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.

My Name is Legion

This week we read an interesting passage from Mark, chapter six, that concerns a man with demons. The subject of demons can be difficult for those of our times to grasp.  Do you think people were actually possessed by demons or do they represent something else?

In this passage, Jesus has just performed the miracle of stilling stormy water.  They arrive on "the other side of the sea."  Some speculate that Jesus and the disciples have arrived in a Gentile community (not Jewish) as there is a herd of swine.  Jewish people do not eat meat from pigs.

Jesus and his disciples come across a man that is described in great detail.  This man comes out of "the tombs" (probably caves) and is described as having an unclean spirit.  People have done their best to restrain this man but he continually breaks loose.  He now wanders the desert, "howling and bruising himself with stones."

Mental illness has been a disease that society has tried to handle in a variety of ways.  It's possible that in those days, people with mental illnesses were restrained with shackles and chains.  When being restrained didn't work, they left him to his own devices in the desert.  There he could cause no harm to anyone but himself.  Like many with mental illnesses, he was isolated and cut off from society.  He probably had trouble meeting the expectations of society.  Friends and family probably felt helpless and full of grief, not knowing what to do for him.  How have you experienced society's reaction to mental illness?

The demon within this man confronts Jesus, knowing, as so many of the demons in this gospel do, the true identity of Jesus.  When Jesus asks his name, the demon says, "My name is Legion; for we are many."

Legion was a word used to define a unit of soldiers that numbered between 2000 and 6000.  Some see a political message in this passage from Mark.  Just as this demon possessed this man, the Roman Empire possessed Palestine.  Just as this demon controlled this man and made his life miserable, as did the Roman Empire in Palestine.  Jesus though is able to cast out these demons.  He casts Legion into the swine and the swine run themselves of a cliff and into the sea and drown.  Does this passage show the power of Jesus over Roman control?  Does it send a message of deliverance to Israelites, who had experienced the destruction of their temple at the time Mark's gospel was written?

"Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it.  They began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood." (6:16-17)  Jesus had cured a man of possession and yet the witnesses beg him to leave.  Does his power scare the witnesses?  Is Jesus' action political and do the people fear the reaction of the Romans?

The man, now released from demons, asks to become a follower of Jesus.  Jesus refuses and instead encourages him to go home to his friends and family.  Are there times when it is better for us to focus on relationships rather than become a disciple, share the message close to home rather than travel to far off places?  How might we fulfill our call close to home?

Join the Journey

I've decided to give it a go. Again. I have been encouraged by a few people in the congregation I serve to try writing a blog.  I've been hesitant.  I tried a long time ago and did not keep up with it.  I have tried daily journalling which eventually becomes occasional and then non-existent.

This will start as a weekly blog.  If I can keep up with that, maybe it will evolve into more than that.  We'll see.  The benefit of having a congregation motivate me to do this is that I have a congregation to encourage me and hold me accountable.  This could also be seen as a deterrent, but I will choose to see it as positive and hope that I will be encouraged and supported.

Currently, the congregation of St. Paul's United Church in Oakville, ON has been encouraged by its minsters to read all of the New Testament from September 2013 through June 2014.  We will be reading it in the order that some theologians believe it to have been written.  We are following the order as presented in Marcus Borg's book, "Evolution of the Word: The New Testament in the Order the Books Were Written."  Currently, we have read through Paul's letter and ended with his longest letter, written to the Romans.  We are now reading the gospel of Mark.

I expect that this will be excellent material for blogging.  You are invited to join me on this journey.  The daily readings are listed here: http://www.stpaulsoakville.com/daily-bible-reading/.  I hope to hear from you.