Who is in your family?
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AuthorErin Walton
Matchmaker, Matchmaker
When our children were young, my wife and I began watching and praying for suitable mates for them. We even took to carrying pictures of our two sons and daughter in my wallet, primarily to barter with other parents. Many were eager to participate in dowry negotiations. I once haggled with a couple in Oregon who were willing to sign papers betrothing their two daughters and son to ours, but when they asked for my house, the talks broke down. (Don’t worry, Jim and Jean, I won’t mention your names.)
I say we start an organization called Arranged Marriages Work Awesome Eh? (AMWAE). Our slogan will be “Save money! Your honeymoon can double as your first date!”
Here are a few of our credos:
The current match-making model is broke. Let’s tinker with it.
You think we don’t know and love you? We changed your diapers.
Popping the Question
Living Faith declares the mission of the Presbyterian Church is to recognize and act on the truth: “As God sent Christ to us, so Christ sends us into the world. We are here to proclaim Christ in word and deed.” It goes on to say that mission is evangelism, the offer of salvation to all people in the power of the Holy Spirit, to be received through faith in Christ.
The question we all need to ask as Presbyterians is: How are we doing? According to the statistics printed in the Acts and Proceedings of the General Assembly, every year there are fewer people being baptised and fewer new members. These are the signs of people making a faith commitment. The stats can be interpreted to mean that we are doing a poor job of fulfilling our mission of getting the word out. I know there are those, even amongst ministers, who in spite of what the Bible and our confessions teach, feel that people don’t need to actually confess their need for salvation in Christ. They think that Jesus will save everyone.
Calling Could-be Theologians
There are more than 100 major biblical commentary series, some of which are far better than others. Below, I have compiled a list of my favourite series along with some evaluations for any of you out there thinking about delving a little deeper into your Bibles.
Spring is Here
For those of you who live in milder climes, the news of spring may not be so special. But for most of us real Canadians, it is glad tidings as good as the safe delivery of a newborn child. You suddenly feel the energy to clean the mess left in the middle of your garden conveniently covered by snow. You continue planning the gardening, cleaning up inside and outside the house, changing a few appliances, repairing leaky taps and pipes, and maybe putting a new floor (oh, but, you have to wait till there is new paint on the walls). As the list gets longer, your house gets more life in it. Why not a new kitchen and new bathrooms? Maybe you should renovate the whole house. Oh well, you should move to another house this year. You have waited long enough and you deserve it. So you grab the newspaper. Alas! Headlines remind you of what you have forgotten. We are in the midst of the worst recession in decades.
Geneology of Jesus (Matthew Fontispiece)
Matthew 1:1-17
Artist: Donald Jackson
Being Presbyterian, Online
A week-long “friendraiser” challenge launched by the communications office in late April sought to double membership in a Presbyterian Church in Canada group on Facebook, a popular internet network. The impromptu campaign fell short of its goal, garnering 145 new members—an increase of 51 per cent. But it’s never too late to join.
“It was partly a social experiment and partly trying to get more critical mass in the group,” said Colin Carmichael, associate secretary of communications. “When you look at the stats on Facebook, especially in Canada where one in three Canadians has an account, it seemed strange that there would only be 200 Presbyterians on Facebook.”
Letter From Galilee: Building Peace
In the centre of the church hall a dozen youngsters were seated in a circle together with three adults. All held an olive branch in their hands.
The group consisted of eleven-year-old Jewish, Muslim and Christian boys and girls—two boys and two girls from each faith. The adults were advisers from each of the faiths. This was a training meeting of Kids4Peace in the town of Raineh on the outskirts of Nazareth in Galilee.
Aid Darfur
ENI—Leaders of the All Africa Conference of Churches demanded the Sudanese government “allow uninterrupted humanitarian assistance” in the country following the expulsion of 13 international aid agencies from Sudan’s western Darfur province.
Controversy Over Justice
ENI—Episcopal (Anglican) bishops in the United States say their church has failed to adequately address economic concerns because it has been too consumed with internal controversies.
Lacking Support
ENI—The most severe drought in a decade is fuelling a food crisis in Afghanistan that now threatens millions of people, church-linked humanitarian agencies have warned. […]
Calvin Events
Knox and Emmanuel Colleges, Toronto—Rediscovering Calvin; June 18 to 20, 2009. Speakers will include Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, president of Union Theological Seminary, New York, Rev. Prof. Alister McGrath, head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture at King’s College, London, and Marilynne Robinson, award-winning author of Housekeeping, Gilead and Home. Registration for the event closes May 31.
Bring Back Luther
ENI—An international expert on church unity has urged the Roman Catholic Church to declare that its excommunication of Martin Luther no longer applies.
Darkness Reigns
WWF—On March 28, iconic buildings including Toronto’s CN Tower and London’s Big Ben went dark for Earth Hour 2009.
Camp Kintail
Camp Kintail — supported by the Synod of Southwestern Ontario, and located on the sandy shores of Lake Huron — is celebrating it’s 90th summer this year. Rev. Theresa McDonald-Lee, director, extended an invitation to the camp’s anniversary celebration to the 60 women attending Maitland Women’s Missionary Society Presbyterial annual meeting, held at St. Andrews in Wingham, Ont. On our website, a photograph of this WMS chapter.
St. James, Stouffville, ON
The congregation at St. James, Stouffville, Ontario, faced up to the PWS&D Gifts of Change catalogue Sunday School Challenge with a “Gifts from the Kitchen” bake sale. Their heated efforts raised $1,345 to provide a village in Malawi with livestock. To step up to the challenge, call PWS&D today at 1-800-619-7301 ext. 293 for more resources.
Knox, Oakville, ON
What is happening in this photograph? Logically it can only be St. Andrew’s Day celebrations; this one at Knox, Oakville, last November 30th, as part of the church’s 175th anniversary celebration. Back, from left: George Gordon, Gordon MacPherson, Archie McCallum, Jim Barrie and Ian Buchanan. Front: Bill Browne, Robert Cruikshank, Rev. Mike Marsden, Gordon Hamilton and Alex McLean. (Missing from photograph John Jones.)
Dayspring, Edmonton, AB
Dayspring, Edmonton is pleased to announce that the Grosskopf family became Canadian citizens in February. From left to right are Mrs. Carina Grosskopf, Rev. Dr. Heinrich Grosskopf, sons Paul and James, and daughter Carin, along with the judge who blessed them into their new country. Rev. Grosskopf was inducted as minister of Dayspring in September 2007. They came to Canada from South Africa in 2004.
St. Andrew’s, Sydney Mines, NS
Marion Barclay-MacKay was inducted by Cape Breton presbytery in February as minister of St. Andrew’s, Sydney Mines, N.S. Her husband, Donald W. MacKay will serve as stated supply in the Boularderie Pastoral Charge, in the same presbytery. They recently returned from an appointment with the Presbyterian Church of Ghana that began in March, 2006.
St. Andrew’s, New Liskeard, ON
It has been said of Elsie Maddock that “she can remember more of people and events” than most others, “like it was yesterday.” At 102, Elsie is no longer active on the session of St. Andrew’s, New Liskeard, Ont., but her pastoral care gifts have been recognized and rewarded at the nursing home where she now lives. A list of Elsie’s accomplishments would take more time and space than are available here—some testimonies are available online. Needless to say, our church has been richer thanks to Elsie.