Conference

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim

release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

- Luke 4:18-19

At the time of this writing, the 2013 World Conference of Community of Christ is just 5 ½ months away. Of course that will be 5 ½ months of winter, but lets not think about that just yet, okay?  

Still, time passes quickly, something I am becoming increasingly aware of the older I get. Like previous conference, the 2013 event will be held at the Church's international headquarters in Independence, Missouri.   Before we know it, conference time will be here.  Those who are willing and able to attend are already putting their names on the CEM delegate list.  If you are a member of Community of Christ and would like to represent Canada East Mission at the 2013 World Conference, you should let Cheryl Campbell know if you have not already done so.  There are still some vacancies available, but the sooner you reserve your place, the better.  

In preparation for the conference, the First Presidency has asked each of us to take the time to make some personal preparation by spending time in study and prayer using Peter Judd’s new book, Christ’s Mission is Our Mission.  This compact but thorough resource calls us to explore deeply the meaning and ministry of Luke 4:16-30.  

To help accomplish this, the book is divided into six chapters, each dwelling on one aspect of the scripture cited above.  Each chapter is further divided by a series of questions for reflection.  These are conveniently embedded into the text at regular intervals, with plenty of material for at least a week spent on each chapter.   Following this method, we might expect to make this resource a daily companion for approximately six weeks.  It will be time well spent, especially in those coming (shiver) winter months.

Christ's Mission is Our Mission is available by mail order from Herald House.  A supply has also been ordered to be available at the CEM office in Guelph for your convenience.

Hmm... now, I wonder why that snow shovel is hanging there right by the garage door!

Posted by Carman

Options

There are any number of words I could have selected for today's "good word." Maybe my choice was dictated by the barrage of election ads coming my way these days. Each candidate offers me a "better option." Perhaps it's a recent experience of dressing a four-year-old for school. Her options needed to include more than just the shorts and t-shirt offered by daddy. (Although that was her final choice in the matter, much to daddy's delight!)

All our lives we're presented with options. Options are good things.

In my job I'm often asked for "the answer." And even when I have several good options to offer, my questioner wants me to make the judgement for him or her and just tell them the one, best way to proceed.

One of the big pieces in my department is study. I'm in the business of offering options for folks who want to learn something or who need to study something. Questions come from adult class teachers, or pastors or new priesthood ordinands. Years ago, when I first came to this job, the questions tended to be posed something like this:
When and where is the next temple school course being offered for this or that required credit?

My response was never a direct one. I'd be more inclined to ask them:
What is it you need to learn? What do you want to study?

And then I'd start to look for options. I'm happy to say that things have changed as my callers these day are much more open to hearing the various possibilities and selecting the one or more that work best for them in their various situations.

In just the last couple of weeks I've had conversations with people who will be ordering the home study version of their priesthood office course, but will be working together with another elder in her congregation to review the course and to work on ministry plans together, applying what they'll discuss as they study to the situation in their own congregation.

Another coordinator has a couple of courses running. One of them was opened to all members of the congregation who wanted to share in the study. Some will take credit; others will not. That group is meeting in a home mid-week. But for their second course, most will do the home study questions, then meet all together with the coordinator for a final discussion session and sign-off to obtain the credit.

I just saw a notice that a third congregation is holding a full-blown temple school weekend with a qualified instructor. They've sent out the announcement so that others who want to come can join their class.

And finally, a Sunday morning adult class will use temple school material as their main study book for the entire next semester. They haven't decided whether or not to give/take credit for it.

So there you are-- several viable options for using temple school materials (available from Herald House directly: call 1-800-767-8181 to order and obtain any more information you need).

Call me for more suggestions if you want to branch out into other study materials. I've got options for you.

Posted by Marion

Reads

On Wednesday, the five final titles in CBC’s 2010 Canada Reads book selection were announced. You can read more about that at Canada Reads 2010.

I find myself slightly chagrined. I have not read any of these books, although I have had a copy of The Jade Peony in my possession for several years. And just like last year, I tell myself, I must do better. But once again, it may not happen.

It is not that I feel any need to get my reading list from a group of elites or keep up with some sort of high-brow Canadian culture. It is, rather, that a good book is a good book, and a joy to read. This panel has identified what they feel are great books, and I love a great book as much as anyone else.

It is also not that I do not read because, in fact, I do. But like everyone else these days, finding the time to read has become more of a challenge and my reading time tends to be limited to early morning moments, and late nights before falling asleep. The choice of books selected becomes limited just by the scarcity of reading time. Book time begins to feel like a luxury. Sad day!

Still, Christmas holidays are coming, and that always stimulates hope of curling up with a good book or two for a few hours or even days of enjoyable reading. For me, this season also provides hope that I might be able to shift gears from reading work-related titles to fiction.

The topic of books is no stranger to this blog, and the release of Canada Reads 2010 suggests that perhaps it is time to revisit this favourite topic. Also, as I write this, the sound of ice pellets hitting the window in the pre-dawn light makes the idea of staying in to read a wonderful thought. With all that in mind, let me start the conversation off with my current list of books on the go.

Non-fiction
• Reframing Hope, Vital Ministry in a New Generation by Carol Howard Merritt
• The Tangible Kingdom, Creating Incarnational Community by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay

Devotional
• A Course in Miracles Workbook for Students

Fiction (recently read)
• The Shaman’s Bones by James D. Doss

That is my current meager list of books on the go. Now it is your turn. Read any good books lately? What are you reading now? Anything you would like to share with the rest of us? How about any books you hope to find in your stocking on Christmas morning less than one month from now? Perhaps you can drop a hint or two here! 

Enjoy your day.

Posted by Carman

Treasure

I had a little "computer sabbath" this morning. My computer would not start up! It got itself into a loop of starting and stopping; so I shut down and called the tech guy to rescue me.

Then I had to decide what to do for an unknown period of being off-line! So I picked up the reunion text Vulnerable to Grace and started to read, beginning with the Preface.

Three hours later I'm on page 26 and have had a wonderful period of going deeper with author Danny Belrose and my highlighter and some quiet time. This book has been on my desk for several weeks and I've skimmed through it on different occasions, but because I've not had the responsibility to teach the text yet I fear I've missed many of the precious nuggets that are there for the finding.

If you haven't fully explored Vulnerable to Grace by all means find yourself a quiet time and place and begin what is potentially a truly great treasure hunt.

(Now as you can tell, I am re-connected and must get back to work, refreshed from a morning of deep reflection.)