy come together, along with several other people who demonstrate similar skills. Many conversations occurred as those gathered shared testimonies of hope and witness as well as their challenges and frustrations. The gathering was a special blessing to these individuals who have often felt somewhat alone in their unique and special calling. As they talked together, they strengthened each other in their desire to share the Peace of Jesus Christ with others.

The weekend also included some St. Patrick's Day fun as several members of the group demonstrated their Irish Spirit!

The weekend was rich in Spirit as the group met together for shared in worship, study and fellowship. Guest ministry for the weekend included Apostle Susan Skoor, and Kris Judd who is the leader/president of the 9^th quorum of Seventy. Under the guidance of Apostle Skoor, the group discussed three primary needs that guide and motivate people in their lives: the need for love, safety, and importance which is often expressed as the need to make a difference in our world. The Seventy came to understand that while our community can provide an outlet for each of these needs, it is helpful to understand where people are coming from before we invite them to participate.

On Saturday evening the team gathered with folks from the Barrie Community of Christ, sharing faith and testimonies, and encouraging this fledgling congregation in their journey. On Sunday morning, the two groups gathered at a Community Centre for worship, the first Sunday a.m. gathering of its kind for the young Barrie group.

The weekend culminated with several of the Seventy participating in Steam, the Christian Coffee house that happens one Sunday night a month at the TLC Café and Bistro in the city’s downtown core. It was a great evening and the end of a wonderful weekend.

This busy weekend was a blessing to the Seventy and all those who participated. Look for renewed efforts on the part of the Seventy as they seek to respond faithfully to their calling. May their ministry always be bathed in prayer and empowered by the courage of faithful witness.

Posted by Carman Thompson

Ready

The last article in the March Herald is a testimony by Apostle Andrew Bolton entitled Why I Follow Jesus. In this one-page story, Andrew seeks to distill his experience down to the simplest truth, and ends with the following conclusion.

Why do I follow Jesus? The ones who have loved me the most have been followers of Jesus. Zion is the mission of Jesus. I encountered the reality of the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of Jesus.

You can also see and hear Apostle Bolton share his response to this question by clicking here. (Click on the 2011 tab, then on "Witness the Word Apostolic Testimony".)

Apostle Bolton's story has me thinking; how would I answer the same question? I could mention several elements: the people who loved and encouraged me as a child, the spiritual leaders I met at youth camps, the patience of congregation members who loved me even when I was an angry youth and behaving in an unlovable way. Yet, the greatest truth and most important reason I follow Jesus is because of an unexpected encounter with the Holy Spirit I experienced when I was eighteen years old. That unseen Presence asked me to give my heart, my very life, and I promised to do so. It is a promise I am still learning how to keep, but from that moment to this, life has been a remarkable journey.

How about you? How would you answer the question? Why do you follow Jesus? If a friend asked you that question, what would you say? Have you thought about it? 1 Peter 3:15 reminds us to, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (NIV)

At a recent Seventy and Friends retreat, Kris Judd challenged us to respond with the essence of our answer in one minute or less. We need not share all the details, in fact it is probably better if we don’t, since that give people the chance to inquire further. And yet we should be ready to “give a reason for the hope we have” as 1 Peter counsels.

So are you ready? Why do you follow Jesus?

Posted by Carman

Plans Interupted

(A reflection on Mark 6: 30-44, 52)

The wording of a particular incident recorded in Mark 6 is peculiar and has caught my attention. It is the familiar story of the feeding of the 5,000, sometimes called the story of the loaves and fishes, however it is another aspect of the story that has drawn my eye today.

In Mark’s version of this event, Jesus’ disciples have just returned from a big mission trip. They are excited but tired, and Jesus starts to take them on retreat to rest. When they get to the place of retreat, they discover a big crowd there. Rather than going someplace else or sending these unexpected people away, Jesus recognizes this as an opportunity to share the message of God’s caring, and begins to interact with these strangers. His attitude is one of welcome and kindly compassion. It is clear that he likes these people and begins talking with them, thereby showing the spirit of God’s gracious and generous love to them.

As the day wears on, the disciples get impatient and, under the guise of concern, suggest to Jesus that he send the people away to “buy something for themselves to eat.” Jesus has assumed the role of a caring and gracious host, however, and says no, “You give them something to eat.” The disappointed disciples are clearly not excited about this idea, but Jesus takes charge and organizes the situation. He invites the people to sit down and has the disciples serve them their bread.

