Many years ago I heard somebody say that February was the longest month. By our calendars it's the shortest month, even in the leap year. But it wasn't chronological time they were counting; it was the feeling that February goes on forever. Stuck between all the newness of January and the possibility of the coming of spring in March, February is caught between what has been and what might be. Stuck in between can feel like a long, lonely place.
The theme of the 131st General Assembly in Edmonton was Claiming the Joy of our Faith. As Moderator, visiting with congregations, agencies and organizations connected to our church I see signs of joy in the life and witness of our church all the time. One of the joys we can claim is the gift of being catholic Protestants, in that our understanding of the church catholic is to be part of the world wide, universal church of Jesus Christ. As those who confess our faith in the holy catholic church, and as part of the Reformed family, we are catholic Protestants.
Contrasting images of the Holy Family have shaken my reality as I write this column in mid-October and think forward to the Advent season when it will be published.
I never really understood the power of Remembrance Day until I led a service in a long-term care centre on November 11. Paying attention to Remembrance Day has been part of my life since I was a child either by attending services at school, or at the local cenotaph. Church services that I have attended, or led, early in November, always had at least a portion dedicated to remembering the lives of those who died in war, and also included prayers for peace. Those services have been memorable and important for me, but not transforming. Perhaps it was because there was always a distance, a chasm, that separated me in time and experience from the pain and suffering of war. When called to remember, I was casting back over decades in an act of respect.
I have just returned from an exciting weekend with Knox, Sundridge, Ont., on the occasion of their 125th Anniversary. The sanctuary was overflowing with people, and also with faith, hope and love. From my vantage point in the chancel, the scope of ministry at Knox, and throughout our denomination, was dramatically portrayed by the baby, weeks old, on the far right of the front pew and a senior member of the congregation in her wheelchair on the far left. It is a symbol of the church* the very young and the very old glorifying and enjoying God.
These words are part of the refrain from the song "Are We The Waiting" recorded by the popular band Green Day. The CD notes want listeners to know the song was written on Easter Sunday.
It was my privilege to serve as moderator during the 131st General Assembly whose theme was Claiming the Joy of Our Faith. With the Assembly ended, I continue in office and have the unique opportunity to meet with people across Canada and beyond, learning and sharing about the Presbyterian Church in Canada. It is my hope that the theme of this year's assembly will continue throughout the year.
Recently I reconnected with a friend with whom I had lost contact. His family had gone through an emotional and traumatic loss. While he was raised Presbyterian, he explained that he has had little contact with the church outside of occasionally joining his parents when they attended special church services. As we spoke, he told me of the events surrounding his family's bereavement. Paramount in his narrative was the role that his parents' minister had played. He spoke with great appreciation and deep respect for this minister. He mentioned the words that were chosen, the time that was spent, and the dignity that was extended in the hospital, in the home and at the funeral services. It was obvious to me that he had received great strength from a Christian minister during a really tough time.
It is fitting and it is proper to bid farewell to Pope John Paul II.
Across Canada flags were at half mast. Newspaper headings asked, "Why"? When four young Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were slain on a farm near Mayerthorpe, Alta., Canadians wanted the answer to that question. All citizens of Canada surely felt some degree of the pain and suffering that this event brought to the immediate families of these officers and to their colleagues in the peace and armed forces that serve our nation.
A profound sadness visits me each time I hear a reference to the Holocaust, the systematic killing of six million Jewish people during World War II. I wonder what can be said or done to commemorate that event today? We read books and study history. But is there something more that we, as Christians, should be doing?
When Nigerians gather, whether within their own country or in the diaspora, one expression will inevitably be brought up – "the Nigeria Factor". Self-deprecating and all inclusive, it is national "in-house" language or code. All Nigerians know what is intended, but they struggle to define it.
There is a challenge before us and our denomination's newly renamed Committee on Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations. How can we understand, live with and appreciate people of other faiths while maintaining our Christian convictions? Is religion being manipulated to make this a more violent world, and does this cause strife between our neighbours and us? These questions lie at the core of interfaith dialogue.