Ed Hays has a suggestion on how we can regain our balance by playing the fool. Hays says that when you find yourself overcome by some worry, “call in the clowns.”
Exaggerate the issue as much as you can, “Oh, God, this is the WORST thing that has EVER happened to me. It’s worse than the Tsunami of 2004.”
In the way of a clown, hold your head, walk around in circles, roll around on the floor, weep fake tears…then have a good laugh. Be both audience and clown. When you are done, you may have the problem in some kind of perspective.
To Ed’s suggestion, I would add this. It’s all about timing. The clown strategy can be a healing one at the right time. On the other hand there’s nothing worse than someone telling you that you should laugh when it is still time for real tears.
So everything in its season.
Peter
Friday, April 20, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
The New Church - Transformation
Is the Church going to die out in our lifetime? It is just as possible that the Church will be radically different but still alive in some form.
Take the Solovetsky Monastery for instance. It was founded in the 15th Century by two monks looking for some peace and quiet. It seemed like a good place, 650 miles north of Moscow in the shadow of the Arctic Circle. Their spirituality could be questioned since the monks also served as prison wardens for the czar’s enemies. Stalin took this one step further by turning Solovetsky into a gulag. Half of his enemies imprisoned here died in the 1920s and 30s: 40,000 in all.
In 1990 monks reclaimed the monastery.
(reported in the Jan./Feb. Atlantic.)
Peter
Take the Solovetsky Monastery for instance. It was founded in the 15th Century by two monks looking for some peace and quiet. It seemed like a good place, 650 miles north of Moscow in the shadow of the Arctic Circle. Their spirituality could be questioned since the monks also served as prison wardens for the czar’s enemies. Stalin took this one step further by turning Solovetsky into a gulag. Half of his enemies imprisoned here died in the 1920s and 30s: 40,000 in all.
In 1990 monks reclaimed the monastery.
(reported in the Jan./Feb. Atlantic.)
Peter
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Tears Of Faith
One of the shortest verses in the Bible is “Jesus wept.” Tears are part of our experience as human beings and if we bring all of ourselves to worship, then there will be times when we bring our tears.
Last night was our annual Romero service. With the Salvadoran community in Ottawa, Emmanuel United remembered and gave thanks for the life of Oscar Romero.
In the middle of the service, one of the worship leaders turned to me and said, “Sorry I could not speak there for a moment. I was thinking about my sister.”
Romero was not the only martyr to die in the war in El Salvador. Other innocent people were murdered because of their faith in God and God’s dream of peace and justice. Those are good reasons to bring our tears to our worship.
This morning there were more tears as we dedicated a plaque to recognize the McLeish family’s gift of a grand piano to our congregation. We have enjoyed this instrument for some years now but with the passing of Margaret McLeish in January, this gave us an opportunity to say thank you again. Remembering the ones who offered this generous gift, brought a number of us to tears.
Jesus wept at the loss of a friend and so do we. Which shows that we care.
Peter
Last night was our annual Romero service. With the Salvadoran community in Ottawa, Emmanuel United remembered and gave thanks for the life of Oscar Romero.
In the middle of the service, one of the worship leaders turned to me and said, “Sorry I could not speak there for a moment. I was thinking about my sister.”
Romero was not the only martyr to die in the war in El Salvador. Other innocent people were murdered because of their faith in God and God’s dream of peace and justice. Those are good reasons to bring our tears to our worship.
This morning there were more tears as we dedicated a plaque to recognize the McLeish family’s gift of a grand piano to our congregation. We have enjoyed this instrument for some years now but with the passing of Margaret McLeish in January, this gave us an opportunity to say thank you again. Remembering the ones who offered this generous gift, brought a number of us to tears.
Jesus wept at the loss of a friend and so do we. Which shows that we care.
Peter
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
An Evolving, Life-Enhancing Faith
On a Sunday when the lectionary invites us to reflect on the 10 Commandments, Dr. Francis Macnab gives us a list of the 10 new commandments by which he lives.
The first and ninth on his list offers fresh language to express what Jesus called the commandment to love God and others as well as oneself.
Commandment 1: Believe in a Good Presence in your life. Call that Good Presence: God, G-D and follow that Good Presence so that you live life fully, tolerantly, collaboratively, generously and with dignity.
