Invisible Knapsack

Samuel D Chown 

b. April 11, 1853, 

d. Jan. 30, 1933

Did you know that in 1925, when the United Church was born, Rev. Samuel Dwight Chown, a Methodist minister and well-loved by many, gave up the position as the first moderator of the United Church?  He instead offered the position to Presbyterian minister, Rev. George C. Pidgeon, recognizing the struggle that some of the Presbyterian churches were having in joining the United Church and the minority position they held.  This sounds like a grace-filled person who put other’s needs and the church’s needs before his own.

Last week, I read a quote by Rev. Chown that shows a very different side.  He wrote, “The immigration question is the most vital one in Canada today, as it has to do with the purity of our national life-blood…It is foolish to dribble away the vitality of our own country in a vain endeavor to assimilate the world’s non-adjustable, profligate and indolent social parasites.”[1]  It’s a shocking quote for us to hear today.  This doesn’t mean though that Rev. Chown wasn’t still a grace-filled person, but that he wrote this from a very different time and is reflective of colonialism thoughts and practices of the time.

Last week, I was in Saskatoon for a course called, “Racism, Post-Colonialism, Canadian Identities, and Intercultural Ministries.”  This is quite a mouthful but the instructors find the title fits what they are trying to teach.  I had the opportunity to read some great work by people like Kwok Pui-lan, Gloria Anzaldua, Edward Said, and Robert Young and watched some powerful videos like “Between: Living Between the Hyphen” about being bi-racial, and “Whitewashed: Unmasking the World of Whiteness.” (Check them out on YouTube.)

One article by Peggy McIntosh called, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” offers some ways in which we might recognize the white privilege that many of us carry.  She writes, “whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work with will allow “them” to be more like “us.”

McIntosh tries to identify some of this white privilege and identifies 46 white privileges we carry in our knapsack, mostly without being aware they are even there.  Here are a few[2]:

·          I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.

·          I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.

·          I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.

·          When I am told about our national heritage or about ‘civilization,’ I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.

·          I did not have to educate our children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.

·          I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.

·          I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to “the person in charge” I will be facing a person of my race.

·          I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children’s magazines featuring the people of my race.

·          I can choose blemish color or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin.

Can you connect with any of these?  How does it make you feel to be carrying this invisible and seemingly weightless knapsack?  We live in a culture where white is the norm and everyone else is seen as different and foreign.  Even those who have been born and raised Canada and might be a third-generation Canadian get asked where they come from, who their parents are and how they came to be here.  For those of us who are white, we don’t have to think about racism and how it affects our lives.  For those of us who are not white, it can affect our whole lives. 

I don’t like to think of myself as racist.  In fact, when some people are accused of being racist or of saying or doing something racist, they get very defensive and angry.  The fact is that most of us carry some racial prejudice and the white race holds the power in our culture.  Being racist is a symptom of this problem.  The more aware we become, the more we can address this problem, but being non-racist could take generations. 

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[1] “Blood: The Stuff of Life” by Lawrence Hill

[2] McIntosh, Peggy, from “Peace and Freedom,” July/August 1989

Shutting Down the Temple

At our book study this week, we came across the story of Jesus expressing his anger in the temple.  We grappled with the story, trying to find meaning.  Were Jesus’ actions right?  He preached non-violence and peace.  Why did he display such temper?  Wasn’t he disrupting businesses that had every right to be there?  What is this story trying to tell us?  I made a commitment to do some reading about the story so that I could better understand it myself.

I have a book on my shelf that I have read through once but I continue to refer to it when reflecting on the events that happened during Holy Week.  Holy Week is the week before Easter, beginning with Palm Sunday through the Saturday before Easter.  The book is called, “The Last Week,” and was written by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan.  As you can tell by the title, the authors delve into the last week of Jesus’ life. 

In particular, they focus on the gospel of Mark which holds a daily account of the last week of Jesus’ life.  In this gospel, Monday is when Jesus causes the disruption in the temple.

