Sunshine

As I write this in the middle of the afternoon, the brilliant sun is pouring into my office. I’ve long since closed the blinds enough to be able to function while dodging the sun in my eyes and the glare on my computer screen. I hate to shut out this amazing gift that is the winter sun, and I delay as long as possible, but each day it’s earlier and earlier. The angle of the sun is still low enough that it dips in here shortly after one o’clock. In summer, with the higher sun I can usually resist quite a bit longer.

My daughter-in-law posted a note this morning about a big pile-up of cars on her way in to work, most likely caused by that early, but still low in the sky, rising sun. And the afternoon traffic reporter will be talking about the western sun in drivers’ eyes. At this time of year it’s setting right at the afternoon rush hour.

Oh it’s still plenty cold out there. Someone said “I call it ‘fools’ sunshine’ because it just looks warm.” These are the days the moms have to remind the young’uns that they do still need snow pants even though the sun is bright! And all those newcomers from tropical countries are trying to adjust to the apparent contradiction of blazing sun and bitter cold. Once when I was in Africa I was chatting with one of the maids in my hotel. She had no hope of ever visiting a faraway place like Canada and had lots of questions about what it was like to live here. Mostly she was intrigued by such things as changing seasons, trees without leaves and days that were longer and shorter at different times of year.

I appreciate all this more now having spent some time in Tahiti (Hawaii would be similar) near enough the equator that the days are pretty much twelve hours long all year round and while leaves do fall off some trees, it’s never all at once so there’s always green above, below and around you all the time. I remember how strange it felt to have the sun go down at six o’clock despite the still balmy temperatures. My brain struggled to deal with a short summer evening! In Canada the light lingers in warm weather.

Our days are lengthening noticeably. Over the next two or three weeks we’ll gain an hour of daylight! How are those extra daylight hours affecting you? They surely do impact us who make this adjustment, for better or worse as our seasons roll around. What are your energy levels doing these days? Or have you come to the point of desperately needing a winter holiday in a warm place? Have your “snow-birds” been in touch? Will they be returning any time soon? And how will that make a difference in your planning?

I often tell people that we plan activities without regard for the possibility of bad weather, otherwise we’d plan nothing between November and April! But as the days lengthen I sense more activity out there in the congregations. Is it the sun stirring things up? Something is.

Posted by Marion

Doors

I recently had opportunity to watch Tim Burton’s 2010 adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice in Wonderland. The book and film are absolutely full of wonderful metaphors for life. Watching this version, however, one scene particularly caught my attention. Alice has fallen down the rabbit hole and finds herself trapped in the Hall of Doors. There are doors of varying sizes and shapes, but all of them are locked. Alice can look through a keyhole and see the magical and mysterious world beyond; she just can’t get there. If she could only unlock those doors!

As I watched that scene, I remembered so many conversations with people over the years who felt there had to be a greater life beyond what they were currently experiencing. They knew it was there, they could imagine it and perhaps even see it, but the doors were locked and they just couldn’t reach it. How frustrating!

After working her way around the room and trying each door, Alice finda a key that mysteriously appears on a little table. Alice tries all the doors again, but the key does not unlock any of them. Then she pulls back a curtain and finds a tiny door she had not noticed before. The key does fit in this door and it opens, but now a new problem appears; Alice is too big to go through! This leads to the little bottle of shrinking medicine which makes her smaller, and the little cake which makes her bigger. After a lot of trying, Alice is able to get out through the little door into the world where she longs to be.

What is interesting about that scene is how much work Alice has to do to reach her goal. She tries hard, pulling on all the doors; all locked. She finds the key and tries them all again, still locked! She finds a new door she has not noticed before, and unlocks it, but is too big to fit through. She drinks the magic potion and as she shrinks, her clothes become suddenly too big for her (another metaphor) and she leaves most of them behind. At last, she is able to reach this strange new world where great adventures await.

How clever was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the mathematician and Anglican clergyman writing as Lewis Carroll! How like life his fantasy is! When we want to achieve our goals in the midst of unlikely scenarios, It takes hard work to find the right door and open it. We may even have to try new things, shrink egos, grow courage, and shed our fears and cultural limitations.

Alice in Wonderland was originally composed as a story for three young girls that Dodgson knew and loved. At this level, the story works well. Tim Burton re-envisions Alice as a young woman in her late teens with all kinds of pressures, and in this scenario, the story is pure magic. It makes me hope to be able to watch the film with each of my granddaughters when the time is right. Like all great art, however, the story has something to say to each of us. I highly recommend this film, available on DVD and in 3D if you choose. And by the way, for all you diehard fans, Johnny Depp is brilliant as the Hatter.

Posted by Carman

Zerin Appeal

Thirty years ago, a handful of London, ON church members had a vision of developing an affordable apartment building for senior citizens to live in. They began to meet together to explore and plan, and 25 years ago this month, Zerin Place, a forty unit apartment building, was opened. It was a proud accomplishment.

