Written by Kat Goheen Co-president, Canada West Mission Centre I love stories like Narnia where there’s a magical, fantastic world that touches ours! This happens in our world too: it’s called thin places, where everything feels holy and you feel more like yourself than you ever have before. In a thin place we experience a reality that extends beyond what we can see or touch – the reality that we are surrounded by the movement of Spirit and the love of God. Thin places may be called Lummi Island or Samish Island (or Jasper National Park or Hills of Peace!). These are places that call to our soul, where we long to be. Baptism is a thin place too. We place ourselves in the water, allow ourselves to be immersed, and encounter God in a new way. God doesn’t love us more after baptism because that’s impossible! God already loves us 120%. We do become partners with God in a new way, though, finding consolation in one another and spending time together. So while I may never talk with Aslan, I can continue to treat this life like a sacred pilgrimage. I can look to the sacraments for those moments of union with the divine that grow my soul. I can spend time with my beloved creator and learn how to participate in life fully rather than sleepwalking through it. I can be invested in the lives of those around me, seeing God’s presence and fingerprints in each one. Where is your thin place? How will you dwell with God? Let the still, small voice call you into a new corner of your world, where something fantastic is waiting to be revealed! *Adapted from the Vancouver congregation’s baptism service May 8, 2022 ![]()
0 Comments
Written by Kat Goheen Co-president, Canada West Mission Centre It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with you through these messages. It’s becoming apparent over the months that the feeling tone of the ones I write is more like our Disciple’s Generous Response rather than our Daily Bread! Part of my spiritual journey is to keep close tabs on the health of my heart (both physically and spiritually) and generosity is a great metric for heart health. Where my treasure is, there my heart is also. Just like my sermons, I’m ‘speaking to the mirror’ with these messages, reminding myself of what I already know leads to life. Two aspects of heart-healthy stewardship come to mind right now. The first is our camping season! This year we move back into a fee-based camp experience where we know exactly how much camp costs in advance and what we are expected to contribute. Our directors are assembling registration information right now to make this clear. This is an opportunity to let our values influence our budgets in the next few months, allowing us to respond generously to the opportunity to gather again. What if you are not able to go and experience camping in person? I wonder if this is also an invitation to extend grace to others in the form of donations so that they can experience one of our most wonderful offerings as a church. The other part of heart-healthy stewardship addresses the news cycle. I was in airports a lot this weekend, journeying to our friends in Saskatoon, and was struck by the numbing that watching loops of news can bring. It’s heart-breaking, but the situation in Ukraine is not improving! I can keep my heart open and respond by once again donating to those helpers who are on the ground doing their best to end suffering. I can light my light in the face of darkness and tend the flame, partnering with the Holy Spirit in divine work. May our faithful God bless and keep our hearts! ![]() Written by Kat Goheen Co-president, Canada West Mission Centre Ken Barrows spoke at the closing service of the Lethbridge congregation building in March, having been their administrator in the 1990’s. He shared about a transitional time when some key families had moved away and there was not enough spark left in those remaining to organize worship services. He counseled them to leave off from having services for a few months and then to check in with him. For those months, the chapel was open for meditation on Sunday morning, but nothing else was done. After that time, when Ken checked in with the congregational leadership, one dear Saint offered to bring cheese and crackers every Sunday, for some social time after the meditation. After several months of that, another dear one wished to offer a hymn service, and that began a re-emergence of corporate worship. What would have happened without the offering of those cheese and crackers? I carry that story close to my heart. There are times when we don’t have to force ourselves to do everything. If we cannot do everything, what is the something – the cheese and crackers - that we can offer? We know that God can bless even the last measure of flour and oil we have, and we’ve heard about what Jesus did with loaves and fishes. Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, it may be time to offer and make sacred what we are capable of offering. Listen for the Holy. Tend the Holy. ![]() Written by Kat Goheen Co-president, Canada West Mission Centre March 27 was a very special day: a celebration of the life of the Lethbridge congregation in their building on 11th Street. There were wonderful stories and testimonies told of the six decades our dear ones shared together in that building. One highlight of the service was the Prayer for Peace offered by Vickie MacArthur, so we share it with you today to continue celebrating Lethbridge and to offer ourselves again to the work of peace in our world. A church is more than a building. Peace is more than a word. Prayer for Peace: Ukraine, and Russia, and the World By John Bell Loving God, because you have the whole world in your hands, cradle gently those who are rocked by fear, shocked to a depth they have never known and frightened to face tomorrow. On the people of Ukraine: their children, their old people, their vulnerable adults, their babies soon to be born, Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. On the people of Ukraine: their defenders, their advocates, those who care for the wounded, who sit with the despairing, who witness and report on the savagery and destruction, who bury the dead. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. On the people of Ukraine: their leaders that they may continue to inspire, in word and by example, and continue to receive help and solidarity from across the world. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. On the people of Russia, that they might learn the truth kept from their hearing; On the churches in Russia that they might find the vocabulary and courage to speak truth to power, On the soldiers of Russia who do not believe in the carnage they cause. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. On the Russian president, and those who affirm his policies, we ask the judgement of heaven, a radical conversion and an end to their lies, scheming and murder. Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us. And for our own nation we ask for commitment to match conviction so that the pain of the Ukrainian nation be shared by us, their weary people sheltered by us, their peace assured by us. Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us. Amen. ![]() Written by Kat Goheen Co-president, Canada West Mission Centre “Before any change comes chaos.” My sacred movement teacher shared this truth from quantum physics with us during our meditation this morning. It led me straight into the drama of Holy Week. Did the disciples read their way into a new reality with Jesus? Did they meditate their way in? No, the new reality did not come from a bloodless birth or over the internet or through a book. Not even from a pulpit! The new reality of God’s love in Jesus Christ came through very gutsy things: betrayal, pain, scorn, abandonment. “What wondrous love is this, o my soul: What wondrous love is this, that caused the Lord of life To bear the painful cross for my soul.” What cross do you bear? If the answer isn’t immediate, let me ask: What chaos are you in right now? I do not believe that we can expect to live into a new reality as Community of Christ here in Western Canada without some chaos. I certainly don’t believe we can think our way into it! If I can believe that Jesus was still held by God during the events of his passion, then I can believe that we find ourselves held by God during difficult conversations about finances, about relevance, about COVID, and about ‘what’s next’. We honour the name we share with Jesus when we humbly hold the remembrance of Holy Week. Let us share the last supper. Let us stay awake with Jesus. Let us gather close as we can as he is tried and beaten. Let us gaze on the cross. Let us be prepared for a tomb, and a stone, and a magnificent wondering: What is this new reality being born? ![]() Written by Kat Goheen Co-president, Canada West Mission Centre On Sunday we were encouraged in our worship services to share generously. I’ve had this on my heart as I’ve been driving around the city. There are so many blossoms, and pollinators, and more sunshine than I’m used to seeing! Both the Bible and the natural bible of creation give us abundant examples of generosity. God is love, we love God, so why is sharing hard for us? Like meditation or prayer, generosity can be practiced and strengthened. Our ‘muscle’ for generosity is our heart. Jesus famously had no place of his own to lay his head, and we have lots of options for our comfort, so this can be tricky work for us. How can we practice generosity? First, we can increase our awareness of troubles both near and far. Then we can soften into awareness of our capacity to give while overcoming our fears of being overwhelmed. We can pray that God’s will be our will – God’s heart our heart. When we want to treat ourselves, we can also treat someone else. When we hear of refugees, either in the global north or south, we can send money along with our prayers to organizations that we trust, including our church. In the end, generosity comes down to trust – trust that we won’t be abandoned or left helpless if we share what we have and care about the needs of others. Trust that there is enough for all. As we head toward Holy Week along with Jesus, let’s really listen to what he says in his last sermons about the flowers of the fields and about abiding in Him. Let’s build our relationship with Jesus and our capacity to trust. ![]() Written by Gwyn Beer Co-president, Canada West Mission Centre ![]() Easter is coming soon! As we all follow the path of the disciple and move closer to completing our Lenten Journey, I pray that you are feeling the power of the Spirit! Palm Sunday will be the beginning of the Holy Week of Easter. I remember the times that we prepared for Easter and the commercial as well as the spiritual parts of the journey. My family would prepare for Easter with dad reading scripture about Jesus coming into Jerusalem on a donkey with people cheering his arrival and laying palm branches down for him. I had a good imagination and could see in my minds’ eye the donkey and the adoration of the followers. We also participated in the commercial part of Easter. We boiled eggs and had fun dying the eggs, using wax crayons to write on the eggs. We also got new clothes for Easter. I really don’t remember wearing an Easter bonnet though. Chocolate was also part of Easter and enjoyed by all. Don’t let the commercial part of Easter overshadow your Spirit! Celebrate the Joy of Jesus entering Jerusalem followed by the trial and subsequent crucifixion of Jesus. Share your sorrow for what happened to Jesus that the disciples and followers of Jesus including his mother witnessed. Easter morning, the rock is rolled away from the tomb where Jesus body had been laid. The tomb was empty. Excitement, disbelief, joy and the mystery of eternal life in Jesus Christ! Continue your Lenten Journey toward Easter morning. This week Lethbridge congregation have sold their building. This will allow the congregation to find their new path and mission. What an exciting time for them! As they move forward on their journey, please be aware that the Lethbridge congregation has the opportunity to fulfill new dreams. Offer a prayer for this congregation that going forward will be an easy and enlightening path. ![]() Written by Gwyn Beer Co-president, Canada West Mission Centre ![]() Turn to the spirit within you! As we approach Easter, look around your world in wonder and appreciation. As snow starts to melt, green grass returns, flowers start to sprout, and the world reawakens. I am privileged to be staying on a beef farm. I came to the farm yesterday to new birth! A little calf! Joy, hope and a peaceful feeling came over me. I said a prayer for momma and baby thanking God for being there when I was not…from the very heart of a suffering, sacred world. Our world is in turmoil. There is a sense of desperation about the war in Ukraine, the next COVID wave in China, news about the increase in racist attacks in Canada and the need to reverse climate change on the planet. Where do you turn? Do you wonder how all this affects you? Do you wonder what you, as one person, can do to make a difference? Turn to the spirit within you! Use the tools that you have been taught and the tools we are being given. I have been very appreciative of the Daily Bread Lenten practices that are offered to guide us. Daily Bread - March 15, 2022 A Vision Reads in part... There IS a vision greater There IS a Spirit moving There IS a deeper yearning That means something real There IS a God creating And re-creating still Who continues to call out In the caverns of your soul From the very heart of a Suffering, sacred world. Read full reflection and scripture here We are getting closer to Easter. Our themes from World Church have been our guide. Enter the Wilderness, Count the Stars and Seek the Lord! Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near”. ![]() Written by Vickie MacArthur Spiritual Director, Writer and Yoga/Meditation Teacher “With a deep mindful breath, we announce the passing of our beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, at Tu Hieu Temple in Hue, Vietnam on 22nd January, 2022 at the age of 95.”