The phrase that really caught my attention in this reading is, “and he divided the two fish among them.” This hands-on image of Jesus personally preparing the food for this unexpected crowd is a little astonishing, and shows the extent he will go to live out his caring for them. This is in stark contrast to the disciples who wanted to send them away. Instead, it is the disciples Jesus sends away while he says farewell to his new friends.

Mark’s contrast of the difference between Jesus’ attitude and that of the disciples is clearly intentional. The final notation on the matter occurs a few verses later as this writer leaves us with something to reflect on. He says, “They (the disciples) were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”

Which attitude do we reflect towards the people who interrupt our plans? Do we see them as the heart of our purpose for being on this earth or an annoying interruption? Do we see these people as p--God’s beloved children, or as a distraction and an annoying interference? In my agenda driven, objective oriented world, I’m afraid my attitude has too often been the latter. Like the disciples in Mark's story, this seems to be a hard lesson for me to learn, but when I stop to think about it, what could possibly matter more?

Posted by Carman

Barriers

Effective January 1, 2012, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires that all organizations with public spaces, including churches, have policies in place as to how they will offer support to persons with disabilities. On December 9, 2011 Bishop Mike Hewitt, MCFO for Canada East, sent information to all pastors and CFOs concerning the new law and how its requirements should be implemented.

The new law does not yet require congregations to modify their buildings to make them more accessible for persons with disabilities, although it makes it clear that mandate will come in time. What is required now is that we have policies in place as to how we will offer support to persons who are differently-abled, and that all staff including volunteers have been trained on the policies.

Here is one example. Persons who come to church with a guide animal must be admitted along with the animal. Where the animal is prohibited because of health requirements (e.g. a kitchen where food is being prepared), alternate provision must be made to allow access for the disabled person.

Once the policy is in place, every person who is ever likely to deal with such a situation must have training on the policy in place. The need for the training should be obvious since it clearly would not make sense to have a policy written down and then have greeters at the door saying, “Oh, you can’t bring that dog in here!”

Of course the law is not just about guide animals but includes all disabilities, such as sight, hearing, mobility, and mental or psychological handicaps. The impact of the new law is that congregations must think about the needs of a disabled person in advance, and have policies in place as to how they will assist.

Meeting the requirements of the law is one thing, but kindness and a thoughtful approach may take us far beyond legal mandates. There are probably many people who would love to participate in church, but the physical of psychological barriers make it too difficult to do so. This includes many seniors as their strength and physical abilities decline. A congregation that is sensitive to the needs of the disabled and trained in how to make their participation more enjoyable may go far beyond the requirements of the law, breaking down barriers that the law cannot anticipate.

A recent blog from the Alban Institute entitled There Are No Barriers to God's Love has some very worthwhile reflections on this issue. You can find that article by clicking here. I recommend it for your thoughtful reading.

Posted by Carman

Full

Reports are coming in of congregations experiencing crowds that they have not seen for quite some time. Grand Valley had 108 people attend an ordination service recently instead of the usual 35. Hamilton had a very nice response to their mid-week Blue Christmas service. Brydges Street had 75 guests for a Community Dinner, not counting the 40+ members who served. LaSalle had a completely full house (130+) for their annual Christmas choir and turkey dinner, including people they had never seen before. Ottawa had over 100 people at two locations this past Sunday.

I experienced something of this phenomenon myself this past week when I attended church in Cambridge. I walked in just as the service was starting, and the room was completely full. Several people pointed to an obscure empty chair, one of only two vacant seats in the whole place! For a moment it was almost like Luke’s version of the Christmas story in which Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem and seek a place to stay at the local inn, only to be told the rooms are all full.

What is happening here? Has there been a sudden resurgence of interest in religion? Is Christmas provoking some nostalgic desire in people to re-experience church? I don’t think so. Closer investigation reveals that at least three other things are going on.

First, in every case the congregations experiencing these increases in attendance did not follow their normal pattern of just assuming everyone knows they are welcome. Instead, they went out of their way to invite people. The folks at Grand Valley telephoned people, sent email invitations, and even stopped people on the street to invite them to come. Brydges Street folks went door to door distributing 850 invitations. LaSalle is a country church so they advertised through a variety of means including the township newsletter.