On December 5, 2010, the present members of the Zerin Board got together with the current residents of Zerin Place to celebrate the resulting 25 years of community. A few of the people on hand for this occasion were Apostle Susan Skoor, financial administrator Ian Rowett, current property manager Raisa Romanchik, and the chair person of the original development committee, Jack German. It was a wonderful day.

On that occasion, board chair Tim Stanlick was handed a letter from several tenants asking for help. In response, Tim has created the following appeal, most of which I am taking the liberty of reprinting here.

From Tim:

The letter was from several tenants that use and take care of some of the recreational activities available to them in a community room. The request was for re-furbishing the pool table top (less cost than purchasing a new one) and updating accompanying supplies. The Community of Christ is the sponsoring body of this facility. Funds cannot come from the housing project budget.

Other tenants tell a story of crocheting rugs, making quilts, etc for people in need. These are mostly sent to Haiti. This is fabulous work and a great way for tenants to mingle and enjoy activities together. Other activities they do include board games, large puzzles, painting, quilting, knitting, tea socials and many more.

I am on a mission to secure $2,000 to be split with these two groups within the Zerin community. Let me remind you that almost half of the tenants are on subsidized rent and most have limited income. These are seniors that are very grateful for an apartment building such as theirs, in which each one doesn't call their apartment but the whole building home. What a great testimony to "living community".

Help me, help them. Please make cheques payable to Zerin Development Corporation and note “Rec Fund Donation” on the memo line. Please send to:

Zerin Development Corporation (4U)
453 Hale Street
London ON
N5W 1G6

Please share this information at your next church service and with anyone who wishes for a seniors Christmas to come true. Due to the timing, this fund raiser will continue until reached. Thank you.

Amounts over $10.00 will be given a 2010 charitable receipt. I will provide updates to reaching my goal.

Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for good health for the coming year.

Tim Stanlick
President - Board of Directors
Zerin Development Corporation
London Ontario

Posted by Carman

Millionth Meal

Today’s post is a video link to a story I find moving and wonderful, although the need for it is not. It is the story of a restaurant called St. Francis Table in the Parkdale neighbourhood on the West side of Toronto. It is simply a loving response by some Christian brothers (Capuchin-Franciscan Friars) to the people who live in this economically depressed neighbourhood.

The website for St. Francis Table reports that

"half of our patrons are post-psychiatric patients who are unable to work due to their illness. Many of our patrons spend most of their meager income on accommodation. About one quarter of our patrons are senior citizens who come for nourishment and companionship. We also provide meals to single parents, refugees, the unemployed, transients, ex-convicts and people living in our city’s streets, parks and alleys.

"In keeping with our Franciscan heritage, no one is turned away without the offer of a meal...A meal at St. Francis Table is more than simply another handout, but an opportunity for community, advocacy and friendship."

In my life, I have known and experienced only a few times and places where I felt we as Christians were really making a difference in the lives of people. I wish there were more, and I wish I could say my life was making such a difference. Sadly that is not the case.

At a time when news is almost always bad, lets give credit to Mark Kelley and the CBC for airing Canada’s Champions of Change.

Please watch the Millionth Meal here and enjoy. This is a true "sending/serving" ministry. The first few seconds are commercials, so give yourself time to get past those.

Posted by Carman

Between the Crosses

Funny how a phrase can stick in your mind. Funny how it can take on life in new ways as it percolates in your subconscious.

Between the crosses…

Think of Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, commanding an army outpost hospital in France during W. W. I. Following the death of his young friend, 22 year old Lieutenant Alexis Helmer of Ottawa in May of 1915, he penned Canada’s most famous poem which begins;

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,

But on the 28th of January, 1918, McCrae himself died of pneumonia in the very field hospital he commanded. Between the crosses of Helmer and McCrae, there were less than three years, but in those three years, Doctor John McCrae probably saved the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands others.

Between the crosses, life happens.

Between the crosses of Jesus and the two death-row convicts executed with him, stood soldiers, grief stricken friends, and a broken-hearted mother; real people with real feelings, and real lives. In the air between those crosses their three unfortunate occupants held a strange conversation, and as a result of that redemption and grace ocurred.

Between the crosses in our lives, life exists, but we seldom know where or when the crosses will come.

Between the crosses we need to make the most of life.

Posted by Carman

Curling

This week the Canadian Olympic curling trials are on in Edmonton. My grandson, star soccer player and typical teenager just rolls his eyes when I begin to talk about curling. How can I find such fascination in such a boring game? I don’t even try to explain it to him. But maybe you’ll understand. There are just so many reasons to love curling!

It’s slow. There’s no need for video replay (except to appreciate some genius shot). Men and women can and do play equally well, even quite equitably together. The same is true for old and young. A fun fact of these trials is that one of the male skips wasn’t even born when his competitor skipped his first match.

