posted on November 30, 2010 in Christmas Music

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Add a musical interlude to your day with performances by the talented folks at three Ontario churches: Knox, Stratford, St. Andrew’s, Thorold, and St Andrew’s, Mooretown.

posted on November 29, 2010 in Columns, The Messy Table

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I’ve been living in the future for a while. It’s working for the church that does it, but it happens to most writers, too. You end up planning life months in advance, putting thoughts and words around the upcoming seasons. At least I don’t have it as bad as the writers in the glossy foodies mags, posing for photos with their festive turkeys in the middle of a sweltering July. For me, it was September before I was into the thick of Christmas.

posted on November 29, 2010 in Columns, Patricia Schneider

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With an agility almost forgotten, I step onto the old school slide … woosh!

posted on November 22, 2010 in Columns, The Messy Table

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I spent last weekend away from my family. I left the Spouse and the kids at home and headed north in my hiking boots. When I told people at church that I was going, the response was twofold: “Without the kids?” and “Good for you!” And often both responses delivered one after the other.

posted on November 22, 2010 in Columns, Patricia Schneider

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For the first time I sat at the Communion table and helped.

posted on November 15, 2010 in In Song

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These carols speak to our time in fresh ways, and bring needed balance whenever we fear nostalgia and greeting-card sentiments rule our Yule.

posted on November 15, 2010 in Columns, The Messy Table

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There’s a French boy in my daughter’s class. It is a very multicultural school–26 languages spoken in total–but it is the French kid whose cultural difference gets most discussion time at our dinner table. Probably because he tends to be bit naughty.

posted on November 15, 2010 in Columns, Patricia Schneider

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I wrote of girl-friends, “saddle shoes,” And “sock-hops.”

posted on November 8, 2010 in Columns, Patricia Schneider

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As a pre-teen in B.C., I remember filling bags with sand, loading them on a wagon and pulling this heavy load to…I’ve forgotten where but it was very important at the time.

posted on November 8, 2010 in Columns, The Messy Table

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So I left you with veal and the promise of fish. I thought this week I would focus more on New Testament story. And it started with dessert.

posted on November 1, 2010 in Columns, Patricia Schneider

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“I’d like to take out a library card, please.” I timidly whispered.

posted on November 1, 2010 in Columns, The Messy Table

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I’ve decided to put together a bit of an eaters’ guide to the Bible. From Old Testament roast lamb and fresh bread to Jesus’ own fish barbeque on the beach and the promise of banquets to come, there’s a lot of foodie talk happening between those mighty pages.

posted on November 1, 2010 in In Song

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When all the restructuring is done and the reports are in, it still comes back to loving, worshipping and enjoying God. That still involves the simple and subversive act of singing together.

posted on November 1, 2010 in People & Places

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About eighty adults and children, present and former members, assembled for worship services in the afternoon of October 19, 2008 at the church on the hill to celebrate 175 years of Christian witness.

The anniversary committee of five members, Irene Legassic, Barbara Ross, Steve Venable, Paul Robinson and Rev. Ron Mahabir, planned a special service to be followed by dinner for all.

Rev. Barney Grace of Beaverton, Ont., popular past minister, was the guest speaker who reminded all how we are “the salt of the earth”. He called on members to continue to transform lives so that in the end society and the world can be changed to become God’s Kingdom. The choir sang appropriately “Let There Be Peace on Earth”. Sunday supply speakers, Steve Venable and Bob Jensen, participated in the worship service.

Among the guests were Rev. Dr. John Vissers, Moderator of the Montreal Presbytery and Rev. Alice McAlpine, minister of St. Andrew’s United Church in Chateauguay, Que. Some past members who attended were Mr. and Mrs. Kilgour of Etobicoke, Ont. and Mrs. Brenda Patterson of Smiths Falls, Ont., wife of former minister Rev. Jim Patterson. Also among the guests were Mr. and Mrs. Heughan of Sutton, Que. Mrs. Heughan is the granddaughter of Rev. John Anderson who served St. Edward’s for forty years.