Second, those inviting have a positive attitude and an excitement about what is happening. "Something is happening here" is conveyed in their faces and voices when they make the invitation. “Something is happening and you will want to be part of it.”

Third, in several cases, the service or activity was not about the congregation itself but was directly tied to doing something for somebody else. Brydges Street wanted to (and did) do something for the East London community where the church is located; the people they feel called to serve. Hamilton’s Blue Christmas was for the benefit of people in the community whose Christmas will be sadder because of the loss of a loved one. LaSalle raised $700.00 for a local high school breakfast program. Barrie held a Purple Christmas service to raise funds and provide support for women and children in the community who are experiencing domestic violence.
Earlier we heard from Brydges Street with their post Dinner. This week we have been hearing from some other congregations that have reached out to their community.

Full houses in response to inviting, being positive, and serving others; is it possible that being the presence of Christ in our communities and actually fulfilling our mission is catching on?

Carman

Choir

LaSalle Road Community Choir celebrated its 16th season this past Saturday. Directed by Carol Manley, this little choir has performed drama and musical presentations for those in our community. The choir itself is made up of both members of the church and members of the community who like to sing.

Every Christmas the choir provides a turkey dinner to the community, complete with all the trimmings. Tickets are not sold. A dish is left on the table for those who can afford to make a donation of $5.00. Choir members provide most of the food as well as assisting with preparation, serving and cleanup. A few other dedicated volunteers take charge of the cooking.

Over 150 people attended this year’s dinner. Representatives from several Community of Christ congregations were present as well as neighbours and friends from our community. The meal was followed by the choir sharing 'On a Silent Night'.

This year the choir became aware of a need at the local high school breakfast program, and wanted to respond. In contrast to the 8 – 10 students who took part in the breakfast last year, this year the program regularly provides a good start to the day for over 200 students. Kelly Knight, a special needs teacher at LCCV and member of the congregation, is an active leader in this program. Her students find an opportunity to reach out to those in need by baking banana bread, serving drinks etc. as part of the program.

The choir presented Correen Wilkinson, director of the breakfast program, with $500.00 from our community Turkey Dinner. Correen stated that, with funds almost depleted in the program, this money will keep the breakfast running for the next 2 months. Who knew that a little choir of 9 or 10 people could have such an impact!

Posted by Wayne Freer
Mission Advocate for LaSalle, Living Water, Sarnia and Wabash congregations

Read this Blog

About four years ago, I discovered this little book by Paul Nixon called I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church. There was something about the cover or title that seemed somewhat arrogant to me, so at first I didn’t want to read the book and kept putting it off. When I did finally get to it, I was excited and wanted everyone to read it!

I was therefore delighted to see this blog in achurchforstarvingartists and the comments it recieved, both agreeing and disagreeing.

So, to paraphrase the blunt style of the author, Read this blog, then read this book, and lets get moving!

Posted by Carman

Era(s)

There seems to be a pretty formidable connection between churches and the times in which they were born. I was struck by that observation recently while attending one of our congregations. As I sat in church, it occurred to me that I had been there for the dedication service of that congregation over 40 years ago. Upon that realization, I began to reflect on how much, and how little, had really changed. On the surface there are differences. The facility has been modernized and updated somewhat, there is a sound system and so on, but when it comes to the programs of the congregation and the expectations that surround those programs, things are more the same than they are different.

That observation is not intended as a criticism; I think it is pretty normal for almost all churches. I suspect a sociological study would show that churches started in the 1750s would maintain certain characteristics while those begun in the 1970s would have quite different ones. Churches seem to maintain a certain continuity with the era in which they were begun. As someone asked me recently, however, if we were starting this congregation today, would we do things the same way? The answer is, "Of course not!" We would not start a new church using the methods that were popular 40 years ago. We would look for methods that appealed to people in this post-modern age, or whatever the current era may eventually be called.

Examples of what a congregation or a ministry started in the 2nd decade of the 21st century might look like are already beginning to emerge. The new Barrie congregation is one of those as highlighted in the recent What’s the Good Word post Steam. Actually Steam is only one of Barrie’s activities that are different. You will probably read about more of them in the weeks to come, or you can follow them now on Facebook.

