Maintenance

Definition: Care or upkeep, as of machinery or property: With proper maintenance, the car will last for many years.

Maintenance is the work required to keep things from falling apart. It is always done in an effort to retain the status quo. Maintenance is necessary, of course, but it takes a lot of time and work.

The problem with maintenance is that, if we aren’t careful, it can consume all our available time and effort. In church, we can become so consumed with keeping the church running that we hardly have time to reach out and invite the people the church was intended to serve. When that happens, the church becomes about us, not about inviting or serving others. This is a big problem, since that is not what the church is called to do.

If we are already in maintenance mode, the challenge is to move from maintenance to mission. Stay tuned; more in the next post!

Moving

Moving always means change.

If a person or family moves from one house or community to another, their world will change. The distance they move will, in large part, determine how big the change it will be. For instance, moving across the street or across town to a bigger or smaller house will mean only minor tweaking to the family’s routine, but moving from Canada to Thailand will involve major adjustments.

Whether moving is positive or negative depends on the attitude of those who are moving.

For some, moving is disruptive because it takes that which is familiar, satisfying, and comfortable, and turns it upside down. Moving is troublesome.

For others, moving is exciting because it gives them a chance to take those routines which have become stale, boring, and no longer productive and modify them for the better. For such people, moving is energizing!

Moving from where we are to where we want to be involves doing the work required to get there. Moving involves cleaning, preparing, folding, packing, loading, unloading, arranging, and then rearranging.

In the process, moving may also mean sorting and pitching things we no longer need or use; things which once served a purpose but which now no longer work. Sometimes it means letting go of things we have stored but not used for a long, long time. Sometimes it may even mean getting new stuff to replace the old and worn.

In Canada East we are Moving from Maintenance to Mission.

Are you ready?

VISION

There are 24 women and men in Canada East Mission who, by virtue of their calling to the High Priesthood, are charged with being “Ministers of Vision.” (This number does not include the eight Bishops and twenty-three Evangelists who have more specific roles as Ministers of Generosity and Ministers of Blessing.) For the twenty-four, what a daunting task! How does one really go about that?

The twenty-four persons in question are people who are highly regarded in the mission centre because of their maturity, experience and wisdom. Often, people look up to them as role models, which may well make them a little uncomfortable.

But the term “Minister of Vision” suggests something more than their stature in the community. It suggests the ability to see or anticipate that which could come to be; that which is possible, or that which might be achieved with an appropriate and concerted effort.

The key is their ability to see, not their ability to create a vision. For example, if the President of the Church articulates a goal for the church, it is the job of the High Priesthood to grasp its possibilities, and then help others to see, understand, and respond to the call. In this way, we have one vision being upheld by multiple people, not 24 different visions being articulated.

At the recent Canada East Mission conference, the leadership team outlined a fresh approach to what we have always been called to do. We are now calling on the twenty-four Ministers of Vision, inviting them to see the possibilities, articulate those goals, and help the church respond.

Wedding

I'm thinking of a special wedding that happened eight years ago today and I've considered many possible good words for today--love, marriage, ritual, symbol, metaphor, anniversary...But I've decided to just settle on wedding. You're welcome to select among that fine list after you've read my story:

Happy Anniversary Dave and Erin!

Lots of good memories flood back as I recall that day--and the days and years that came before and that have come since. The family and friends had gathered at a renovated historic train station to send them on their journey. We spoke of the significance of that. There were lots of symbols and metaphors in this wedding ritual.

The happy couple exchanged special stones that were part of the foundation of their relationship being laid that day. And as the officiant, I had assured my mother, the nervous grandma, that all would be legal and appropriately sacred, despite her anxiety over what her famously unconventional grandson might invent for his wedding. The stones were only one thing she might have been nervous about.

The groom sang his vows to his bride, with professional back-up provided by his twin brother and the other groomsmen. We all serenaded the newly-weds with our amazing kazoo orchestra at dinner. Murphy, the dog, did not attend, but was given recognition in the toasts I think. (Did you know Grandma was worried about this, Dave?)

