To our Members in BC - The annual Canada West Mission Centre Caucus Meeting of the Samish Island Campground Association will be held on the evening of Saturday, July 25, 2020, beginning at 7:00 p.m. PDT. Participation in the meeting is open to any and all members of the four Community of Christ congregations in BC and any “non-resident” members in BC (registered members who live in BC but are not registered with a congregation). The meeting will be held electronically via Zoom. The link to log in to the meeting is the same as the one being circulated for all of the Online Reunion Events in the post below. You should be able to click on the link and it will take you directly into the meeting. If you do not have Zoom loaded on your computer clicking on the link will download a small Zoom program onto your computer, open the program, and then bring you into the meeting. This will be the first gathering of the CWM Online Reunion. More details on that event are provided in the announcement below.
The current draft agenda is:
If you have any questions about this meeting please contact Steve Thompson. We look forward to your attendance and participation! Black Lives Matter
Indigenous Lives Matter Lives of People of Colour Matter It is already the FOURTH Wednesday of July! How did that happen? It is a beautiful day here in Edmonton as I write, but it does not seem that we have had our quota of really warm (read “hot”) summer weather yet. Perhaps where you live summer has been more generous. As the last weekend of July approaches, I realize that I am truly missing the in-person camps and reunions that normally mark my time at this time of year. But our online alternatives have proven to be very well received. We have had 36 kids registered across the Junior, Junior High, and Senior High online camps. Participation has come from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and even Washington State. A real benefit of this platform for the camp has been bringing youth together from across the mission centre and beyond. A big thank you to Lisa Neudorf, and her event directors, for putting this program together. Coming up, starting this weekend, is the Canada West Mission Online Reunion 2020! You will find program details and logon information elsewhere in this week’s Weekly Wire. I want to encourage participation across all of the mission centre in this event – just like the kids have shown us by example. You can pick and choose the events that most interest you, and you need not feel guilty about skipping the ones that do not. There are events aimed at every age group. Check out the schedule and mark the sessions of interest to you on your (electronic) calendar. We will have guest ministry from Zac and Katie Harmon-McLaughlin – who were guests at last year’s Hills of Peace Reunion. And I would be remiss if I did not suggest that both the online campfire and the talent show promise to be highlights of the week, just as they always have been in the traditional Samish Reunion. Thanks to Chris Phelps and his planning team for putting together this event. Next up will be the online edition of the Canada West Mission Conference. It will happen from Friday evening, September 11, through Sunday, September 13. Watch for program details in next week’s Weekly Wire. Joey Williams, who was our originally scheduled guest minister for the conference, will join us for some of our events. Watch for that information and keep those dates on your calendar. Also – in case this invitation has not come to you – check with your Pastor about being a delegate for your congregation for the business meetings. If you are not registered in a congregation and live in any of the provinces and you are interested in being a delegate, please contact me. As you are all aware, we are not “out” of this COVID-19 pandemic yet. It is the reason our camps are online. It is the reason we are not yet back to weekly worship services in our congregations. Please continue to exercise the infection-control measures recommended by all health authorities. Hopefully we can re-start weekly services in some form in September. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of guidance, understanding, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President [email protected] REGISTRATION CLOSED
