LET THE OPPRESSED GO FREE

This is the third in a series of articles written by a number of Community of Christ Evangelists in Canada East Mission.  We are pleased to offer the stories of these highly respected ministers for your reading.  It is our hope that their stories of faith will bring a blessing to your life.  This post is from Evangelist Carson Imeson of Windsor, Ontario.

Serving as an Evangelist for the past 20 years has allowed me to experience and become more aware of the love God has for each one of us. It is a love that goes beyond judgment.  It is a love that recognizes the good in all of us. It has been my experience that in being a minister of blessing, I too receive the blessing. 

Last year I attended the McGowan’s Lake Reunion near Ottawa, Canada and met Sean Pigeon, who is blind. He is an Elder in the Community of Christ and even being physically blind has brought rich ministry to so many over the years. He received the sacrament of administration after the closing service and as we stood there alone, he asked if I would take him down the rocky terrain to his trailer. I said I would be glad to, but I have never led a blind person. What is required of me? He suggested that I make available to him my right elbow so he could touch it and to walk and he would follow. We arrived safely at his trailer and as I walked away, I was filled with God’s presence reminding me that in my blindness and uncertainty from time to time, all I need to do is reach out and touch the hem of Jesus’ garment and follow. This was the day that a blind person allowed me to see with new eyes what ministry is all about. I received a new meaning to the words “recovering sight to the blind”. It is through service that we are healed.   

 I have always been touched by the parable of the prodigal son. Even though the son had taken his inheritance and wasted it all with riotous living, the father continued to look down the road for his son’s safe return. And when he saw him at the bend of the road, he ran to meet him, had compassion and embraced him without judgment. We too are called to be sensitive to the broken-hearted, accept the sinner without judgment and let the oppressed free.

I have had the opportunity over the years to help out in soup kitchens in the City of Detroit. Along with others, we prepared the lunch and the reward for this labor was in the serving. As the homeless lined up you could see the joy on their face. When I would put a sandwich and a bowl of soup on their tray they were filled with gratitude. There was no complaining. Their faces were filled with smiles of thankfulness and it was expressed in the words THANK YOU. GOD BLESS YOU. I was blessed that day.

I wonder at times why we have the poor, the sick, the vulnerable, and marginalized among us. The oppressed have brought a new understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Evangelist Carson Imeson                                

Canadian Eastern Mission

Windsor Congregation

Perspective

As I thought about the differing versions of the Christmas story in the gospels of Matthew and Luke as discussed by Carman recently, I began to think about perspectives. (you can find that blog here.) Last year I was injured and unable to play my usual “old timer’s” hockey. When playing, the game seemed fast and challenging for me as a goalie. Then when I was confined to the role of “spectator”, somehow the game took on a whole new perspective. It was neither fast nor was it as challenging from that perspective. (No wonder we don’t have fans!)

This change of viewpoint has given me pause on many occasions and caused me to try to see the world from the perspective of others. I am particularly impressed with the special Christmas efforts of Hamilton’s “Blue Christmas” and Barrie’s “Purple Christmas”. Are they not seeing our holiday season from a different vantage point and thus providing a much-needed ministry?

I need to work on my perspectives. Whether it is the single, aging adult whose world becomes smaller and self-focused or the young families with their busy schedules and not attending church activities, there are many viewpoints that differ from mine, which I must take time to consider.

The Master teacher was constantly calling his disciples to see their world and their community members from a different points of view. Whether tax collectors, outcast women or thieves beside him on the cross, he loved, forgave, healed and reconciled.

As we come to the end of another year and approach a new one, may we seek out new perspectives and do so with the Mission of Christ in our hearts and minds.

Doug Bolger

Occupy

There is a lot I do not understand about the Occupy movement. That fact is more to my embarrassment than to my credit, since I really haven’t taken the time to understand. In fact, most of what I know about Occupy, I learned from watching the morning news. Since Western news media is arguably pretty closely aligned with the status quo, it cannot necessarily be seen as an unbiased source of information, can it? But since I have never personally gone to check things out at any of the parks myself, I have accepted it as the only source available.

Early on, there was a lot written about the unclear goals of the movement. Perhaps these can now be summarized as a desire to create a dialogue towards achieving better balance within the economic system. This has been characterized as a need for less economic disparity between the 1% who are super-rich and the 99% who are not. While that may be a fair representation in many parts of the world, it does not take into consideration the relative comfort of the middle class in Canada and some other Western countries. Therein lies the reason why I, and many like me, have not taken the time to really understand what is at the heart of this movement.