I like that Randy Ferbey chooses not to play the sexy last position because his third is just better at it. And that veteran skip Russ Howard took third place on Brad Gushue’s very young Newfoundland team who went on to win gold in 2006. I like that we get to know the curling families. Russ’ brother Glenn is a fixture in the finals. The Middaughs, husband and wife, are both active in the sport. I don’t think the Jones girls are related, except by curling. Colleen is a Maritimer and Jennifer is from Winnipeg.
I much prefer curling as a life metaphor to the usual sports analogies, baseball or golf, and certainly hockey! In curling, like life, you just have to keep sweeping! There are always rocks in your way and it generally seems that everyone else has a better view of what you need to do. They keep yelling until something crashes. But nobody ever appears to hold your mistakes or misses against you. Your team just goes on from where you landed.

There are no secrets in curling. Teams discuss strategies right out loud for everyone to listen in. And win or lose they all stay friends, ending a match with hugs and handshakes all around. Word has it everyone meets for drinks afterwards, no matter how tense the actual game. Now there’s a lesson we could all learn. No bones get broken; no mean body-checks get thrown; no grudges are held. Friends and foes are likely to turn up on each other’s team next season.

Curling is a nice accessible Canadian sport with real ice and history and tradition, but not so much risk as to send anyone to hospital or to force a retirement if you really want to keep playing. Trades are pretty much voluntary.

Most of the time we don’t know how the match will turn out until the last rock is thrown. Unless you’re a real fanatic you can still enjoy the journey whoever tops the scoreboard at the end of the day.

So there you have some of the reasons I’ll be following the curling. Why not join me?

Spiraling

Yesterday I ran into a former church member who has not been active in our community for several years. From a distance, I heard this person describing the recent merger of three Toronto congregations as “very sad.” I was interested, because I see the same event as very positive. There is wonderful energy in this new venture! There are children and youth, and the place is filled with life, hope and possibilities. Of course my friend would not know that because he has not been there for years. I sought to share some of that energy, but I am not sure he understood. He felt the church in this area is “just spiraling downward.” If someone sees things that way, I can understand why they would not want to be part of it. That is not, however, the way I see it.

I thought of that conversation again this morning as the reports came in of the good things that have happened in our mission centre over the weekend. Brantford congregation, intent on turning a dying congregation around, had more than triple their normal attendance. Faubert Drive had a very successful Jr. High retreat, filled with life, energy and bursting with potential. Living Waters, struggling recently with some problems, sang their hearts out as they offered praise and worship, then moved into a business meeting to choose their new leadership team for the coming year. LaSalle Road held their annual Christmas program and dinner, and had a full gym for the event. The list goes on and on.

Spiraling downward? I think not! If there is any spiraling going on, it is spiraling up!

There is a lot of good news happening in our mission centre. We need to get the word out and share it. What’s going on where you are? Any good news to share?

Generosity

Generosity is a condition of mind; a state of being, an approach to living. It is not a law; in fact it has the potential to go far beyond the limits of what might be required in a set of rules or laws. Generosity is from the heart.

The debate about the difference between generosity and tithing always reminds me of the story about a homeless man who found a new relationship with God and wanted to do something in return. He decided to pay tithing, and promised that 10% of all he earned would go to help others. Since he had only $10.00 at the time, his tithe seemed easy and he was happy to give his tenth. At that point, the man was also very generous.

Time went on and the man’s fortunes changed. He had opportunities that led to him becoming financially successful, and eventually wealthy. He continued to tithe, but somehow lost the spirit of generosity. Finally he sought out the Bishop who had brought him to Christ in the first place. “Bishop, you’ve got to get me out of that promise,” the man said. “Tithing is now costing me over a million dollars a year. I can’t afford that!” The Bishop thought for a moment, and then said, “Well there is nothing I can do about your promise, that’s between you and God, but I’ll tell you what I can do. I can ask God to reduce your income back down to $10.00, and then you won’t have to pay so much!”

Encourage your generous heart today.

Free

Once, while visiting an art show on the Plaza in Kansas City, I saw a picture of a happy little girl who appeared to be from Haiti or somewhere tropical. She was standing outside her brightly coloured house in what was clearly not a wealthy neighbourhood. The caption below the picture said, “Don’t know, don’t care, and it doesn’t matter!” How I love that little girl! How I wish I could be so free!

We should be that free, you know. Most of the things we worry about don’t really matter at all, but here we go, wandering around with serious expressions, carrying the weight of a whole lot of artificial concerns on (or in) our heads. Don’t you find it odd, when you walk down the street in some of the wealthiest countries on the planet, that people don’t smile? We have all these worries. We have all these things, so we have to worry that somebody might steal them. We have to pay insurance in case our “things” get lost, stolen, or damaged, but then we are upset with the high cost of insurance! Seems like there is a pretty simple solution to all this, don’t you think?

So today, if you find yourself frowning or worrying about something you probably can’t control anyway, try saying to yourself, “Don’t know, don’t care, and it doesn’t matter!” You may need to say it a few times before you convince yourself that you really believe it, but it is wonderful therapy. And try wearing a smile today. Its good for your soul and will lift others as well. Be free!