Camp Schedule Note: July 2 orientation has been cancelled and will take place at beginning of each Week 1 virtual gathering. Junior Camp – Wednesday nights (7:30 to 8:30 mountain time) Week 1 (July 8): Cooking activity *gathering will be from 7:30 to 9:00 for orientation Week 2 (July 15): Nature activity Week 3 (July 22): Art activity Week 4 (July 29): Handyman activity Junior High Camp – Tuesday nights (7:30 to 9:00/9:30 mountain time) Week 1 (July 7): Paint Night Week 2 (July 14): Nature activity Week 3 (July 21): Nailed It (baking activity) Week 4 (July 28): Give Back project Senior High Camp – Thursday nights (7:30 to 9:30 mountain time) Week 1 (July 9): Paint Night Week 2 (July 16): Nature activity Week 3 (July 23): Nailed It (baking activity) Week 4 (July 30): Give Back project To answer some questions you might have:
If you have any questions, please contact me. Lisa Neudorf Camping and Retreat Specialist [email protected] Finding God when the Signposts Fail: Yearning as path. Our June Spiritual retreat was to take place at the Hills of Peace Campground. Due to present circumstances the venue had to change. Welcome to the “Zoom” stage. It happened! Participants from Canada West, Canada East and the USA ‘gathered’. To say the intent and purpose of the retreat was timely is an understatement. We were invited into an exploration of our deeper Spiritual longings, into that lingering hunger (past, present & future). How does one navigate this journey of life when things don’t make sense? Where our practises or answers are ineffective? “O God we call. From deep inside we yearn. For You.” Charmaine and Tony Chvala-Smith lead us down several paths of ‘adventure’: 1. When signposts fail; Describing the inner terrain (learning to lament; Praying the Psalms). 2. Meandering through the wilderness; Recognizing God; (Lecto Divina-The road to Emmaus). Where have yearnings for God/ Christ/ Spirit been surfacing? 3. The darkness of Faith; Light and dark as partners. 4. Oasis in the desert: Planning pauses on the path. Through meaningful script, visuals and practise our time together flew by and yet never seemed hurried. It was indeed a thought provoking, hope enhancing, and yes, a thirst for more journey. An air of openness seemed to allow us to explore our longing for the One who knows us and longs to be known. Poetry, song and sharing also played a part in the experience, exploration and ongoing discovery. “Let this mind be in us. That is also in Jesus.” In our final time together Sunday morning with the theme of ‘You are your own path’ we were encouraged and challenged onward. A beautiful scripture; Philippians 1: 3-8 verse by verse…. I know there were moments of ‘filled to overflowing’. A message of Love and belonging. That there are ways/paths for us ahead with reminders of God’s grace for us, for others, for all. We were blessed by the wonderful ministry of presence from Tony and Charmaine. A big thank you to Lisa Neudorf for piloting the electronics, to Gloria Stanton and Clarissa McLean for their gift of prayer and to everyone for their participation. I search for, yes, I search; I search for ‘Home’, always for Home, unaware, of course, that I am already there. Denise Esch and Brenda Senga We’re excited to offer this first-of-its-kind SPEC One-day event! **Please sign up only if you are a camper or a staff member** DATE: Saturday, 18 July THEME: Where do we go from here? COST: Free! REGISTER: Registration is required. Zoom links will be sent to the email on the form. -SCHEDULE-
(all times are listed in Central Daylight Time) After considering the many time zones in which our SPEC family lives, this timeframe allows the greatest opportunity for participation during our typical “awake” hours.
Use this event time converter to see what time SPEC One-day starts in your area: SPEC Today 2:30-4 pm One of the core values of SPECTACULAR is to provide a safe place to risk something new. We believe having difficult and sometimes awkward conversations with room to explore and learn are critical as we try our best to follow Jesus. Our SPEC Today session will explore the question “Where do we go from here?” with a focus on racial justice. SPEC Today starts with a large group session and then we’ll move into breakout sessions. On the registration form, you’ll get to choose which one you’d like to attend. Breakout Sessions:
Adventure Classes 4:30-6 pm We have a selection of some of the Adventure class favorites to choose from that could be transferred to the digital realm. Make your selection on the registration form.