Some comments from church officials follow:

“It was wonderful to welcome so many friends from the past on this special day. Their warmth and affection expressed are gratifying.”  Irene Legassic, clerk of session

“175 years is quite a milestone for the church on the hill. All those present expressed their joy and warm fellowship on this day.”  Steve Venable, elder and Liliane

Paul Robinson wrote of how many guests were amazed at how a small church has remained vibrant and given faithful witness for so many years.

“Gratitude to God and to one and all for the church on the hill.”  Bob and Ann Jensen

At one point in the service a history of St. Edward’s was presented in verse by Rev. Ron Mahabir, Interim Moderator. Here are some samples:

Six ministers came after Roach
When cars were not invented
They went about with horse and cart
And all seemed quite contented

In time a stately manse was built
In eighteen thirty-nine
A Church Hall followed in its wake
In nineteen forty-nine

St. Edward’s came a long, long way
It’s doors are always open
We kept the faith through thick and thin
For here God’s word is spoken

posted on November 1, 2010 in People & Places

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Walter Inglis has served First for over half a century as an elder. He was celebrated last year with cake (of course!) along with two ministers he has served, Rev. Reid Thompson and Captain Daniel Forget.

posted on November 1, 2010 in Features

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The Alban Institute’s Alice Mann has seen many congregtions try and fail, and she has noticed that many get stuck in depression. “When you’re depressed, creativity is low, your attitude towards relationships is low, and you’re not getting anywhere new. So the delicate balance is to face the facts, but to frame those facts in a different story. It could be a story of waiting on God, a story of Advent, a story of exploring rather than being lost. Reframing the story using the same facts helps to liberate prayer and creativity.”

Regional staff person, John-Peter Smit has a list of things to watch out for when tackling change:

1. Making the amalgamation about survival or money. It almost guarantees failure. There has to be a larger vision.

2. Making it about winners and losers (“We got to keep OUR building, OUR minister.”)

3. Proceeding to amalgamation without the people knowing each other. Social time together is huge!

4. Getting too many people involved in the process.

5. Letting the project get hijacked by outside agendas.

6. Getting people off message. Everyone needs to be clear about the outcome.

7. Stopping part way.

8. Forcing the process too quickly.

9. Dragging the problem too slowly.

10. Leaving with the perception that closing is failure. “I can’t imagine doing anything for over a century and then concluding, ‘we failed,’” said Smit.

11. Failing to appreciate or provide for the symbols of the congregation — pulpit, communion table, etc. 

12. Failing to understand the stages of grief.

13. Ministers failing to understand that they will often be the focus of anger and frustration and are therefore unable to endure the discomfort it requires.

14. Treating it as a pragmatic decision rather than a holy, ministry decision.

“The bottom line is not the existence of the congregation. The bottom line is whether the mission and ministry of Christ is being carried out in the context of the local congregation,” adds the PCC’s mission and educational consultant in Atlantic Canada, Kenn Stright.

“There is no one method or process or ‘quick-fix’ for congregations. Each has its own context and each must find the way forward for itself.” — A.M.

posted on November 1, 2010 in News

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Vivian Ketchum, a Presbyterian and residential school survivor, has joined a Facebook campaign to build a memorial for survivors from her native Treaty #3 territory. Six residential schools operated within the traditional territory, which allegedly spans about 85,000 square kilometers in what is now northwestern Ontario and southeastern Manitoba. Among them was the Presbyterian-run Cecilia Jeffrey in Kenora, Ont.

The Facebook group is aimed at generating interest and support. Search for “Memorial honouring residential school survivors of Treaty #3 territory” for details and contact information.

posted on November 1, 2010 in News

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The federal government’s commitment to match donations given for Pakistan relief following the severe flooding in August came to an end Oct. 3. Presbyterians gave more than $317,000 with over $281,000 of that eligible to be matched. The disaster affected an estimated 20 million people. Presbyterian World Service and Development is working with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and the ACT Alliance to provide food, shelter, emergency supplies and medical care for nearly 300,000 of those most affected. — AM

posted on November 1, 2010 in Books

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Marilyn Nieves/iStockphoto

If good things come in small packages, then potentially great things come in large ones — three big boxes to be exact — like the braille version of the 1997 Book of Praise.