But there are other examples too. Some of these new Christian movements appear to have their genesis in Great Britain. Messy Church is an example of one such effort. The Messy Church movement is already beginning to appear in Canada, as is its cousin Fresh Expressions.

So here are a couple of questions to ponder. If you were starting a new congregation in 2011, what do you think that church would look like? What would its programming be? What would you do differently than you do today? For church planters of our era, these are the questions that really matter.

Posted by Carman

Dust-Jacket

I have recently read a lovely book from Marion’s steadily diminishing library entitled Feed My Shepherds. The book, written by Flora Slossan Wuellner, explores the reasons why burnout is so common in ministers, suggests some ways to prevent this from happening, cope when you are in the throes of it, and ultimately heal. The author’s wisdom is well earned, having grown out of her own experience with the subject.

While I recommend the title highly, especially if you are experiencing spiritual or emotional fatigue, it is the book’s cover that I am thinking about this morning. The paper wrapper or “dust jacket” as it is known in the industry displays a picture of a very pastoral scene; a small stream moving past the gnarled roots and trunk of an old, moss covered tree. The stream brings life-sustaining moisture and nourishment in what otherwise might appear to be a barren and rocky place. It is a lovely image.

I had adopted this delightful little book as part of my personal quiet time, reading a few pages or a chapter each morning for a couple of weeks. I had not thought much about the image or the cover until one morning when I happened to peal the jacket back to reveal the rather plain, imageless hard-cover book underneath. I realized then what a difference the cover made. It was the picture on the cover that caught my attention, intriguing me as a potential reader, suggesting the life-giving nourishment contained in the book’s interior. Without that dust jacket, it would have been just some paper elements with no suggestion of the rich message contained inside.

Reflecting on that this morning, it occurs to me that this is not unlike our everyday experience in human life; one we probably do not spend much time thinking about. The various elements of the package we display outwardly to the world convey messages to those we encounter in our daily lives. For instance, a smile may suggest we are a pleasant, happy person that someone might enjoy talking to. A frown may suggest preoccupation or problems, conveying the impression that we may not be open to conversation. A scowl might simply say, “Keep away, I’m busy or annoyed or frustrated at the moment!” A smile in the midst of scars may convey a life that has learned to cope with life’s hard knocks.

I am not in any way suggesting here that we wear a false front or try to create an impression that is not true. If we are to be honest and authentic, the package we present to the world will grow out of our everyday life experience. It is the way we choose to deal with that experience, however, that shows in our countenance. Do we convey the image of a gnarled and rocky spiritual landscape, one that is hostile and uninviting? Or does our image suggest that our life experience, whether difficult or easy, is being nourished by the life enriching stream of God’s generous grace? Does the personal dust-jacket we wear suggest that we have a positive and wonderful message we are happy to share with others? Or do we convey a closed or hostile image? The jacket we wear may well make all the difference in determining whether or not we get to share the Peace of Jesus Christ with someone today.

May your personal dust jacket reflect life and grace today, both for you and those whose lives you touch.

Posted by Carman

Inspiring

I once read about a very small congregation where all the members were seniors. There were no active children or youth, young adults or even middle aged folks, but there were a handful of older members who wanted to do something. They felt God was calling them to some kind of ministry, but what? What could they do?

As I recall the story, their church was right across the street from a local public school. One of the members apparently had a conversation with a teacher or the principal, and became aware of a problem, which they translated to mean an opportunity. It seems that many of the children who attended the school were having trouble with their school work. Their parents were working, and there was no one to help them with their homework. Some were falling behind. Consequently, this group of seniors decided to start a homework club as an after school program. Every day when school got out, students who were approved by the school would come across the street and get help with their homework for an hour or two before they went home.

It is a story I still find inspiring. Here was a dedicated group of people that might have thought they had done their part. They could have felt justified had they simply decided to stay home and watch TV. Being disciples, however, they sensed the call of the Spirit to do something more, so they did. Awesome!

I thought of that story again this week after I read of another congregation that is attempting something different; a congregation that has few children and hasn’t held a Vacation Bible School for twenty-five years! Having discovered there are “hundreds of kids living right next door” to the church, they have decided to try something new. Praise God!