Worship and Backwards Campfire 6:30 pm Come experience a SPEC Worship and hear from campers, the worship team, and Community of Christ President Steve Veazey! We’ll end our day with a backwards campfire led by the Seagraves family. You won’t want to miss it! **Campers… want to be part of the unique experience of creating a SPEC worship?** Contact worship leaders Daniel & Emily, and plan to join them on Wednesday, July 15 at 2:00 CST via Zoom. This class will include “homework,” so be prepared to carve some time into your schedule on Wednesday and Thursday to work on some special projects! Having a smart phone or device that can record video will be helpful to have if you plan to be involved. We hope you can join us! Daniel Harmon [email protected] Emily Rose [email protected] President Steve Veazey has released a video statement on racism and the response to it that is required by all members of the church. He shares some of his own experience in awakening to and confronting racial injustice. His challenge focuses on how racism denies the Worth of All Persons, one of the church’s Enduring Principles. Racism operates in opposition to the reign of God on Earth. And if we are FOR the Worth of All Persons and the reign of God on Earth—as Jesus calls us to be—then we must speak and act AGAINST racism in all its subtle and not-so-subtle forms. Please take a few minutes to watch this video and consider your personal response.
Greetings – Earlier this month church leaders in Canada were made aware of a unique opportunity to partner with the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC) in a timely joint statement recognizing and marking the International Decade for People of African Descent (IDPAD) in the Canadian context. As the world continues to reel from George Floyd’s murder in the United States, it is imperative that we look inward at our own racial biases here in Canada to support positive change in our own communities. With this opportunity to stand up for racial justice in mind, we distributed a survey to you via our mission centre mailing lists as well as our social media channels. You responded with swift and overwhelming support. We received over 100 responses from all across the country, and the results are in:
We hear you, and I have asked Kerry Richards, our designated representative with CCC, to proceed in formally adding Community of Christ’s support to the joint statement. Jonathan Schmidt, Intercultural Chair of the Canadian Council of Churches, had this to say about our process to survey membership: “I really like the engagement you are doing across Canada--making this more than simply signing on as a leader, but also engaging your communities in conversation.” We see value in- and are proud of- our culture of theocratic democracy. Thank you for helping us to bring this unique aspect of our tradition to the CCC. While signing a document in and of itself is not enough, it is the beginning of a larger ecumenical conversation and actionable steps. By joining this declaration, we are making strides toward fulfilling our call to “…work tirelessly to tear down walls of separation and to build bridges of understanding.” (Doctrine and Covenants 162:6b) We seek reconciliation within our own denomination and through our communities across Canada, and we look forward to hearing from you about the unique ways in which you prioritize to combat anti-Black racism in your congregations. With gratitude, Art Smith Field Apostle for Canada Black Lives Matter
Indigenous Lives Matter Lives of People of Colour Matter Stories. “The truth about stories is that that’s all we are.” So says Thomas King, an Indigenous author and broadcaster in his book, aptly named, The Truth about Stories. The book is a collection of his “Massey Lecture Series” given across Canada in 2003. The lectures deal with the power of stories to shape lives and to shape culture – in this case from an Indigenous perspective. (I recommend the book or the CBC podcasts of the lectures.) What are the stories that have shaped or helped define you? Are there family heritage stories passed down through your generations that retain and reinforce some sense of identity? Are there stories from literature that have challenged you personally and helped make you what you are today? Are there, perhaps, some stories or passages from scripture that have helped define you? The “Revised Common Lectionary” is a tool that is used by Community of Christ to help plan and structure our worship services each week. The current two weeks (July 12 and July 19) focus on the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13 in which Jesus is recorded as telling no fewer than seven parables – stories that teach a lesson. Many readers will be able to name a parable, perhaps several, which they know well and have heard, or have read or have been taught often. Perhaps one of Jesus’ parables is one of those stories that has been influential in your life. In our Virtual Visiting Fellowship meetings this week -yes, we are still going! See the announcement elsewhere in the Weekly Wire and consider joining us if you can- I asked our participants to share their favourite parable and why it was meaningful to them. As of this writing our Thursday evening group has yet to “have a go” at this exercise, but the sharing on Tuesday morning was really quite remarkable. Many people shared many different parables (and some shared the same parable). Some people chose to share a “parable” from their own experience from which they had learned some lasting life lesson. I felt that in the space of a half hour we heard about a dozen two-minute sermons that were as effective and meaningful as our traditional