¹⁵Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; ¹⁶and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. ¹⁷He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” (Mark 11:15-17, NRSV)

Did you ever wonder about the story that comes just before this story?  On the way into Jerusalem, Jesus is hungry.  He sees a fig tree with no figs.  It is not the season for figs, but Jesus then curses the fig tree anyway, saying, “May no one eat fruit from you again.”  The next morning, the disciples see the fig tree “withered away to its roots.” (Mark 11:20)

Why would Jesus curse a fig tree?  This always seemed like such a strange story to me that makes Jesus seem petty.  Borg and Crossan explain it this way: “The fig tree’s failure is a cipher for that of the temple.  The framing fig tree,” (meaning the way the words about the fig tree frame the event in the temple), “warns us that the framed temple is not being cleansed, but symbolically destroyed and that, in both cases, the problem is a lack of ‘fruit’ that Jesus expected to be present.”  So what ‘fruit’ is not present in the temple?

Jesus says that the temple has been made into a “den of robbers,” words that are originally spoken by the prophet Jeremiah. 

⁵For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly act justly one with another, ⁶if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, ⁷then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors forever and ever. ⁸Here you are, trusting in deceptive words to no avail. ⁹Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, ¹⁰and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, “We are safe!” —only to go on doing all these abominations? ¹¹Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? (Jeremiah 7:5-11)

In that context, the meaning of the phrase “den of robbers” is very clear.  The people’s everyday injustice makes them robbers, and they use the temple as their safe house, den, hideaway, or place of security.  The temple is not the refuge where the robbing occurs, but the place the robbers go for refuge.  The temple is a place of worship but worship has replaced justice.  

In the bible, it’s not about one or the other, and it’s not just about worship and justice, but on justice over worship.  Traditionally, God had repeatedly said, “I reject your worship because of your lack of justice,” but never, ever, ever, “I reject your justice because of your lack of worship.” (Borg and Crossan)

So what would Jesus do if he walked into our church?  Would he find worship?  Would he find justice?  Would he find one over the other?  Might Jesus turn over some tables in our own church to tell us that our church, in his name, has become a den of robbers?  In shutting down the temple, Jesus was making a point and in doing this, he attracted the attention of those in power who began to plot his death.

Two questions for World Vision

World Vision has reconsidered a decision to hire people in same gender marriages.  "We have listended to you and want to say thank you and to humbly ask for your forgiveness," the agency said in the letter, signed by World Vision president Stearns and board chairman Jim Bere.

Enough people complained and threatened to pull support, so World Vision dropped a two-day old policy that would have allowed the hiring of those in same gender relationships.  In fact, Stearns said the board unanimously agreed to "stand on the traditional belief on the authority of Scripture."

World Vision president Stearns

I have two questions.  First, what led them to change their policy in the first place?  Did the board of World Vision consider the ethical and moral implications of excluding those in same gender relationships?  Did they pray together, read scripture together, and open themselves up to the leading of the Spirit in order to come up with the decision to allow employees in same gender relationships?  For two days the policy to hire those in same gender relationships was in place.  Something led them to this decision.  Unfortunately, it looks as though the threat of the loss of support and money has changed that decision.  The board prayed for years to make a decision, but in only two days, overturned that decision.

For the past year, since the St. Paul’s youth group joined with another church last year to do the 30-Hour Famine, my son has been asking to do it again.  The 30-Hour Famine is a program created and promoted each spring by World Vision.  Youth are encouraged to fast for 30 hours, to gather and engage in age-appropriate games and activities that raise awareness of world hunger, and raise funds for World Vision. When I told my son about this decision to not employ people in same gender marriages, without blinking an eye, he dropped his campaign to have a 30-Hour Famine and has agreed instead to try a different event in support of a different charity.  I'm confident the rest of the youth group will agree.