As I read these words through a blur of tears, memories of being with this dear Buddhist teacher on retreat at his monastery in southern France come flooding back: the slow, measured way he entered the meditation hall, as if imprinting peace with every step, the way his delicate hands cradled his cup of tea before savoring a long slow sip, the way his dazzling smile could light up every person in the room, the graceful arc of his arm as he drew it back before inviting the sound of the meditation bell to awaken our hearts and minds, the peaceful countenance of a Zen master deep in meditation, the child-like wonder as he gazed at the first lotus blossom of the season, the playful glint in his eyes as he invited the children to come forward, and finally, the way he would stop and look at you in the middle of a dharma talk, his wise words seemingly speaking to the deepest questions of your heart. Since his passing, there has been a huge outpouring of both grief and gratitude around the world for this peaceful and courageous Buddhist monk. A true bodhisattva, his teachings on mindfulness, along with his life of compassionate action, have touched millions. Born in Vietnam in 1926, he lived an inspiring life of both contemplation and service: entering the monastery as a novice monk at the tender age of sixteen, choosing to leave the safety of the monastery to help rebuild bombed-out villages during the Vietnam war, traveling to the United States to advocate for the end of that war, with the help of Dr. Martin Luther King, then being exiled from his homeland when he tried to return. Eventually settling in France, Thich Nhat Hanh continued to advocate for peace and eventually built a thriving monastery near Bourdeaux, ordaining hundreds of monks, nuns, and dharma teachers who continue to teach and offer retreats all over the world. (Read more at www.plumvillage.org.) Although Thich Nhat Hanh has been described as an artist, a poet, a mystic, a scholar, and activist, it is his loving and compassionate presence that has touched me to the core. Looking into Thay’s eyes was like looking into a mirror that was a pure reflection of love. It felt like looking into the eyes of the “Living Buddha, Living Christ.” Thay’s book of the same name connects Buddhism and Christianity; his legacy ensures that millions now also see the deep connections between these two great traditions. Watch for Vickie’s upcoming spiritual memoir, A Lotus On Fire: How a Buddhist Monk Ignited the Love in My Heart www.vickiemacarthur.com Please join us in thanking our friend David Lloyd and sustaining him as he moves into the next phase of his journey with the Community of Christ Seminary at Graceland University. We are sincerely thankful for David’s gift of developing disciples to serve in partnership with Community of Christ in Canada since 2016. Over the last six years, David has offered online Temple School courses and Ministerial Education and Discipleship Studies (MEADS) courses, both face-to-face and in online formats. Hundreds of disciples in Canada and the US have been blessed by these experiences, especially while classrooms remained closed during the pandemic. David will now serve as the Director of the newly formed Center for Innovation in Ministry and Mission (CIMM), an adult education, non-credit bearing extension of the Community of Christ Seminary at Graceland University. David will continue to offer the Temple School courses under the auspices of the Seminary instead of Developmetrics. Zac Harmon-McLaughlin, Dean of the Community of Christ Seminary, said, “We are excited to have David join our team in making practical ministry and theological education more accessible and tangible for all people. David brings an incredible skill set with him that will make The Center for Innovation in Ministry and Mission a leader in theological adult education and cutting-edge opportunities for leadership development in ministry and mission.” Community of Christ First Presidency Member Stassi Cramm said, “Community of Christ is excited about the leadership development and spiritual formation opportunities for disciples that will be made possible through our partnership with the Center for Innovative Ministry and Mission at the Community of Christ Seminary at Graceland University.” Cramm, who also is a member of Graceland’s Board of Trustees, continued, “We look forward to working with David Lloyd as the new director. He has been an innovator in online leadership development training through his work with Community of Christ in Canada.” The Community of Christ Seminary and Graceland University are lucky to welcome David on their team. We are certain that this will be a true blessing for the future of learning and leadership development in our church. Blessings, David, and our sincere thanks for the ministry you have provided. Thank you as well for the service you will continue to share going forward with the seminary. |
![]() Archives
July 2024
Categories
All
|
Quick links
|
External links
|
community of christ
355 Elmira Road North, Unit 129
Guelph, ON N1K 1S5 Canada Canada West Mission: 877-411-2632 Canada East Mission: 888-411-7537 |
Site powered by Weebly. Managed by Community of Christ
|