twenty-to-thirty-minute sermons on Sunday morning. Many of Jesus’ parables are “arch-types” in our culture and part of the daily lexicon. For example, “The Prodigal Son,” and “The Good Samaritan.” I fear slightly for our culture as the general population turns more and more away from organized religion. The words may remain, but the understanding of their origins and the significance of their lessons may be lost. I encourage you to think about “what is your story?” What does it mean to you? What might it mean to others if or when it is shared? What stories (parables, other scripture stories, or stories from other literature) have helped form who you are today? What new stories might you be encountering that are affecting your life and perspective now? As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of guidance, understanding, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President [email protected] ![]() Learn about the fascinating World of Religions! Against the backdrop of the events and protests of the past few weeks, the recent lectionary theme of “Welcome the Stranger” challenges us—as disciples and as a church—to examine our assumptions and attitudes about those who are different from us, and to take concrete steps to educate ourselves about the diversity in our communities. The upcoming Encounter World Religions Online Discovery Week (July 5-10) is a great opportunity to learn about the religious diversity of our neighbours, colleagues, and classmates. Register now or learn more about the week at the Encounter World Religions website. Although we are still self-isolating, this is an opportunity to learn together, and congregations are encouraged to consider using their Education or Leadership Development budgets to sponsor members to attend. Contact Brian Carwana at [email protected] for information about discounts for groups of attendees from the same congregation. This event is open to the public as well. All are welcome! If you have ever wanted to take Encounter's Discovery Week but it was beyond your budget or clashed with summer camps, this new online format will bring the 2020 Discovery Week to you at the most affordable price ever. Click on the button "learn more" to take a look at the poster and share this information with friends who might be interested. We hope you will consider joining us for this amazing virtual experience. Thank you for your consideration! From The First Presidency on behalf of the World Church Leadership Council:
Community of Christ, a member of the National Council of Churches USA, fully endorses the statement issued by the NCC expressing outrage because of the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (See: nationalcouncilofchurches.us/floyd-murder/). Community of Christ accepts the challenge to be “beacons of light in their own [our] communities by addressing racism where they [we] are, acknowledging the trauma experienced by those in the Black community and working tirelessly to end racism and white supremacy once and for all.” The same commitment applies to the suffering of all people who experience racial discrimination and violence in all nations where the church is established. The USA Team of Apostles urges friends and members of Community of Christ to read a statement from the team released June 1 regarding current events. The statement also will be posted across the church's social media network.
Thank you for you faithful support of Christ’s mission. Purely by the accident of birth I am blessed to call Canada “my home and native land!”
I use the term “blessed” enthusiastically and yet with a sense of humility. I know that there are many other countries in the world whose residents experience a high standard of living and benefit from basically the same rights and freedoms I enjoy. I know there are many other countries which, for any number of reasons, are not in that same situation. I am humbled because I know that some residents of Canada do not have the same advantages and positive life experiences that I have known and loved. Constraints such as poverty, hunger, racism, discrimination and prejudice based on many factors, chronic disease and pain, physical and mental disabilities, unequal access to education and social assistance tools, and many other conditions prevent many of my fellow Canadians from enjoying all the benefits that this land has to offer. The emphasis of my remarks over the last few weeks have been driven by this banner: Black Lives Matter Indigenous Lives Matter Lives of People of Colour Matter To take these issues to heart will go a long way towards resolving some (certainly not all) of the other issues noted. Despite these issues, there is so much to celebrate about our country on Canada Day. Our freedoms. Our democracy. (I know some may complain and nitpick on both of those things.) Our Indigenous, and French and English founding cultures (despite the conflicts that occasionally – regularly? – flair up). Our social diversity and generally celebrated multicultural ethic. Our “coast-to-coast-to-coast” geographic diversity: ocean coasts, old growth forests, mountains and glaciers, prairies, Canadian Shield, tundra, the arctic, boreal forests, great rivers and Great Lakes, farmland, small towns and villages, vibrant cities. Our strong government and social programs. Our equally strong private sector and wealth-producing businesses – large and small, corporate and “mom and pop.” Ten provinces and three territories across which all of us are free to live, to travel, to visit, to enjoy, and from which to experience life-enriching experiences and inspiration. I have been fortunate to travel reasonably widely across the world. I have enjoyed all of the places I have visited – and a few where I have lived briefly. However, there is something about getting through that last Customs check and having the Border Services officer greet me with “Welcome home” (even though I may still be thousands of kilometers away from where I live) that brings a sense of pride in my country and those with whom I share it. I hope that you have been able to mark Canada Day in some meaningful way. I hope you are able to give thanks to God for the blessings that you enjoy just because you live here. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of guidance, understanding, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President [email protected] 1 June 2020