You can read all about it at Peace Camp. I hope you are inspired.

By the way, this is the latest entry from the Peace Blog, which we introduced you to a few days ago with a lovely post called Is God Real? You might want to subscribe to the Peace Blog and follow it yourself. These guys are trying to do great stuff!

Posted by Carman

Real

There is a heading in the Mission Initiatives brochure that has stayed with me. That heading is Mission Made Real. The phrase resonates with me because it so clearly and succinctly states what we as a church are called to do. To make mission real means to transform an idea into practical expression. It is to take it out of the realm of the merely theoretical, a good idea we reflect on from time to time, and make it an actual, physical, living expression of that idea.

Making the theoretical real is not a new idea. It is sometimes referred to as incarnation or transformation. In its grand, theological sense, it is what Jesus has done in demonstrating the nature of God. It is why we say he is the “Word made flesh.”

Making Mission Real is the task the Christian community is always called to. This call may take different forms in different ages, but it always remains before us. How can we take the words or ideas and make them a real, physical, living expression of God’s love and will for creation? It is the task that is before us now.

To merely hear or read the words and not deeply reflect on their meaning, to do nothing, is to ignore the gentle but urgent call of the Divine. In some extreme cases, we may want to run away to avoid that call, rather like Jonah seeking to avoid his mission to Nineveh. But the call of God is persistent, and the task is always before us. Every Christian and especially every congregation is faced with the challenge. The questions become, how shall we Invite People to Christ? How can our congregation Abolish Poverty and End Suffering? How shall we Promote Peace on Earth? And, as always, the questions continue.

The need to make mission real is what lies behind the five goals of the CEM 2020 Vision. It is the call of the five mission initiatives articulated by President Veazey in his April 10th sermon. It is the task that lies before every congregation. How shall we respond?

Posted by Carman

Tailored

I recently read an article that explained why every single Hollywood star always looks good in their clothes--even in those paparazzi pictures of them schlumping around town in their jeans. It’s because they never, never wear anything that hasn’t been tailored to fit them. They really don’t all have perfect bodies. They don’t walk into a store and find the size that miraculously fits them, when the rest of us never seem able to find that store or that size. The secret is all in the tailoring!

Then I read another blog. You might like to go to this one yourself. It’s a great site that gives me much good stuff to think about.

It seems it’s necessary to tailor our communication to the various folks we want to stay in touch with. Some love email; others hate it. Some live on facebook; others find it silly and time-wasting. Some folks make do with only a cell-phone; others must be reached by landline. And finally they got to talking about the so-called generational divide. Is it really only a certain generation that prefers one thing or another? Is it really only the “young adults” who use this or that bit of technology? We talk a lot about that too.

So my further musings today are around this question: who bears the greater responsibility? Is it up to me to know what you prefer and to tailor my communication to suit you? Is it up to the congregation, or the pastor, or the church planter to tailor our welcome or our pastoral visiting, or our outreach to the exact preference of the folks we want to reach?

Is it unreasonable to expect that once in awhile a visitor or a long-time member might bend to accept our best intentions—even when me miss the mark a little?

We church folk really do spend an awful lot of energy thinking about what will appeal to young adults, or how to adjust our worship practices or our outreach programs. What can you do to ensure the “spiritual but not religious” find out that we’ve done just ever so much work to tailor our programs for them too.

It seems Paul was having some of these thoughts. Here's his conclusion in his letter to the Corinthians (ch 9:17-27)

For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

So there you have it. Seems Paul wants us all to be tailors! What do you think?

Posted by Marion

Action

At the invitation of Kris Judd, a number of people in our mission centre and beyond have adopted the practice of “dwelling in the word” of selected passages of scripture. Each day for a month, we read the designated verses and listen to discern their voice in our lives. The scriptural selection for June is from Doctrine and Covenants 163:1-4.

As I ponder this document this morning, I am struck by how many action words are contained within its verses; in fact the text is a virtual call to action. Here is a partial list of the verbs this selection contains.

Discern
Embrace
Discover
Become
Go
Come
Receive
Follow
Share
Restore
Create
Strive
Challenge
Pursue
Be alert
Open
Awaken
Equip
Prepare

Significantly, all these imperatives and more are contained in only the first four verses!