My second question.  In today’s world, how can we say that we are making decisions that “stand on the traditional belief on the authority of Scripture?”  Traditional means “a way of thinking, behaving, or doing that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time.”[1] Scripture has been used and interpreted in vastly different ways, for a long time.  Traditionally, it has been used to oppress women and children and the keeping of slaves.  Also, traditionally, scripture has been used to set slaves free and to uplift women and children.  Of which tradition does World Vision president Stearns speak?  Traditionally, scripture has been used to encourage inclusiveness, loving one another, compassion, justice, and peace.  Traditionally, it has also been used to exclude, judge an other’s actions, justify hate, and to uphold decisions that have no value in today’s world.  Will World Vision also encourage slaves to submit to their masters and women to submit to their husbands?  Will World Vision also decide that they won’t hire women as they should be at home caring for their husband and children based on the tradition of scripture?  Will the threat of pulling support and money, cause World Vision to rethink other policy?

Today my prayer is for those in same gender relationships.  I pray for those who still hear the message in our society that certain relationships are wrong and that God does not support certain loving relationships.  I pray for those who cannot love who they want without being judged and excluded.  I pray that we can all love and accept one another for who we are, no matter our skin colour, our accent, who we choose to love, our abilities, our age, or who we worship.  I pray there comes a day when we all feel loved and valued.

**I just read that the above is a World Vision US policy.  In Canada, provincial laws say that candidates for a job cannot be asked about sexual orientation, marriage or related issues.  World Vision Canada wants to reassure Canadians that "This is what is most key for us: When it comes to working with the poor, World Vision serves children, families and communities, regardless of whether they are aligned with our values or not."  This makes me wonder if World Vision Canada would ask these questions if they could.  What are their values?  Is this a practice of toleration?  World Vision Canada says they would value the opportunity for more discussion.  http://churches.worldvision.ca/our-christian-identity-responding-to-world-vision-us-hiring-policy-change/

The information in this blog on World Vision US came from an online article: http://www.timesleaderonline.com/page/content.detail/id/479500/World-Vision-reverses-decision-to-hire-gays.html?isap=1&nav=5021

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[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary

Who was the Beloved Disciple?

Do you ever have those times when you want to stick out your tongue, and then, in a very child-like way, say, “Nana nana nana?”

More than ten years ago, I took a course.  I don’t remember the name of the course or who taught it.  I don’t remember what book I was reading or what we were discussing at the time.  What I remember is offering a different interpretation to a gospel text and being rebuffed for it.  What I expressed was pretty much dismissed.  If you know me, you know that when I express my thoughts, I feel very vulnerable, and being dismissed in this way brought up feelings of foolishness and shame.  Hmmm.  No wonder I'm still holding onto it.

The text was from the gospel of John 19:25-27:

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” ²⁷Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

My question was around this disciple whom Jesus loved.  Maybe it was a woman.  The text mentions three women standing at the foot of the cross and then Jesus says, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”  Traditionally, people have referred to John as the disciple that Jesus loved.  John is also traditionally credited with the writing of the gospel. 

What if it wasn’t John?  What if the text is actually referring to one of the women standing at the foot of the cross?  After all, we know from the other gospels that all the male disciples ran and hid.  It was only the women who stayed with Jesus at the cross.  The passage refers to three women but it seems people would like to insert a fourth person, a male person.  Also, if it was John that stayed, why didn’t he also help with the burial of Jesus, along with Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.

The course I’m currently taking on the scriptures of the New Testament offered a reading by Sandra M. Schneiders, from a book called, “Written That You May Believe: Encountering Jesus in the Fourth Gospel.”  Schneiders states that most people will say the beloved disciple must be male, because Jesus says, “Woman, here is your son.”  Schneiders has a different theory.

