Transforming Life

I was listening to Christopher Hitchens’ debate on religion with Tony Blair on the radio and had to agree with many of Hitchens’ examples of religious excess and hubris. Human history is littered with examples of abuses in every institution.

But do poor marriages mean the institution of marriage should be banned? Do corrupt political leaders mean that we should abandon politics? Hopefully abusive teachers and doctors do not mean we should close all hospitals or schools. And one can argue that a fundamentalist interpretation of faith does not mean that religion must be narrow-minded and exclusive.

Hitchens can point out the lack of logic and common sense of much religion but he cannot negate the powerful effect of a spiritual leader like Gandhi.

A poster that hangs in my home office is graced by a quote from Gandhi. He lists the 7 deadly social sins:

politics without principle
wealth without work
commerce without morality
pleasure without conscience
education without character
science without humanity
worship without sacrifice

Will that kind of critique and reminder of what truly matters to human beings ever lose its power to transform life?


Peter

Do I Need To Be A Member?

Here's an interesting stat that confirms what many of us have been noticing in recent years. 1n 2001 about 11% of church goers were not members nor were they seeking to be members. Now ten years later, that number is about the same. But...the number of young adults in that grouping is close to double those who are over 45.

So what does that mean? What do we do?

One response would be to do a whole lot more to try convince the under 45s to change their ways and officially join up. Another response which I think we are trying to live into at Emmanuel is to find ways for young people to be connected and involved in our ministry in all kinds of ways. There are many paths up the mountain. Let's keep them all open.


Peter

Desmond Tutu - Christianity's Dalai Lama

I am going to miss the voice of Desmond Tutu. He retired from public life last month on his 79th birthday.

He always struck me as the Christian equivalent of the Dalai Lama. They both have the ability to chuckle in such a disarmingly human way and in the next moment to startle you with their spiritual insight.

I was a commissioner to General Council in London Ontario when Archbishop Tutu captivated the court with his stories and his presence.

His voice was authentic because unlike many of us Canadians who have enjoyed the best of all possible worlds, Tutu’s faith put him in real danger.

Tutu once said, “God is not even-handed. God is biased, horribly in favour of the weak. The minute an injustice is perpetrated, God is going to be on the sid of the one who is being clobbered.”

He could say things like this and still reach out to those who occupied a contrary view and he could do so with a smile and an open hand. That’s a special gift, to not demonize your enemies. We will miss him.



Peter

A treasure of a small group

Those that study the characteristics of vital churches tend to agree that one of the commonalities of such churches, is their small group ministry. These small groups make a huge difference. If you can find a welcome and a place in a small group then you are much more likely to make that church. your home

Emmanuel United has managed to nurture the growth and development of a number of small groups. I drop in on some of these groups from time to time and marvel at how different they are and how well they work.

This week I joined the group that for many years has been described as “Larry’s Bible Study.” Larry never calls it that but others do.

The group just finished up a several week study of Martin Buber’s theological classic, I and Thou. This book is the theological equivalent of War and Peace, begun by many and finished by few. And although the members take turns in presenting, when the discussion begins to stumble, Larry offers a question or an interpretation and the conversation is up and running once more. It doesn’t hurt that Larry taught a course on this particular text decades ago or that in his 90s he still can skilfully disentangle a concept which baffles the rest of us.

This small group along with its sagacious leader, is one of the many hidden treasures of the Emmanuel community.

Peter

Stewardship - More Than Money

Today we introduce our stewardship program and this year’s theme, More than Enough. That is meant to capture a way of thinking that opens our lives and hands in generosity to others.

How well are we doing at that? One survey of 153 countries puts Canadians in the top five in the world when it comes to giving our money and time to charity. Congratulations! That’s impressive.

The survey also found that people are more likely to donate their money than their time. That’s intriguing. I’m not sure I know what that means.

Does this mean that our schedules are more valuable than our money?
Does it mean that we find it easier to write a cheque than to volunteer? Does it mean we need to put more of our time into opening doors for our church community and others to find a meaningful way to become involved?

Or maybe we don’t feel that we have more than enough time. Some people seem to have all the time in the world. Others are caring for children, parents, or friends and don’t feel they have a spare moment for themselves.

And still others are finding new meaning in sharing themselves with others.
One of the best stewardship testimonies I’ve seen recently came from Theo Fleury, the former NHL hockey player and abuse survivor. He said, “The experience of getting your life back together makes you a quality human being. You’ve got so much more to give,” Well said, Theo.


Peter

Jesus, Wine and Celebration

I regularly visit Home-brewed Christianity and recently saw a blog about What Would Jesus Brew? It sparked some thoughts. Since I am getting ready to get back into home brewing, thanks to a friend who passed on his equipment, this felt timely.

I wonder if a few years from now Emmanuel might have it’s own little Oktoberfest. If we can’t serve God’s hoppy gift at our bazaar maybe we could do a visit to VanKleek Hill and try out some of that wonderful Beau’s Lug Tread Lager at their Oktoberfest next year. There’s a reason this company is winning awards.

Jesus drank with the best of them. And with those with whom society did not sit down with. And his purpose was not escape. His purpose was to widen and deepen the circle of faith. Celebrating a wedding, he made 150 gallons of wine. That’s about 800 bottles. This was a celebration of a new union and a time to rejoice.

In those days it was less dangerous than today. Instead of driving home in a dangerous weapon, all you did was fall off a donkey. Still the social issue of alcoholism and dangerous driving must be considered. But the Bible is able to speak to the dangers while still lauding the gift.

We could learn from that.

Peter

Love of God Creates Moderates

Just because a pastor and congregation in Gainesville did not go through with a threat to burn 200 Qur’ans does not mean the end of hatred towards Islam. Qur’ans were burnt in Kansas, Michigan and Tennessee. Pages were torn out of the Qur’an outside the White House. Two people died in riots in Afghanistan at the thought of this action.


According to Religious News Services, Laleh Bakhtiar, the first woman to translate the Qur’an into English sees in this controversy, a theological difference between both Muslims and Christians who see God as a vengeful or a loving presence.


“If it’s fear of God , then you get these extremists. When you teach the love of God, then you become a moderate.”


It would be good to see the moderates become more vocal about this loving, peaceful God, more intentional about building bridges. Canada needs communities like this.



Peter