From the time this seminal document was given to our community four years ago, I have had the sense that it has the potential to transform the church. That earth-shaking potential is dependent, however, on our willingness to live within its images, discern its call to us, and invest ourselves in its invitation. Only if we are willing to do so can we discern and embrace its full meaning. Only in this way can we discover the potential of its powerful inspiration.

We are called to action, and that action begins with contemplation. What is the Spirit's prompting to you?

Posted by Carman

Seeing

When you meet someone who looks or dresses different than the norm, what do you see? If they are dressed all in black, is that intimidating to you? What if they are covered in tattoos; do they make you feel uncomfortable or are you intrigued? Do you assume they are expressing their creative side, or that they are just rebellious? Perhaps we assume they are scary people who may even be criminal and just want to stay away from them.

The other day a blog by Evangelist Tom Mountenay called Where God's Blessing Begins came across my email inbox. I was busy, but when I finally got around to reading the post, I was both intrigued and impressed. I immediately asked Tom for permission to post a link to his blog, which he generously granted.

You can read Tom’s post by clicking here. Read it and enjoy; you’ll be glad you did.

Posted by Carman

Balloons

On Sunday afternoon, May 8, 2011, the Fired Up team met at Waterloo Town Square to give away helium filled balloons and offer free hugs to people who passed by. It sounds like a pretty simple service project doesn’t it? It is of course, but like all simple ideas, it took weeks of planning to make the event a success. The balloons needed to be ordered and paid for ahead of time. Should we have the Fired Up logo printed on the balloons? How about a big smiley face that would make people feel happy? How much will that cost? Who will order the balloons? How will we get all those helium filled balloons to the site?

Then there was that other question, “What do we do if it rains?” Hmmm…that could be a definite downer. It was decided that in the event of rain, they would have some big umbrellas handy and offer to escort people to their cars, and the event would go on. At least that problem was solved!

After trying to deal with all those questions, it was tempting to back off, forget the balloons and just offer free hugs. After all, hugs are free and you don’t have to transport them. In fact, 100 hugs take up no more room than 10. But would people be open to an offer of a free hug from a stranger? What to do, what to do?

In the end, the team decided to step forward in courage and order 100 helium filled balloons. They opted for brightly coloured balloons with ribbons but no printing in order to save money, at least for this first try. The Fired Up message could be conveyed by giving people a card with the information on it. As for transporting them, some friends were recruited to help get the balloons to the square. It turned out to be a beautiful sunny afternoon, so no umbrellas were needed. I’m sure there were some thankful hearts for that little blessing.

About an hour after they began, I arrived on the scene to see how the event was going. By that time, brightly coloured balloons could be seen up and down King Street and all over the square. It was a wonderful, energizing, happy sight. The team was down to their last few balloons, but free hugs were being offered to everyone. It was remarkable to see grown men and women suddenly change course when offered a hug. In the short time I was there, I heard comments like, “I love hugs,” and “I’ll take all the hugs I can get!” Some didn't want just one hug, but insisted on getting a hug from the entire group. Between the sunshine, the balloons and the hugs, joy was definitely spreading in the community.

The most remarkable change of the day, however, was not the balloons or the hugs, but those who gathered to give them away; I have never seen them happier. Their faces were covered in huge smiles, their hearts were filled with love, and their comments included, “Can we do this every week? This is fun!” Another was, “I was apprehensive about offering to give people hugs, but now I know people really are open to that. I’m having a great time.”

On Sunday afternoon, a tiny group of disciples took to the streets to try and spread a little joy to the people they would meet. They were successful. As I reflect on it now, I am reminded of a line from one of Apostle Paul’s most famous teachings:

And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. [1 Cor 13:13]

Posted by Carman

Puzzle

A couple of weeks ago, we had a discussion on What’s the Good Word around a post entitled Voice. That blog attempted to address some of the reasons why our collective voice has grown somewhat quiet (if not silent) in recent years. The piece ended with the statement, “It is time we found our voice.”

Of course the critical thing is not just having a voice, but how we use it. The essential question is, what should our voice say? Since our understanding has grown to the point where we are clearly no longer comfortable in making outdated claims about being the “one true church” (and probably never should have been), what should we now proclaim? Recent inspired counsel to the church has called us to invite, but exactly what are we inviting people to?

