Re A Call For Peace in Afghanistan, October News

Perhaps the letter writer should read Luke 10: 25-37. Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. When he was set upon by robbers and left to die, this man was ignored by his own people, but the Samaritan looked after him. We were told to “go and do likewise.” If we ignore the needy people in China and Pakistan, we are like the priest and levite. I feel that, as Christians, we should be prepared to serve anyone in the world who needs our help.

Re A bit annoyed, Letters, November 2007

I was amused and concerned by the number of responses in the issues [May, July/August] following Zander Dunn's March letter concerning a metaphorical interpretation of the virgin birth.

Calvin Brown's May article is a straw-man argument that paints horns on progressive Christians. Heed the Bible's advice in Acts 5: 38-39: “Leave them alone. For if this idea of theirs or its execution is of human origin it will collapse; but if it is from God you will never be able to put them down and risk finding yourselves at war with God.”

I appreciate all that the PYPS contributors have to say. Having read each one at least twice, to make sure they were understood, I have comments.

I thoroughly enjoyed the September article on Neil George from St. Columba-by-the-lake, Pointe Claire, Que.

In no way do I wish to detract from Rev. Gordon Williams' accomplishments or ministry, but he was not the first Native minister in the Presbyterian Church.

In the 60s the moderator was elected from nominations put forward on the floor of General Assembly. Then it seemed good to the spirit and others that the “past” Moderator of General Assembly serve the Church by deputation visits (subject to exigencies).

Re Letters, October

In an interview, the American Presbyterian minister and author Frederick Buechner was asked to comment on Jesus' claim in John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” His reply was this. “What arrogance, but blind egotism that might seem to be, until you live with it for a while and think about it. What was Jesus' way? He didn't say 'What I say is the way;' he didn't say 'Presbyterianism is the way;' he said' 'I am the way.' My kind of life, pay attention to my kind of life, that is the way.”

It is worthy of note in the missionary annuals of our church that in 1882 Annie Montgomery went from Malpeque, P.E.I. (then known as Princetown) to Hamadan — about half way between Tehran and Baghdad — in Persia and laboured in the Faith Hubbard School until 1917. She served there for 35 years. This year marks the 90th anniversary of her death. She died in Hamadan, known in biblical times as Ecbatana, and was buried under the pew which she had occupied in the church where she worshipped. Her sister Charlotte also went to Hamadan four years after Annie. Ill-health necessitated her return to Malpeque where she died and was buried in 1905. She had been a missionary for 19 years. Apparently these two missionaries were supported by the church in the United States, since the Canadian church did not have sufficient funds. Such a record of devoted service to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ remains a source of encouragement to our church today.

As a regular contributor to PWS&D, I was a bit annoyed to see our relatively meager funds spent in Pakistan and China:

The September news item More Staff Shuffled at 50 Wynford, twice uses the term “head office” as referring to 50 Wynford. That is not correct.

The Who Needs Sleep? issue offers some encouragement. Without taking away from this hope, as a denomination we are losing too many people of all ages. Discerning the real need of the twentysomethings is a profound shortfall throughout our church, as with many other denominations, save the presence of YARS at General Assembly.

The September issue was a well done and encouraging read. Praise God for the youth of our church. I would like an afternoon session with each one who has written for us.

Re Look out Church, Here they Come, Sept., by Patricia and Ryan Browne

I was shocked to read in the July-August issue that at the 133th General Assembly our denomination was encouraged to engage in interfaith dialogue with the Muslim Society in Canada. Are we serious? Where do we meet? Muslims believe that only they will make it to heaven, providing they have earned their way and Allah's approval of their good deeds. To the Muslims, women have no voice; they are merely subjects and must be available for their husband at any time. Worst of all, Muslims believe they can work their way to heaven, totally rejecting that salvation is a gift through God's grace in Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. You have no idea how sad I feel when I read this as part of the report. To see the picture of the Muslim leader, who according to the report “charmed the Commisioners,” is almost unbelievable. How do we take a stand for Christ? No, I am not the person who will turn his back on people of a different religion. But interfaith dialogue with the Muslim society? What are we trying to prove? Does it surprise us that our denomination is steadily declining? Are we not closing more churches than starting new ones? Are many small congregations not waiting long vacancies going without a minister? I know some readers will not agree with me, claiming we should be more flexible since this is 2007. Really? Cal Brown hits the nail right on the head in his article We've Got To Stop Meeting Like This. No doubt this issue will be a deal-breaker, as stated. Do I want to support our church when it encourages that kind of dialogue? Absolutely not! However, this may well be a way to speed up the decline of our denomination, and that's sad news, don't you think? We need to pray that God's Holy Spirit will call us to faithfulness in His service. “As believers we have communion with God the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.” [Question 85, A Catechism For Today.]

Re Salman's Sir insensitive, July/August

It was really refreshing to read Gloria Wasacase's article in the May issue on her time working at a residential school. Over the last few decades all that seems to get printed about the Residential Indian Schools has been stories of abuse: sexual, physical and cultural.