If that insight needs further explanation, it would be as follows. My life is comfortable. That results in less urgency for me to understand the real need for change to benefit those whose life is not at all comfortable. In other words, because of the self-interest of the middle class, including the Christian middle class, we have allowed our allegiance to be aligned with the status quo. The Occupy movement, on the other hand, has aligned itself with the poor. Wasn’t that supposed to be our job? Is Jesus now to be found in a tent in a park somewhere instead of a nice, warm, dry church?

There have been reports that some Occupy tents had been adopted by homeless people and drug addicts. While these reports may have been circulated to discredit the movement initially, I am thinking that is a good thing. Apparently the Occupiers have enough compassion to include and care for the most vulnerable in our society. Can we in our churches say the same?

Since the tents have now been removed from most of the parks, the Occupy movement must now find a new way of drawing to our attention the need for change. Are we now ready to pay attention?



As always, your comments on this post are welcome.

Carman

Sad

OK I admit I'm feeling kind of sad this morning. I'm guessing I'm not alone. Maybe that's the good part of it--we have plenty of company being sad together.

As I listened to the news early this morning my sadness at the score of that final hockey game began to be compounded by the disappointing behaviour that followed. Oh my, Vancouver, you can do better. And of course they are, as the "rest" of the folks are lining up to help clean up and apologize for the mess.

It did seem, as the news continued to unfold, that there was an unusual amount of just plain sadness there. People return to burned out homes in Great Slave; incidence of syphilis soars in Alberta; labour actions and government responses in a couple of our very large public institutions continue to unfold. Oh there is much to be sad about this morning.

Even people I know and care about are struggling with broken relationships, major health challenges...I can go on and on. That's the way it is with sadness. When you feel sad, you see it everywhere. I'm glad that I am the sort of person who knows that this will pass. For the most part, I'm a happy person who can generally find things to rejoice about. Hence, the name of this very blog. We do focus on the "good word". And we don't have much trouble finding good words to celebrate.

But I want to remind myself, and you too, dear reader, that in our midst are many people who don't or can't find that silver lining. There are people who sit in the midst of sadness all the time, who don't know or can't convince themselves that "this too shall pass." They are clinically depressed. Depression is just one of the mental health disorders that trouble too many people in our community. You can't tell from just looking at them. In fact, many clinically depressed people have learned to wear a mask that keeps you from noticing their sadness.

Maybe today, since we're feeling a bit sad ourselves, this would be a good day to check out the Canadian Mental Health website for some information about how mental illness affects us, what we can do about it, and where we can learn more.

If we are called to end suffering ( and we are!) here is a place to begin. What better way to turn our own sadness into something better.

Have a good day everyone!

Posted by Marion

Reflect

No, this isn't another of my "pause and reflect" posts. I'm actually thinking today about the other meaning of the word: [ri-flect] (1) to cast back (heat, light, sound) from a surface -- as a mirror reflects light into the room (2) to give back or show an image of as a mirror (3) to reproduce or show, as followers reflect beliefs of a leader...

That's probably enough examples to let you catch my meaning. I've been reading Carol Howard Merritt's "Reframing Hope" again. (Highly recommend this great book!) She comments that most of our congregations tend to reflect society around us. We tend to ask the same questions, be concerned about the same issues, as our neighbours.

Certainly I see examples of this as we meet with congregations and their leaders. The questions we're asking are about our needs, those things we look for to make us comfortable, help us feel connected to this community of friends, brothers and sisters. What facility will most appeal; what worship style will most resonate?

As I listen to all those "targeted" political ads in this election time that promise to leave more cash in my pocket, take care of me in my old age, help me avoid paying those nasty taxes, I'm feeling a certain message being reflected at me. And it's a message that the folks delivering it must be quite confident about because I hear it over and over again.

Yet, my reading in Merritt's book suggests that our congregations ought to be doing something other than merely reflecting the society around us. In fact this is the message that came from President Veazey's address too. It isn't our job to merely reflect what we see around us. Our job is to reflect the love and mission of our leader Jesus.

When I'm hearing someone ask for something to make their pew experience more comfortable, or I hear a politician suggesting I keep all my hard-earned cash and let the ne'er do wells assume the consequences of their life-style choices, I am called to reflect something different:

Radical hospitality--Extravagant generosity--Extreme compassion!

What will THAT look like?

President Veazey didn't demand we get it all right immediately. He suggested we pick something and start there. And Carol Howard Merritt acknowledges it isn't easy. Society's pull is pretty strong. But so is the call to mission. What will we choose to reflect?

Posted by Marion

Horror

I've never been a fan of the horror genre; I never read horror books or cared for horror movies. I appreciate that there is value and even classic literature in the horror genus, but it’s not been my preference. Horror appears to come and go as other styles do, and just now we do seem to be in the midst of an up-wave as movies, television, pop culture explore horror themes.