All of this reminds me of a family doing a jigsaw puzzle. It is at that point when we are nearly finished, and searching the floor for that one piece that has gone missing. Where did it go? It must be here somewhere. Is it possible that President Veazey’s address to the church last Sunday night has pointed us towards the missing piece? In fact, it seems to me he has pointed it out rather clearly.

In truth, the piece has been in front of us all along. It was lying right there in our mission statement; “We Proclaim Jesus Christ and Promote Communities of Joy, Hope, Love and Peace.” But what did that mean, exactly? What do we mean by communities of joy hope love and peace? If that is what our congregations are supposed to be, how do we do that?

The fact is that we were not seeing that piece of the puzzle very clearly. The piece was there, but perhaps it matched the carpet so closely we couldn’t see it without bringing in a little more light. Now that much needed light has been provided by the Mission Initiatives, and lo and behold, here is the missing piece lying right there before us.

We invite people to Christ, and to be part of a community that is trying to abolish poverty, end suffering, and pursue peace on earth.

What a wonderful picture this is!

Posted by Carman

Voice

There is a sense in which our collective voice in North America has been increasingly quieted over the past 50 years. It began in the 1960s, which is beyond memory to our youth and young adults; ancient history, like talking about the 1400s. Never-the-less, the quieting began there when we began to hear disturbing questions being raised concerning the many truths we had always held up to the world. Was the Garden of Eden metaphorical rather than actual? Was the flood an incorporation of ancient mythology rather than a historical event? Could the Book of Mormon be true if it was not historical? The list of questions grew and grew, and we began to question every aspect of our sacred story, both ancient and modern.

Slowly but inevitably our voice which once called out with claims of being the “one true church” grew quiet. Our voice went from proclaiming in loud and confident if sometimes brash tones to speaking hesitantly and then to almost whispering. We were no longer sure what to proclaim.

While the latter half of the 20th century was a time of much needed questioning for us, as the 21st century dawned, new understandings began to move from concepts to words. It began with the prophetic leadership of Grant McMurray and has continued with Steven Veazey. Their discerned insights have been formed into words and phrases that await our grasp. Those words need to be lived and spoken.

Read anew the persistent and growing call that is reflected in Doctrine and Covenants Sections 161 – 164. Hear again the divine Voice that calls us to realize and share our blessings. See how often that Voice speaks the word “Community.” The Voice has gone so far as to say that this word not only matters but is so important that it is our very identity and calling! (D. & C. 163:1). This is not some new insight or theology but a fresh way of understanding what has always been true; our call is to create and invite others to community which we used to identify as Zion.

It is time for the Community of Christ in North America to find its voice. Oh we have learned a few things in the past 50 years. We need not shout brashly from the rooftops with inflated claims about who we are, but we do have something to say, and we need to say it. Our voice needs to be heard. It may be a quiet voice, especially at first as we experiment and discover what sharing community really means, but we do need to speak.

Reach out in understanding, clasp their hands and invite all to share in the blessings of community. (D. & C. 161:3a).

It is time we found our voice.

Posted by Carman

Expressions

There are many possible expressions of faithful discipleship in congregational or community life. Sometimes these exist simultaneously, and sometimes one leads to another. Often new expressions grow out of one or two people’s inspired vision concerning some new thing that is possible.

This past Sunday I spent a lovely day in the Sarnia congregation renewing old acquaintances and meeting new folks; at least new to me. One thoughtful member had even had the foresight to locate and invite a former member who is a cousin of mine that I have not seen in perhaps 50 years. Consequently, I got to meet her husband and daughter, which was a delightful surprise and an unexpected blessing. The congregation shared together in worship as we contemplated some thoughts concerning our human longing for life in relationship with God. The group was small but lively, especially as we conversed together over soup and sandwiches after church.

If one looked at only the Sunday morning expression of this congregation’s life, it is not unlike many others in that it has gotten smaller recently. But Sunday morning’s formal worship service is not the only program of ministry this group of disciples has. A couple of years ago, two women of the group decided to start a youth ministry. After all, there were three young people in the congregation, and each of them had friends! So they began. If I remember the story correctly, after the first year, they had a group of twelve, including the three members. Now in their second year, the group has grown to twenty with one of those being a member. And so the congregation has developed an important new ministry of outreach to young people in their community. Well done! I can't think of a better way for you to live your discipleship. May your efforts continue to be blessed as you bless the lives of the youth who come to participate and learn.