“First, most commentators agree that, whoever the Beloved Disciple was historically, in this scene the figure is not merely or even primarily an individual who is personally and priviately united to the mother of Jesus but a representative figure symbolic of some group that is to be united in a special way with her.  In that case the meaning of the verse is, ‘Woman, behold the one who is to be to you what I [Jesus] have been.”  Since Jesus is Mary’s son, the community represented by the Beloved Disciple becomes Mary’s new “son,” that is, shares the same relationship to her as Jesus had during his earthly life.”

Schneider’s ultimate theory is that the Beloved Disciple is not one person, but is representative of an ideal disciple, which could be either male or female. 

The article goes into much more detail about the Beloved Disciple, other unnamed disciples, the author of the gospel, and even a "redactor," one who may have modified the gospel later to make it more acceptable to the Greater Church of the time, specifically in removing women from key leadership roles.  I found it quite fascinating, especially since it confirmed my original suspicions, voiced and dismissed.  Now, it was only a guess at the time and I had no way of substantiating my theory, but I feel as if my original thought may not have been as foolish as it originally seemed. "Na Na Na Na Na Na."

A Place to Simply Be

 

Meditation is a spiritual practice.  It also takes lots of practice.  I met with a woman at the diaconal retreat who is part of The World Community for Christian Meditation (http://www.wccm-canada.ca/).  She initially talked with me about meditation with children and how some of the separate school boards have brought this into their curriculum.  I was fascinated by this concept.

In the past three weeks, I have been on two retreats.  I experienced a weekend silent retreat at Five Oaks Retreat Centre in Paris, ON, and a 48-hour retreat with diaconal sisters and brothers from the United, Lutheran, and Anglican churches at the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine in Toronto.  

At these retreats I experienced quiet, creation, play, and prayer.  I have discovered (again) that it is a blessing just to simply be.  When I am not thinking about regrets from the past or feeling anxiety over the future, I can experience a kind of freedom, a freedom that allows for the Spirit to enter.

So, I am left with the question, “How do I continue this practice in my daily life?”

She also led a workshop on meditation where I sat for 15 minutes in silence.  The encouragement was to just be, to try to still my body and my mind, and to invite the Spirit to come.  I have also tried this practice the past two mornings.  I am very still.  You would think by looking at me, that I am deep in meditation.  Unfortunately, it is just by body that is still.  My mind is anything but!  A friend of mine call is “monkey brain.”  It just won’t stop thinking.  

I found a quote by Hugh Jackman on meditation. "Meditation is all about the pursuit of nothingness.  It's like the ultimate rest.  It's better than the best sleep you'ver ever had.  It's a quieting of the mind.  It sharpens everything, especially you appreciation of your surroundings.  It keeps life fresh."  This is where I would like to be.  In fact, I would go a step further from nothingness, to experiencing the divine.  Unfortunately, I relate more to a statement by Ellen DeGeneres.  "I'd like to be more patient!  I just want everything now.  I've tried to meditate, but it's really hard for me to stay still. I'd like to force myself to do it, because everybody says how wonderful meditation is for you, but I can't shut my mind up.  So patience and learning is key.  I wonder if Ellen ever go there..

I will keep trying.  It takes practice.  15 minutes is a good start and I am hoping, even for a few minutes, to still my mind in that time.  There are community meditation groups that I could explore or maybe I could start one at St. Paul’s, the church I serve.  Maybe others are looking for a space like this, where they can put aside thoughts and just be with God.  

And just so you don't think I only quote celebrities, here is one more quote:  "Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet.  It's a way of entering into the quiet that's already there - buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks every day - Deepak Chopra, Indian-American Spiritualist.

I hope to find this quiet place; I hope that it will become a familiar place, a place where I can find quiet, invite the Spirit, and to simply be.  

Epiphany Insights

I'm not sure if you are someone who subscribes to the blog of the United Church Moderator, Gary Paterson, but in his latest blog, he speaks of his experience at Epiphany Explorations.  Epiphany Explorations is an education event that is held in Victoria, B.C. in January.  It is a very popular event, attended by many United Church clergy.  It usually hosts speakers that are currently popular within the United Church.