Dear friends in Canada, We greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, the one who taught us that love of God and one another sustains us even in the darkest of times. COVID-19 has propelled us into uncharted territory. Every aspect of our daily lives has been disrupted. Our desire to be together in community has led us to online ministry, and we have encountered new and familiar faces with a renewed presence of the Holy Spirit in our gatherings. We are discovering “a variety of ways in which spiritual community forms and flows as expressions of the gospel of peace.” (Words of Counsel to the Church, Stephen M. Veazey, April 13, 2019) God is doing something new in our midst. We are deeply grateful for the spirit of unity that has emerged in Canada as everyone has worked together to implement strategies to deal with the pandemic. As the reopening of churches closed by the COVID-19 emergency is considered, mission center presidents, in consultation with the supervising apostle, will determine when this will occur. The apostle will continue to work closely with mission center leaders to monitor and evaluate conditions and information. Congregation leaders will receive reopening guidelines and reopening checklists and will be asked to participate in online training sessions offered by each mission centre before implementing any reopening plan. In Canada, we currently anticipate that in person gatherings in church sanctuaries will remain suspended until at least the end of August. Congregations should not circumvent these procedures as failure to comply with official guidelines would shift legal liability to the congregation itself in the event of lawsuits arising from someone contracting the virus in a noncompliant congregation. Please continue to carefully monitor communications from your mission center for updates regarding the process of returning to in-person gatherings. We acknowledge that the situation remains fluid and the appropriate time to resume gatherings may vary somewhat across Canada. We affirm the principle of protecting the most vulnerable. We remain committed to doing the best we can to care for one another and make responsible choices and decisions for the welfare of all. In the peace of Jesus Christ, Art Smith, Field Apostle for Canada Black Lives Matter Indigenous Lives Matter Lives of People of Colour Matter Are you weary of 2020 yet? Would you like to hit the “reset” button and start it all over again? Or do you want to push “fast forward” and just get through it to see if 2021 can be any better? Have you found yourself conflicted over the day’s headlines – whether they have to do with societal response to COVID-19, or societal upheaval over issues of race, or other large social and political questions of the moment? Is it clear to you what your response should be as a Christian or as a member of Community of Christ? Do you see, as I do, people arguing both sides of an issue and each invoking morality and informed opinion as supporting their side? Who are you looking to for guidance and direction? Political leaders? Scientists? Doctors? Lawyers? Your church leaders? Other spiritual leaders? Media or Hollywood or sports personalities? How about a random person on social media who says they have the answer(s)? Have you noticed I have done nothing but ask you questions? Are you annoyed with me yet? If you don’t like my questions, you may not like my statements either. Sometimes God has difficulty in breaking through to us with the spiritual guidance that we desire and expect. The theme scripture from the lectionary for this past Sunday was Matthew 10:24-39. It illustrates this faith conundrum very well. You may know it. These are the verses where Jesus tells his followers to “not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” but rather to “fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (v. 28) Then he challenges our perceptions of him as a person of peace with verse 34: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” He goes on to describe that conflict can be expected among close family members and that his followers need to love him more than they love their parents. It is a challenging and frankly frightening few verses. The scarier thing may be that we are living in such a time where there is much to fear and cause conflict between persons who are otherwise respectful and loving of each other. The on-line worship resources for last Sunday conclude by observing that “Jesus does not say to love someone instead of him, but to love no one more than you do him. … [F]ollowing him means we can’t set aside the gospel for another relationship.” So – do you feel better yet? Me neither. This life of faith – of continually seeking understanding – is hard. And Jesus never promised us it would be easy. If it is of any comfort, I am right there with you trying to find my way through the challenges of our day and time. I pray for you God’s blessings of