Commandment 9: We often focus our lives on many things and pursuits that promise our fulfilment. Study the deeper things of the Spirit, and the things of ultimate concern for all human beings. Be part of an evolving life-enhancing Faith that will also bring a new resilience to the future.
“An evolving, life-enhancing Faith.” That’s a belief and faith that makes intuitive sense to me.
Peter
The first and ninth on his list offers fresh language to express what Jesus called the commandment to love God and others as well as oneself.
Commandment 1: Believe in a Good Presence in your life. Call that Good Presence: God, G-D and follow that Good Presence so that you live life fully, tolerantly, collaboratively, generously and with dignity.
Commandment 9: We often focus our lives on many things and pursuits that promise our fulfilment. Study the deeper things of the Spirit, and the things of ultimate concern for all human beings. Be part of an evolving life-enhancing Faith that will also bring a new resilience to the future.
“An evolving, life-enhancing Faith.” That’s a belief and faith that makes intuitive sense to me.
Peter
Monday, March 5, 2012
A Unique Way To Raise Money
It’s been awhile since a cell phone went off in our church but I have heard them going off at some recent meetings. That reminded me of a video that has been shown at a Westminster Presbyterian church in Burbank, California.
In the video, those gathered for worship are asked to turn off all electronic and messaging devices. If a cellphone goes off during announcements, the video says there is $25. fee. If it happens during prayer concerns, the price goes up to $50. If it goes off during the sermon, you go to hell.
Must be the minister assigning those fees.
Peter
In the video, those gathered for worship are asked to turn off all electronic and messaging devices. If a cellphone goes off during announcements, the video says there is $25. fee. If it happens during prayer concerns, the price goes up to $50. If it goes off during the sermon, you go to hell.
Must be the minister assigning those fees.
Peter
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Religious Dogma or Collected Beliefs ???
How often we hear doctrine referred to solely in negative terms these days. It has become equated with a narrow, out of date religious sensibility. The archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams says doctrine does not have to be a dirty word. Doctrine is a way for Christians to consider how God is present in creation and in transformation.
The archbishop says, "But if doctrine doesn’t make possible poetry and contemplation, then doctrine is a waste of time. This is where the poetic and contemplative touch the prophetic, because the prophetic is all about the diagnosis of dead words and false acts. The prophetic task is to smell out death in a situation.”
And by pointing to what should not be, the prophet opens a door to what might be.
Peter
The archbishop says, "But if doctrine doesn’t make possible poetry and contemplation, then doctrine is a waste of time. This is where the poetic and contemplative touch the prophetic, because the prophetic is all about the diagnosis of dead words and false acts. The prophetic task is to smell out death in a situation.”
And by pointing to what should not be, the prophet opens a door to what might be.
Peter
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Testimony - A Matter Of Faith
One of the best of ancient practices that we are recovering in the Christian community is Testimony. Again this Sunday we had fresh examples of Testimony’s relevance and power. Members of our church stood up to speak about their faith. This was not easy for any of them.
We have examples in our communal faith story of scripture of how even leaders such as Moses said, “Find someone else to speak. It’s not my talent.” But despite his fears, he got on his feet, opened his mouth and voila, an improbable Exodus from slavery.
Faith is not just about feeling peaceful and at ease. That is part of the faith journey, but not all of it.
For everything there is a season, a time to sit quietly and a time to speak, a time to take in and a time to give out, a time to sit in the back row and a time to take your turn on your feet.
When individuals like Val and Jeremy, Mary and Norma, Pauline and Theresa tell us what music and faith means to them, the whole community is swept up and carried along. Thanks to the fantastic five for your efforts!
…and to all our musicians this morning. Go onto the website for the full effect !
Peter
We have examples in our communal faith story of scripture of how even leaders such as Moses said, “Find someone else to speak. It’s not my talent.” But despite his fears, he got on his feet, opened his mouth and voila, an improbable Exodus from slavery.
Faith is not just about feeling peaceful and at ease. That is part of the faith journey, but not all of it.
For everything there is a season, a time to sit quietly and a time to speak, a time to take in and a time to give out, a time to sit in the back row and a time to take your turn on your feet.
When individuals like Val and Jeremy, Mary and Norma, Pauline and Theresa tell us what music and faith means to them, the whole community is swept up and carried along. Thanks to the fantastic five for your efforts!
…and to all our musicians this morning. Go onto the website for the full effect !
Peter
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