Marie Wilson, Commissioner of the
Truth and Reconciliation
Commission, with Moderator,
Rev. Gary Paterson at
Epiphany Exploration

Rev. Paterson offered some insights from this year's event that I thought I would share as they are relevant to the changing church.  He shared six insights that might apply to any faith community.

1. Vital worship is central; make use of current cultural resources; INVEST in music; do not be BORING!  Think about having weekly eucharist.  (The all caps are his, not mine.)
2. LEAD…the visionary leadership of the senior minster is critical.  Consider what matters most, and do it!
3. Pay for what you want, not what you have.  Develop an assertive revenue strategy.
4. Discuss values and say who you are.  Gather and plant the vision; ensure buy-in.
5. Regular and diverse social opportunities are necessary; pay lots of attention to coffee hour; have lunch after worship, every Sunday.
6. Communication is critical.  A church's website is a powerful tool for evangelism.

Most faith communities could relate to these six insights.  As the congregation of St. Paul's continues to vision the future of the church, how might these thoughts help us along our way?  

Rev. Paterson offers thoughts and reflections on his journey as the United Church's 41st Moderator.  Follow his blog and join the conversation.

More Union Talk

Have you seen the news about a clergy union?  There was an article in the Toronto Star.  The article was shared with me last night and now, I'm filled with wonderings about where this will lead.

This was a hot topic a few years ago in the United Church.  I can remember attending a meeting with a union representative discussing the benefits of joining a union.  Then there was a vote and ministers, by a slight majority, voted against having a union.  I thought the talk had basically disappeared, but it has returned, and this time, with an actual union in place.  

Receiving Unifaith's charter on December 7, 2013

Unifaith is part of Unifor, and is a union for United Church clergy, students, retirees, and their families.  They gathered for the first time on January 14, 2014.  What are the advantages of a union for clergy?  What are the disadvantages?

Many churches are struggling to pay their ministers.  As attendance drops, as membership declines, and as financial givings decrease, churches find it difficult to pay their ministers.  Sometimes this means ministers are asked to leave and sometimes they are asked to work less than full-time.  There are also the unhealthy congregations that struggle to treat their clergy fairly.  When I was serving a small congregation in Stoughton, the congregation decided that they could only pay me for three more months.  They would then be out of money.  I was basically being laid off with three months' notice.

I was one of the lucky ones.  There were a few in the congregation who took charge and started making phone calls to people in the community.  Within a week, they had accumulated enough to say that I could stay on for the rest of the year and a few months later, they knew that another year and a half would be doable.  It wasn't long after that I decided to begin my search for another call.

It was a scary time, but how would a union have helped?  How can a congregation be forced to do more than it is able?  As a minister, I am in relationship with these people, and although I felt hurt, I would not have felt good about striking back.  Is that what a union is for?  Or does the union strike at the United Church of Canada?  How is the UCC responsible for the financial struggles of a congregation?

I'm speaking from a place of little experience with unions, so I may sound very naive.  I am part of a professional organization for diaconal ministers in the UCC.  We have gatherings every two years, a newsletter, and geographical clusters.  I feel supported by this network.  Maybe a professional organization of clergy would be more helpful and supportive than a union.

I'm sure there will be a lot of conversation around this again, and maybe there will be another vote, but, until I have a better understanding of the benefits of a union, I will still need to vote, "no."

Bad Rap for Paul

I've just begun a new course.  It is an Early Christian Scriptures course, specifically on the letters of Paul.  And yes, I'm procrastinating on the homework by posting on this blog.

I feel fortunate in this class though because I have recently read all of Paul's letters because of the congregation's goal to read the New Testament in a year, in the order the books were written.  Because Paul's letters date as the earliest Christian writings, I have read them all.  Now, through this course, I have the opportunity to delve deeper into these ancient writings by Paul.

