The film Melancholia fits with the apocalyptic images in the scripture texts for the first Sunday in Advent. Our cinephile group saw this at the Bytowne on Friday night. Kirsten Dunst was brilliant and I can see why she won best actress at Cannes.
Danish director Lars von Trier who was banned from Cannes after jokes about Jews and Hitler, has a bleak view of relationships and the fate of the world. He conveys the brokenness of the humanity in ways that has the audience shaking their heads and groaning.
The weight of the world which as been on Justine (Kirsten) begins to shift onto us. We feel the sadness, the inability to escape fate. And then there is this moment when an unexpected Christ figure steps forward.
It is a small thing in the larger scheme of things but an act of compassion occurs. Sometimes that is all that is available to us.
Some of the group are lobbying for a more cheerful film next time.
Peter
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Remembering The Past
This morning our community of faith began to meet at 9 am. That was the time that veterans, their spouses and/or children sat down for breakfast with some of the youth of Emmanuel. Parents of the youth and the teenagers served the meal. It is a lovely tradition.
Conversations took place as the young people got to hear from these veterans what life was like for them as they went off to war as young people. And our older members showed an interest in these young people, asking them about their lives. Some of the youth had been to memorials in Europe and spoke about them.
The vets, families and youth then walked in to the sound of the bagpipes played by James Ritchie, a grandchild of Jean MacDonald. A young child walked in with her grandfather dressed in his uniform, looking up at him and wondering what it all meant.
This is one of the ways we show respect for the story of our congregation members. This story includes suffering, sacrifice, and grieving. It is not an easy Sunday. Emotions are close to the surface.
And as I look out over the worship gathering, I see those who have been in war zones in Afghanistan, El Salvador and countries in Africa. These wars have all left their scars and we hope that our children will not have to experience this in their lives. And so we pray for peace and we work for a more peaceful world.
Peter
Conversations took place as the young people got to hear from these veterans what life was like for them as they went off to war as young people. And our older members showed an interest in these young people, asking them about their lives. Some of the youth had been to memorials in Europe and spoke about them.
The vets, families and youth then walked in to the sound of the bagpipes played by James Ritchie, a grandchild of Jean MacDonald. A young child walked in with her grandfather dressed in his uniform, looking up at him and wondering what it all meant.
This is one of the ways we show respect for the story of our congregation members. This story includes suffering, sacrifice, and grieving. It is not an easy Sunday. Emotions are close to the surface.
And as I look out over the worship gathering, I see those who have been in war zones in Afghanistan, El Salvador and countries in Africa. These wars have all left their scars and we hope that our children will not have to experience this in their lives. And so we pray for peace and we work for a more peaceful world.
Peter
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Looking For Inspiration - Look At Our People
I have spoke to several people this week whose commitment to being part of this community amazes me.
There’s a woman who takes three buses to attend one of the midweek programs at our church. And she brings children along with her.
Three woman that I have spoken with recently have to battle their way through the difficulties of the morning to get themselves ready for a 10 am service.
Another person just does not have the support to make that time in the morning but devotedly listens to the live-streaming on the web.
And I am sure that is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the inconveniences that individuals overcome and the sacrifices that people make to connect and contribute to this community of Emmanuel.
All I can say is, Wow! That is inspiring!
Peter
There’s a woman who takes three buses to attend one of the midweek programs at our church. And she brings children along with her.
Three woman that I have spoken with recently have to battle their way through the difficulties of the morning to get themselves ready for a 10 am service.
Another person just does not have the support to make that time in the morning but devotedly listens to the live-streaming on the web.
And I am sure that is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the inconveniences that individuals overcome and the sacrifices that people make to connect and contribute to this community of Emmanuel.
All I can say is, Wow! That is inspiring!
Peter
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Thinking And Acting Outside The Box
Don’t we love to think of ourselves as unique, free thinking individuals who make our own decisions?
Bill Bishop, not the fighter pilot one, wrote The Big Sort, a book on how we pick our neighbourhoods. Bishop says that we have a tendency to choose to live among those who are politically ‘like us.’ By choosing politically like-minded parts of the country or city, we become a little less likely to encounter other points of view.
Knowing how power works, it should be no surprise to us that the political machinery is well aware of their constituencies and who is living in their neighburhoods. Not only do they know where we live, they know how to design their message to appeal to our self-interest.
Here again, Christians and all those who care for their neighbours, need to be ‘as wise as serpents and a harmless as doves.” Those who do think of the needs of those who are different from us, have a greater responsibility to speak and act for the common good.
Peter
Bill Bishop, not the fighter pilot one, wrote The Big Sort, a book on how we pick our neighbourhoods. Bishop says that we have a tendency to choose to live among those who are politically ‘like us.’ By choosing politically like-minded parts of the country or city, we become a little less likely to encounter other points of view.