Dave and Erin's journey has taken them to Iqaluit where Henry was born and then to the east coast where we welcomed Jane and Alice.

In honour of this special family I give you the Benediction spoken by their auntie at their wedding:

And now, may you rest in each other’s love;
may you grow in each other’s care;
may you enjoy each other’s challenges
and share each other’s adventures.
May those things you undertake together bring great joy
and may the love you share truly help to change the world.
Go forth in gladness and peace, Amen.

Sing

As Peter Trueman used to say "this is not news, but it is reality." Our folks really do like to sing!It's the thing we've got the most feedback about our recent mission conference--people didn't get to sing as they'd hoped to. OK people! We've made a note.

While we're on the subject though, let me say some other things about "singing." It's one of those areas where tastes vary. While we may really, really like to sing, we also want to sing certain things. Some of us are very reluctant to try anything unfamiliar. Or anything that doesn't feel right somehow. And who knows what makes things feel right or wrong in the realm of singing?

I noted some research on the topic of how our brains work that looked into the areas affected by music. They were examining how music that gets plugged directly into the ear takes certain paths and creates tracks that can endure forever. People are very much motivated by where and when those tracks get laid down. Their emotions and relationships and feelings about everything are tied to those tracks. Young brain tracks get very set and can exert control over us forever! (Even when we're old a gray...) Wow!

I listened to Peter Mansbridge interviewing Anne Murray about her just-released autobiography and her decision to retire--to stop singing! I don't think Peter believed her, but she seemed pretty certain.

"How will you feel about not singing?"
"Oh I'll feel fine. I've had enough of it. I'm tired of singing and I look forward to not doing it."

Too bad she wasn't at our Conference. She would have enjoyed it.

Band

Today I thought I'd say something about our Merrie Bande of Bishops. (We use the olde English spelling just for fun! Besides, these guys are fun and have fun.)

This team of four gifted ministers, working away in their various areas of expertise, serving the membership, the leadership and the church contribute in many ways . You've probably encountered one or another of them at some point in recent years. We would traditionally have called them "self-sustaining" ministers. The new/old term that is being used these days is "tent-making." In other words, they support themselves out of their own work and resources. While they work for the church, they are not paid by the church.

Lew Shepherdson has lots of projects; right now he's working to get our website launched. This is a huge effort that takes special skills. Dave Snell watches the books, the budgets, the tax accounts, helps dig out financial officers who might be in over their heads.

Don Robb is a retired teacher who never really retired. He works with Aaronic ministers, teaches workshops from Good $ense to We Share. He and Mary (a recently ordained evangelist) get pastors together to support and assist as they can. Mel Mills has been serving the GTA West congregation, from its earliest conceptualizing to its current implementation. Now pastor, he's preparing to transition them to new leadership.

I could write a whole series on the terrific work each of these World Church ministers do for us all. But let me sum it up by quoting Section 163. This they embody every day:

Priesthood is a sacred covenant involving the highest form of stewardship of body, mind, spirit and relationships. The priesthood shall be composed of people of humility and integrity.

Tuly authoritative priesthood ministry emerges from a growing capacity to bring blessing to others.

The expectation for priesthood to continually magnify their calling through spiritual growth, study, exemplary generosity, ethical choices, and fully accountable ministry is always present.

(Doctrine & Convenants 163, selections from paragraph 6)

Poetry

I guess it's the intensity of the season change that brings out the poet in me. Here is a week's worth of haiku from an old autumn poetry class assignment to write a haiku a day:

In poetry’s way
fingers tap out syllables—
Steering wheel Haiku.

Lady Oak awaits
with quiet dignity her
final windy fate.

Blackbirds swell in
undulating wave against
a grey autumn sky.

Birds wait on the line
listening for the signal
telling them “Head south.”

Wings wide, landing gear
down—wild geese follow their feet
into the ground.

Fat frantic squirrel
hides nuts in the window box.
Alas, poor fool.

Orange orange orb
balances on purple hills
then drops out of sight.

Anyone out there want to take up the challenge? The formula is 5+7+5.
Count your syllables and paint us a word picture.