Theologically speaking, the transcription of the Book of Praise into braille demonstrates that the denomination takes seriously the issue of inclusion. When the denomination learned there was a need for a braille Book of Praise, the church took action to ensure that the needs of the blind community were met. Having accessible hymns enables braille users to fully participate in singing and in planning for worship.

Practically speaking, there are several things to consider. The most obvious issue is the form in which it is shipped. It does not arrive in book form, but rather it is packaged in three boxes; one containing the six bound volumes of indices and table of contents and two boxes containing the 10 volumes of hymns. A permanent storage and filing system is critical for ongoing and long-term usage. One solution is to put the 10 volumes of hymns into large binders or a durable filing system. This way the individual hymns can be removed on an as-needed basis and stored in a safe place when they are not being used. Such a filing system requires some coordination so that the braille users may be able to retrieve the necessary hymns for worship. Establishing a filing system is completely contextual, as it will depend on the congregation and the needs of the braille user. The two will need to work together to figure out an appropriate solution.

Each hymn is printed on its own page. The hymn’s title, lyrics, author and date appear only in braille. It would be beneficial if printed labels were provided containing a hymn’s number and title in order for hymns to be found by both sighted and blind people. The braille musical notation is not provided, as most braille readers would literally have their hands full reading the music and lyrics simultaneously.

As a braille user myself, I am excited to finally have the words to the hymns in an accessible format. I know that others will share in this sentiment, as braille users are now able to celebrate their Christian faith through song with newfound confidence. Financially speaking, the cost of $30 is quite reasonable for a congregation or an individual. Congregations would not think twice about providing large print hymn books for people with vision impairments. Congregations should be encouraged to obtain a braille Book of Praise in that same spirit of inclusion and Christian hospitality. Although significant time is needed for the initial set-up, I believe it to be a worthy price to pay to ensure that braille readers can more fully participate in the life and work of the body of Christ.

posted on November 1, 2010 in News, The Other Six Days

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Website: Jesus of the Week is a wonderful page that celebrates Jesus art with all its blemishes. Each week a new depiction of Jesus is posted. Most of these items were once well-meaning products that have so closely resembled satire that they have actually become satire themselves. My favourite photos include Jesus holding a baby dinosaur, and a miraculous appearance of the image of Christ on a bucket of pizza sauce in Pennsylvania.
jesusoftheweek.com

Bible Translation: The Brick Testament is not a translation per se. It’s a Bible made up completely of depictions of biblical events. As the self-proclaimed, “World’s largest and most comprehensive illustrated Bible” this “bible” has been featured in People magazine and Rolling Stone among others. And did I mention… each picture is completely and solely comprised of Lego bricks.
thebricktestament.com

Video: Drive-through church is an excellent YouTube clip. Just like anyone else, I too can sometimes self-identify with a consumerism attitude towards church. And any church leader knows it’s hard to balance between people’s needs and people’s wants. Search YouTube.com for “drive-through church”

Music: The CD, Journey of the Soul is a Christian freelance project by local Edmonton artist Joel Shepherd. What makes this worth a mention? It’s contemporary Christian music that your church can use for free simply by asking! In the artist’s own words, he wanted to “bless God” and “to bless others and encourage them.” I greatly appreciate the song Suffering Soul and it’s certainly worth a listen. CDs are available online and through iTunes. joelshepherd.ca

Funny Bible Verse: In 2 Chronicles 21:14-15, God punishes people by giving them horrible diarrhea.

Kitsch: Although it’s hard to tell sometimes, I’m 100 per cent sure this is a joke. Still it’s worth a look if you like ridiculous Christian kitsch as much as I do. The ad claims to sell a Jesus statue and phone alert Jesus that informs purchasers when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security raises the threat. Hey, it made me laugh and rest assured, now that the idea is out there somebody will probably try to make one for real.
threatalertjesus.com