Ministry of Hospitality

I ventured forth on my journey saying I wanted to be open to the help of strangers. This past week, the Spirit truly gave me the gift of that help.

When I was setting up my schedule, a couple from Lincoln invited me to come and experience Luminous, a community shaped by the seven sacred spaces of monasticism. I was well pleased when they also invited me to stay with them. After all, a sabbatical like this one can be pricey. I was a bit nervous when I arrived, not knowing them from Adam, but I needn't have. Jonnie and Mel treated me like a long lost friend. Their ministry is clearly shaped not just by the spaces of monasticism, but by Benedict's undergirding value of hospitality. Their children Samuel and Abigail treated me like part of the family, be it Samuel schooling me in Settlers of Cattan or Abigail taking it easy on me when training me in the martial art of Abi-do because I'm very old.

Luminous reflects the fundamentals of hospitality, as a diverse group of ages and backgrounds gather regularly in "cloister" for board games, in "chapter" to make decisions or in "chapel" to worship.

On Monday I was welcomed to the "refectory" of their kitchen-diner for the monthly community meal skillfully framed by communion. Such a simple experience of spiritual companionship. These are people who deeply care for each other, caring for a member whose mum is dying, blessing a member who's leaving, holding together people with quite divergent theologies and viewpoints but joined together in genuine love.

A profound experience was my last. We came together at a local church for Silent Eucharist. Stripped down to just gestures and body postures, this was a deeply moving communion. With everyone's arms upraised as Jonnie held the bread before us, we each remembered Jesus' life and ministry, his death and resurrection. I could feel his presence with us. It gives me chills just writing about it.

In the Parkins' kitchen hangs an enormous icon of the Oak of Mamre where Abraham welcomed three angels and shared a feast with them. I shared a feast of welcome and acceptance with Jonnie and Mel. I pray that I may learn to receive others as graciously as they received me. In that sense of openness and love, I experienced the presence of G-d.

Pondering where we're going...

Close to the college in Sheffield where I've spent the last couple of days is a curiosity shop with this painting over the door. It well captures what Sheffield is like, having transformed from Steel City into Study City with the shift from industry to university education. I was pleasantly surprised by this when I arrived, only knowing that the steel industry had collapsed after the recession and union busting of the 80s. The city has risen into new life with the city core an interesting mix of Victorian buildings from its heyday and modern university blocks, shops and galleries.

The studious gentleman also describes what I've been these last two days. Staying at the Wilson Carlile College of Evangelization, I spent most of my time reading about fresh expressions of church, studying the theories, learning about the successes, pondering the critiques. One word I encountered repeatedly was "context" - fresh expressions are about engaging in service, building relationships, proclaiming the gospel and forming worshipping communities in their particular contexts. It's been equally described as inculturation. This description was an "aha" moment for me, explaining why I've been drawn to this new direction of church growth and development. When I worked with Cree and Oji-Cree people, I was a strong advocate for church being expressed in authentic ways, not just an Indigenization of worship but of governance, ministry and theology as well. Fresh Expressions are just that, a vehicle for another generation to find authentic voice for being church, a way for church to discover a fresh energy. It has been critiqued as too fragmented, too consumerist, too niche-focused into skateboard-church, dogwalking-church, goth-church, etc. It can be. But it is also being with people where they are and walking with them rather than telling them where to go.

The image of walking appeals to me, and not just because I'll be doing a lot of walking over the next 5 weeks. One of the articles I read spoke about the initial description of Christianity as "The Way". We created a church but Jesus came offering a way of being in the world, a way of looking at society through the lens of G-d's rule, a way of not just yearning for a more just world but being actively engaged in its creation, a way of walking with him in G-d's transformative love. We don't walk "The Way" if we try and replicate a 500 year old institutional model. We walk it by going out into the community, discovering what needs to be done, meeting those who are already doing something about it, and working together. We walk it by meeting people and in the process meeting the Christ already present. We walk it by being open to where he is leading us.

Given that this sabbatical is all about discovering different ways of being church, I chose to attend a Quaker meeting this morning. It was a moving experience as we sat in silence occasionally punctuated by someone getting up to offer a word. Toward the end a toddler came in to rejoin his family. After some running around he asked his daddy, and I think all of us, "Where are we going?" Where indeed? In that moment Christ was present inviting us onto a journey into new life and purpose. May we go with trust in the Spirit's  leading.

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Pulling together as one

I had it all mapped out. Go to church on Sunday and then Gerald and Cop, my in-laws, would pick me up and we'd head for Grand Falls and a BBQ salmon dinner. I'd visit with Glen's nan along with other relatives, then head off to St. John's. Instead, as I waited with Glen's aunt in the the church parking lot, it was his uncle that pulled up. Gerald had been in a serious bicycle accident and had been rushed to the hospital in Corner Brook.

Fortunately he could move his arms and legs, but it was still very serious. With the neurosurgeon contacted and the possibility of surgery before him, he was airlifted to St. John's while Cop and I made the 8 hour trek across the island. It was pins and needles for everyone until 2 catscans and an MRI later we were told he wouldn't need surgery but would be wearing a neck brace for the next 12 weeks. The long nervous days at the hospital were finally punctuated with relief as we watched the physiotherapists help him out of bed and accompanied him down the hallway for his first steps after 3 days flat on his back.