guidance, understanding, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President [email protected] ![]() Join us for an online lecture series led by Seminary Director, Zac Harmon-McLaughlin. Every Monday night @ 7pm CDT via ZOOM, starting June 8. Following dates: June 15, 22 and 29. As the demographics of Christianity rapidly change, many people are asking the question, “What will the church look like in the future?” In the last 30 years, the fastest growing segment of the population have been a group known by one of the following names, “unaffiliated”, “nones”, or “spiritual but not religious”. In this online lecture series we will explore some of the demographic data, societal implications, Community of Christ Ecclesiology, Ambiguity & Curiosity, Principle based Theology, Modernity & Post-Modernity, and ultimately, what a Transformative Community of Christ Ecclesiology looks like as the world changes. This is a free event. We welcome any donations you would like to share. You can donate to the seminary here: www.graceland.edu/giving. When there direct your gift to “other” then write in “Community of Christ Seminary". Your donations will go toward continuing the important mission of Graceland University’s Community of Christ Seminary. If you have any questions please contact [email protected] Black Lives Matter Indigenous Lives Matter Lives of People of Colour Matter I mentioned in last week’s “Moment” that I had attended an anti-Black racism rally in Edmonton. Many banners and signs at that rally contained the acronym “BIPOC” meaning: Black, Indigenous, People of Colour. The phrase is a recognition that our society has multiple issues to deal with. The primary focus of the demonstrations of the last few weeks have been on calling out attitudes and actions that demonstrate personal racism and systemic racism embedded in our society against persons of African heritage. Those signs and the comments of some speakers reminded us that we also need to confront racism that is particularly deeply embedded in Canadian culture concerning our persons of Indigenous identity, as well as many others more generally described as Persons of Colour. My friends, there is much work to be done! As other tragic events have unfolded over the past couple of weeks involving the tragic and violent deaths of other Black and Indigenous persons, I have felt discouragement and profound sadness. How will we ever find our way out of this? How can we meaningfully and practically begin removing societal and structural barriers to the full and unfettered participation in our society by all persons regardless of skin colour? Jesus told the parable of the “Good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25-37) to illustrate that persons outside the dominant society should be recognized and honoured. Jesus miraculously healed many people in his ministry. One account showed that he would assist even persons aligned with the occupying Roman army (healing of the Centurion’s servant, Matt. 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10; John 4:43-54). Another actually illustrated that Jesus could be confronted by a personal prejudice and respond and correct himself (healing of the daughter of the Syrophoenician [Gentile] woman, Mark 7:24-30). The scriptural record of the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:5-12) revealed that the Spirit of God was made available to persons from across the known world including those considered to be barbarians (Parthians) and those from the occupying nation (Romans). In all of these accounts there is no record that the principle people involved were actually “converts” to Jesus’ teachings. But they were all intentionally included and not excluded from the blessings of the Holy Spirit. Surely, by extension, we must know that we are to extend the blessings and privileges of our society to all those who are a part of it. In today’s environment and historic moment, we are being challenged to be inclusive of those peoples upon who’s backs so much of our societal wealth and privilege has been built through the shames of slavery, colonialism, and abuses too numerous and grievous to begin listing here. I pray God’s blessings of guidance, understanding, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President [email protected] Dear friends, In the last couple of years Community of Christ in Canada has been participating as an observer with the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC). While we have not yet been admitted as full members, our engagement has been highly meaningful. We have been building good ecumenical relationships. We now have the opportunity, as an observer at the Council table to add our signature to a joint statement recognizing and marking the International Decade for People of African Descent (IDPAD) in the Canadian context. The International Decade for People of African Descent was declared by the United Nations in 2015 to last through 2024. For more information, we encourage you to review the following resources:
By joining other churches in Canada in this joint statement we would be expressing our desire to join them in asking the CCC to make anti-racism, specifically anti-Black racism, and the goals of the UN IDPAD, a priority. I believe that this is an opportunity for Community of Christ members and congregations in Canada to prophetically respond to these matters with creative engagement as individuals, groups, congregations, and jurisdictions. As Community of Christ Canadian leadership contemplate signing this joint statement, we would be interested in hearing from you. Please complete this survey by Wednesday, June 17, 2020. I also welcome any other feedback on this opportunity.