As a congregation, we are currently reading Colossians, a book that has been attributed to Paul, but many now believe was probably written in the 80's, about 20 years after Paul's execution.  There are also inconsistencies in the letter that mark it as written by someone other than Paul.  The sentences are much longer and more complex and sometimes the contents within the letters conflict with Paul's ideas.  For example, in Paul's letter to the Galatians, he affirms that Jew and Gentile, male and female, and slave and free are all one in Christ.  The author of this letter leaves out male and female and later in the letter includes the subordination of wives to husbands and slaves to masters.

Because these words have been attributed to Paul, Paul has received a lot of criticism over the years.  Many fighting for equal rights for women or those in opposition to slavery have spoken very strongly against Paul.

Fifty years after Christ and even twenty years after Paul, ideas changed and people approached the gospel in different ways.  Theologian Marcus Borg states, "The radicalism of Paul's early communities is being accommodated to the hierarchical normalcy of the Roman world." (Evolution of the Word) In other words, Paul's radical words were being tamed over the years and made to suit those already in power, in this case, men and slaveowners.

What is your opinion of Paul?  Have you been persuaded by those who have criticized Paul and his writings?  How does it make you feel to hear that letters you had always believed were written by Paul are now being questioned?

Relationship vs. Program

Yesterday, I sat through a short webinar on Evangelism.  In the United Church, this is one of those words that is avoided.  Many people hear the words evangelism and imagine people going from door to door telling people about their faith or they imagine someone asking another if they have been saved.  Most people see evangelists as loud, assertive, and judgmental.  This does not fit into most United Church circles.

But is evangelism wrong?  If we don't share out faith with others, are we living out the mandate to share the good news and to make disciples of all nations?  If we don't share our faith, will others assume that we are ashamed of it or that it is something to hide and keep to ourselves?

The Reverend Orville James, a minister at Wellington Square United in Burlington, and Evan Smith, a student preparing to be ordained this spring, tackled this topic on the webinar.  You can see the recorded version if you missed it: http://www.unitedfuture.ca/forum2

One statement that stood out for me was said by Orville James.  He said that evangelism is not a program; it's about relationship.  Evangelism is not about how many people you can convert or how many doors on which you can knock.  Evangelism is about being in relationship with people.  It's about sitting with someone who is hurting; it's about laughing and crying together.  It's about seeing Christ in others and others seeing Christ in you.

How do you share your faith with others?  How do you invite your neighbour to join you in your faith community?  How do you feel about evangelism?

VBS Wonders

It's January and people are complaining about the freezing cold temperatures.  Meanwhile, I am thinking about Vacation Bible School (VBS) in July.

This year, the theme of our VBS is "Workshop of Wonders," where we will explore imagining, building, growing, working, and walking with God.  I'm very excited and hope that we will have lots of volunteers and children this year.  It's always a week full of excitement and it's a wonderful opportunity to share God's love with the children who come.  http://2014.cokesburyvbs.com/

This year, we are planning full days for the children, 9am to 3pm.  During July and August when school is out, summer camps are a great way to engage children while their parents/guardians are working.  Creating a full day program lets families know that we want to support them, and caring for children for a week during the summer is one way we can do that.

In the ninth chapter of Mark, after the disciples had been arguing with one another as to who was the greatest, we read: "Then [Jesus] took a child and put it among them, 'Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.'" (37, NRSV)

This is the first of two times that Jesus holds up a child as the ideal.  The second time, after the disciples have spoken harshly to some children, Jesus says, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.  Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." (10:14b-15 NRSV)

How we care for the children in our midst can say a lot about how we care for those who are vulnerable.  As people of faith, we talk about caring for the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, and the sick, but children are some of the most vulnerable people and they are always with us.

Through programs like VBS, Sunday School, children's choirs, and more, we can show kindness, compassion, respect, and love for the children we encounter.