When I wrote in my first post that I was approaching this sabbatical with open hands and open heart, ready to receive whatever came, this was not what I had in mind. And yet as I reflect on these past few days I am struck by the gift that it was. The outpouring of love and support that Gerald and Cop received was staggering. Everyone pulled together to help. People phoned, made turkey sandwiches and cookies for Cop's and my drive to St. John's, offered places to stay, stopped by the hospital, dropped off soup... The list goes on. Everywhere you looked there was loving support: Glen's nan came down from Gambo, his sister flew in from Toronto, his brother skyped in from South Korea, the nursing staff were spectacular in their warmth and compassion. For four days we were family. We were church. Church at its best. A community rallying in love and care. It was grace and it was healing.

I was struck by the contrast with the week before during General Council. Now don't get me wrong. Those days at the hospital weren''t rosy. It was scary. It was frustrating as we waited for tests and again for results. Like at GC42 there were times I wanted to scream. The second full day was filled with tension as being prone started taking its toll on Gerald's body. But through it all we were one. In contrast, there were many moments at GC42 when we didn't feel like one body. You could feel the divisions that have been part of us for 90 years as we sought to find a middle way between divergent theologies, experiences and expectations. We tried to maintain our covenant of love, wisdom, truth, humility, respect, honesty and courage, but at times really struggled.

We got there in the end as we lived into our denominational motto: "That all may be one". Conceived in our historic ecumenical position as being a united and uniting church, I see us living it in deeper ways as we take on Jesus' heart. He reached out to those seen by others as "them" rather than "us" and we are called to do the same, committing ourselves to continue living into right relations with Canada's Indigenous peoples, especially through the "Calls to Action" named in the TRC Report, approving a "Living Apology" process with the LGBTQ community, reaching out to progressive Evangelicals. While not as balanced or as pastoral as I would have hoped, our commitment to divest from fossil fuel companies is a step in the right direction for working in harmony with the whole earth.

It is a process though, which means we don't always seek the unity we ought. In my heart I feel our policies for a just peace in Israel-Palestine have tilted to taking a side rather than our historical centred position. We do it because we feel deeply the hurt and suffering of the Palestinians, but too often fail to see through the fearful and generationally traumatised eyes of Israeli Jews. We struggle internally as well as divides between the three streams of ministry opened up in our discussions on the last day. We definitely have work to do.

I pray that we may pull together, be church at its best - a community of love, care and compassion, called out to be a catalyst for harmony, healing and peace.



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The Carnival Comes to Town...

From a distance I could hear the screams. The machine was alive with light as it gyrated back and forth to the sound of music. As I approached the sounds of screams were punctuated with sounds of laughter. The more I listened, the more the screams and laughter merged into one sound of delight.

Outside of the arena where General Council was held, a mini carnival was set up. Some quipped of the irony that a carnival was going on just as the business of the meeting ramped up and we got into the thick of the Comprehensive Review. As we occasionally descended into wordsmithing or got bogged down by procedure, there were moments when I wanted to scream. And yet there were also moments of laughter and joy as we agreed to enter into full communion with the United Church of Christ (USA) and affirmed mutual recognition of ministry agreements with the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea and the United Church of Christ of the Philippines. What a joy to begin walking in mutuality and partnership.

There were also tears mixed with joy as TRC Commissioner Marie Wilson and AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde challenged us to lift up the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Final Report. Living into right relations means facing our complicity in wrong doing so that we can walk together in a new way. It's difficult but we need to shed some tears so we can finally look at each other with respect and love.

The great work of potential restructuring at times felt like a carnival ride as my laughter and screams merged together. Like on a tilt-a-whirl, there were times when I wasn't sure where we were anymore - both in the document and in the process. But it's part of the ride as feeling unsure gives way to confidence and we realize that we need to trust in the one operating the ride. When you are released from the carriage, all you feel is joy, and an odd desire to do it again.

While at times frustrating, we were brave this General Council. Did we venture as far as some would have liked? Perhaps not. Did we go too far for others? Undoubtedly. But having been through the ride I know that we moving in the right direction, rooted in the Creator's love, holding onto the cross of Christ, walking in gratitude for screams that gave way to laughter.

The Journey Begins...

"You're going away for 3 months and all you're taking is 2 small bags?" commented my mother-in-law as she picked me up to take me to the airport. "Yup." I'd like to think that I'm taking my cue from Jesus' instructions to the disciples as they were sent to the neighbouring villages - take only a staff, no money or food or extra tunic. If I'm honest I equally took my cue from "The Lonely Planet" travel gurus.

While practical, travelling light is as much a spiritual practice as I begin my journey. I want to be open to whatever Spirit has in store for me. I want to travel with an open heart and open hands, to listen more than speak, and to accept the help of strangers on the way. I can't do that lugging either a big bag or set ideas.

As I begin this journey, I ask your prayers. And I will pray for you as well.