Knowing how power works, it should be no surprise to us that the political machinery is well aware of their constituencies and who is living in their neighburhoods. Not only do they know where we live, they know how to design their message to appeal to our self-interest.
Here again, Christians and all those who care for their neighbours, need to be ‘as wise as serpents and a harmless as doves.” Those who do think of the needs of those who are different from us, have a greater responsibility to speak and act for the common good.
Peter
Sunday, October 16, 2011
The Right Battle
I was on a study leave event this weekend and I heard a story about Dietrich Bonhoeffer that I had never heard before. Apparently there was a time when a number of the German pastors were present at a meeting with some important Nazi officials.
The highest ranking Nazi rose to his feet and shouted out, “Heil Hitler.” Bonheoffer and others pastors who were resisting the Nazi regime stood up and joined the salute.
One pastor remained seated. Bonhoeffer leaned over and said, “Stand up you fool. This is not the time. This is not worth dying for.”
Bonhoeffer as we know did die for his faith but this was not to be the time or place or issue. Which raises the question , what is the issue that is worth going to the wall for? If we decide to make a stand, then let it be for an issue we can look back on and feel good about. Let it be carefully considered rather than a reaction.
On our journey of transformation, we are all in the process of learning what this means. How as a community do we move together? How do we make truthful and loving decisions? We are all learners and we are all teachers in this process.
Peter
The highest ranking Nazi rose to his feet and shouted out, “Heil Hitler.” Bonheoffer and others pastors who were resisting the Nazi regime stood up and joined the salute.
One pastor remained seated. Bonhoeffer leaned over and said, “Stand up you fool. This is not the time. This is not worth dying for.”
Bonhoeffer as we know did die for his faith but this was not to be the time or place or issue. Which raises the question , what is the issue that is worth going to the wall for? If we decide to make a stand, then let it be for an issue we can look back on and feel good about. Let it be carefully considered rather than a reaction.
On our journey of transformation, we are all in the process of learning what this means. How as a community do we move together? How do we make truthful and loving decisions? We are all learners and we are all teachers in this process.
Peter
Monday, September 26, 2011
Tolerance Through Breaking Bread Together
Someone has done a study on race relations on campus and they have discovered that students who eat with other ethnic minorities are more likely to report good race relations than those who do not.
Apparently it is not enough to have racial intermingling in the classroom or dormitories. The report suggests that one difference is that the dining room seating is voluntary.
This coming Sunday is World Communion Sunday and that is a reminder to us that this communion we are part of is meant to be a force that brings all races together around one table. Canada and Ottawa are home to an amazing diversity of peoples. Sometimes our churches reflect that reality.
One more interesting point in this study. The dominant white community felt they did a better job than did the ethnic minority groups. That tells me predominantly white churches still need to do some soul-searching.
Peter
Apparently it is not enough to have racial intermingling in the classroom or dormitories. The report suggests that one difference is that the dining room seating is voluntary.
This coming Sunday is World Communion Sunday and that is a reminder to us that this communion we are part of is meant to be a force that brings all races together around one table. Canada and Ottawa are home to an amazing diversity of peoples. Sometimes our churches reflect that reality.
One more interesting point in this study. The dominant white community felt they did a better job than did the ethnic minority groups. That tells me predominantly white churches still need to do some soul-searching.
Peter
Monday, August 15, 2011
Lady Gaga
After this week’s gospel reading on the foreigner woman who bested Jesus in a debate and proved to be more Christian than he was, I am looking for unexpected sources of truth. And I stumbled across Lady Gaga.
It turns out that Lady Gaga began life as Stefani Germanotta. Maybe I’m the last to discover this but an article by Rodney Clapp describes her as an awkward teenager. She experienced bullying for being ugly, having a big nose and giant eyebrows. They put her down for her laugh, her makeup and her love of theatre. It got bad enough that she wanted to stay home from school.
In her new life as Lady Gaga, Stefani has maintained her outrageous persona. But despite her present day fame, she can’t forget her pain as an unhappy teenager. Thus beneath the flash and glam, Stefani conveys a message that despite others’ putdowns because you’re too fat or too skinny, despite harassment because you’re gay, you have real worth. if you’re a misfit, embrace yourself.
Fans write to her in gratitude for helping to liberate them from the chains of hate. A 15 year old offers this testimony, “At every concert you’ve said that you want to liberate us and that is what you’ve done. Your songs have taught me not to listen to haters and be who I am, because baby, I was born this way.”
Lady Gaga may be an unlikely source of truth but this sounds like good news in unusual packing.
Peter
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