This week’s lectionary readings take us right into this ever-so-human fascination for themes horrific. I recall doing the research a few years ago into the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones. It occurred to me that Ezekiel was a man before his time—one might even call him prophetic! As I read the text, and others from his book, I imagined he would have made an amazing producer of modern film or video images. What might a Spielberg do with an Ezekiel text of flaming chariots, wheels within wheels, and rising armies of dry bones!

This week’s preacher then turns to the gospel and finds there the images of the Lazarus story. No wonder we wish to cast our thoughts quickly ahead to new life and resurrection, quickly putting aside the descriptors of the sights, the smells, the gut-wrenching emotions in that story.

And yet, we are not there yet. We are still in the midst of the Lenten season. We need to spend a bit more time considering the evils that brought us those images I think. Ezekiel well knew where those dry bones came from. He had lived through and with the choices that created them. Two years of siege by the armies of Babylon leading to the exile of himself and his people must have created conditions not unlike some of the conditions we’re watching on our televisions every day. One of those Middle East wars not unfamiliar to us created for him that valley of despair and, yes, of horror.

Is it not the role of the church to examine the systems, the choices, the patterns that create despair in our own surroundings, our own world? Have we made choices, or failed to make them, that have contributed to the despair of our own neighbours? We write often about community in this blogspace. Mostly we write the good news that’s happening in that loving community. But don’t let’s forget that we have neighbours without hope. When the scriptures send us to stories that hold the horror in front of us, we are obliged to look and then to offer better.

I must think about it; how will I respond to that call?

Posted by Marion

Care (continued)

It turned out that I still have some more to say about caring. Today, Friday September 10 is "Suicide Prevention Day." A couple of years ago at our Registered Youth Worker Training and Information Day in Corinth we paid attention to signs of depression in children and youth. It was a great day with lots of opportunity for some very caring sharing about this oh-so-common issue for children and youth. What are the signs and what do we do, as adults who care? As church school teachers, youth leaders, parents? The guest speaker from Canadian Mental Health Association had much to say and offer to raise our awareness of this very real issue.

Of course not only children or youth suffer from depression. Here's what one of our Blog pals has to say: Talk About It

When I spoke about the need to be more real about our caring a couple of days ago, this could be the "trouble" that our friends are hiding. When we "put on our Sunday face" it could be a depression that we're covering up. Depression is way, way too common for us not to pay attention to it.

The Canadian Mental Health Association is just a terrific resource that everyone should know about--certainly all our pastors and congregational leaders should check it out. Maybe October 3-9, Mental Illness Awareness Week would be a good time to learn about this community-based organization. All over Ontario (and Canada) there are speakers, experts, teachers--your neighbours who volunteer and who are trained and ready to come to your congregation or women's department or youth group to talk about whatever questions you might have about mental health, depression, suicide. They have a chapter in your community!

If we're going to be a more caring community, we'd better get ourselves informed and equipped. CMHA is a great place to start. And mental illness is an important thing to care about. Check out some of these links and consider planning an event. Or just take some steps to make yourself a friend who has a clue how to care.

Posted by Marion

Suffering

Today is Good Friday, the day we contemplate suffering. As I've been reflecting on this most somber day in this holiest week I'm considering what to do with this significant bit of the Christian story. I confess to struggling with the ancient traditions of Christianity that suggest there's really nothing to struggle about: Jesus paid the price for my sins and that's the end of it.

Of course no one really says "that's the end of it"-- or at least not much, right out loud. But I see it sometimes in the way we act. Yesterday I spoke of the hurly burly of Holy Week in a typical congregation. Not to be critical, but as part of my own consideration of how to spend this Good Friday, I note how quick we are to move from the contemplation of suffering and move to the celebration of the price that's paid and now on to the flowers, the chocolate, the baked ham and "all's well that ends well."

My moments of contemplation have taken me into an awareness of just how much suffering exists in the world, in my world. No one is immune. Even the Son of God suffered at the hands of an unjust society. Surely not for me to say "He did it all; now on with the party."

Human nature is inclined to assume people somehow get what they deserve. But I know this is not true and that the innocent and the righteous also suffer. Have you seen the Haiti earthquake pictures? Our response must be one of compassion. How will I ensure I continue to respond with compassion in the face of such suffering?

I've personally spent quite a lot of time in jails and prisons, and on the streets with those who want to repent and find a way back into society. How very hard that is! I know there are some people who may, in fact, be said to deserve their suffering. But I cannot turn from those children of God either. Just as Jesus did not turn from the thieves on the crosses beside Him, or from the government agents who nailed Him up there. "Forgive them" He said.

And to me, He says "Find compassion for those who suffer." If my reflection on His suffering does not turn me to acts of compassion, it is I who do not deserve my Easter celebration.

Posted by Marion