What expressions of discipleship does your congregation have? What ones would you like to see? Is there one you feel called to begin?

Posted by Carman

Outward

Understand that the road to transformation travels both inward and outward. The road to transformation is the path of the disciple.
- Doctrine and Covenants 161:3d

Scripture, like other forms of literature, can often be read in many ways. Read it on one level and it works. Read it on a deeper plane, and it works again, often revealing new meanings. In such cases, we may think of the text as demonstrating a spiritual principle that works on multiple levels. On the other hand, our familiarity with a scripture can sometimes mean we forget to dig deeper, or no longer see what is right there in front of us.

Doctrine and Covenants 161:3d seems to me to be that kind of text. The principle is very simple, really; inward and outward. Read on one level, the text speaks to our spiritual formation, and it works. In this context, it is about personal transformation. On another level, the text can also refer to the transformation of the larger society. Again, it works. Probably we could think of many settings in which this scripture could be applied. (Perhaps you might want to click on the comments button and suggest some others.)

But this text also seems to suffer from the myopia of familiarity. Ten years ago, when Section 161 was new, this sentence seemed fresh and poetic. It was one of those statements that you just knew you had to dig deeper into when there was time. I think it still merits that kind of intention.

Inward and outward; is it possible that we have focused on the inward journey and neglected the outward? Could we have done that at a personal, spiritual level as well as in our interpersonal associations? How about in our congregational to community relationships? Over the past decade, is it possible that we have forgotten or neglected to take up the outward journey?

Perhaps it is a natural tendency toward shyness that causes us to want to go inward. Perhaps we have a national inclination towards introversion that makes the outward journey seem more fearful. Whatever the reason, I think it is time we gave this verse another look and remembered that the road to transformation travels both ways. No matter how you read this text, the call is to go inward and outward, not just go inside and stay there.

So what do you say; are you ready to go out to play?

Posted by Carman

Beans

On days when I go for my early morning walk in the country near the village where I live, I pass several fields of beans. This time of year, the leaves on the beanstalks are turning yellow and falling off as the crop ripens, and one can easily see the pods of beans hanging below them on the stock. One morning I got to wondering, “How many beans grow on each stock? My curiosity got the better of me, or perhaps I just have OCD tendencies, and I had to stop and count.

It turns out (according to my unscientific experiment) that in this field, there are an average of 30 or more pods on each stock. For the sake of easy calculation, lets say there are 33. It also appears that each pod contains three beans, which means that each bean planted produced about 100 beans. Not bad!

What does 100 beans look like? How much is that? Not much! If you go to the pantry, find the bag of dried beans and count them out, you can easily hold 100 beans in the palm of your hand. It is perhaps 1/8 cup. If you cooked them, it wouldn’t even make a meal for one.

Well then, how many beans does the farmer plant in a square foot? The answer appears to be roughly 10. That means he gets about 1,000 beans per square foot. What does that look like? Well, you would now have a little more than a cup of beans, so if you cooked them, at least you would have enough for a meal, however that is still not worth the trouble is it? Our farmer had better plant by the acre, not by the square foot.

Well how many beans would a farmer plant in an acre? It turns out to be roughly 200,000, and his yield might be roughly 50 bushels per acre in Ontario. (No, I have absolutely no idea how many beans there are in a bushel!) A 10 acre field would therefore produce around 500 bushels of beans. The farmer could eat all he wanted, have lots to sell or share with others, and even some to keep for planting again next year. (Yes, I know he buys fresh seed each year, but don’t ruin the illustration, alright? We have a story going here.) Life is good!

But what if the farmer had said, “I have 200,000 beans; that’s enough to keep me eating beans all year, I don’t think I’ll bother planting any this year”? What if he said, “I am alright, and to heck with everybody else”? The farmer would be fine, but nobody else would have the benefit of his beans to feed themselves or their families. Sad day.

What kind of beans are you planting? How many do we plant? Do we plant by the individual seed, by the square foot, or by the acre? Whatever beans we have, do we have lots to share with others, or do we keep them all to ourselves? Think about it.

Posted by Carman