In the peace of Jesus Christ, Art Smith Field Apostle for Canada President Veazey shares his conviction and experience of peace and assurance that God is moving us toward fuller embodiment of the gospel, even in the midst of difficult situations.
We invite you to come together with hundreds of participants from around the world as the congregation Beyond the Walls. This inclusive online church service is an opportunity to pause and share a sacred moment together in times of physical distancing and uncertainty. All are welcome and invited!
Becky Savage, will offer the message on the theme "Welcome Strangers" and our lectionary scripture is Genesis GENESIS 18:1-15, 21:1-7, including the story of the three mysterious men who visited Abraham and Sarah bringing news of prosperity against all odds. Danny Belrose will offer the Prayer for Peace, and other ministers will join us live from locations across Canada and the USA. The Beyond the Walls choir will premiere CCS 273 “Draw the Circle Wide” and CCS 274 “God, We Gather as Your People” with Michael Karpowicz at the piano. We would love for you to sing with us! This Sunday, June 7th 14 PM EDT, 11 AM CDT, 10AM MDT, 9AM PDT (UTC -4) “Are we moving toward Jesus, the peaceful one?”
In the May-June Herald Matthew Frizzell opens his article, “Toward the Peaceful One: Jesus Christ in Restoration Perspective,” (also available online) with these words:
Matthew wrote his article well before the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. He had in mind the uncertainty presented by the societal changes affecting Christianity generally and Community of Christ specifically. Of course, his words seem even more relevant to us now. Black lives matter. Do those words seem somehow “last week” to you? Our news cycle is such that the media has all but moved on from the demonstrations that gripped the continent – and still do in some areas. I attended the anti-racism rally in Edmonton last Friday. It was an enlightening experience in more ways than I can share here. It reinforced for me the reality of the racism that is faced by those with a different skin colour than mine. It reinforced for me that I am probably an unwitting perpetrator of the racism entrenched in our culture even though I believe I think and act and speak as inclusively as I can. I have much to learn. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the information that comes at you from different directions all day, every day? Me, too! Two things came to me this week via Apostle Art Smith that I want to share with you. The first item is a letter focused on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21, 2010. It also upholds the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-1024). Did you know about that? I didn’t – and it’s half over!! The letter is signed by the leaders of three of Canada’s largest Protestant denominations. Through our association with the Canadian Council of Churches, Community of Christ has been invited to become a signatory to the letter. Have a look at the letter and let me know what you think. The second item is a letter written by a fellow Mission Centre President, Ryan Pitt, of the Mid-Atlantic Mission Center. His topic is “Racial Justice and Initial Steps” and he outlines some specific things he will lead for his mission center in response to the issues of the last couple of weeks. Have a look at this letter, too, and let me know what you think. What could the Canada West Mission Centre actually DO to support anti-racism efforts in our communities? Are we moving toward Jesus, the peaceful one? I think we are trying. How about you? Grace and Peace, Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President [email protected] |
![]() Categories
All
Archives
July 2024
|
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
|