God Is Doing a New Thing: A Time of Transition and Thanksgiving

Friends,  Tomorrow, we are celebrating the 100 th Anniversary of the formation of the United Church of Canada. We are also observing Pentecost – that amazing day 2,000 plus years ago, when the Spirit descended on believers and non-believers in Jerusalem. It was a chaotic and amazing event. As we recognize the United Church’s 100 years, I am aware that the Spirit was very active calling us into union – and pushing against the divisions that have marked the wider Christian church. The movement toward union began long before 1925. In fact, it was delayed by World War I. Finally, in 1925, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Union Churches (that already existed) came together. It took an act of parliament as much property was already involved. Not all Presbyterians came into union, but they did in Australia, some years later, creating the Uniting Church of Australia – a sister denomination. We have many sister denominations and partners around the world and we share a global mission with a number of them. In 1968 the Evangelical United Brethren (Eastern Conference) came into the United Church. The original vision was to bring Christ to a young Canada. There was also a pragmatic understanding that it was not wise to plant three or four churches in new communities. As we look back on 100 years, we can see many ways and places where The Spirit has been at work: When we decided to ordain women in 1938. When women could be elders in the church. When we elected our first black Moderator, Dr. Wilbur Howard. Then, our first lay Moderator, medical missionary Dr. Robert McClure, and then our first woman Moderator, the Rev. Lois Wilson. When we apologized to our indigenous brothers and sisters for their treatment over decades. When we voted to ordain gay and lesbian persons who were fit and trained for ministry. The Spirit has been at work in hundreds of other ways --invited us to follow Christ, inviting us to justice, and inviting us to plant new congregations like Heart Lake United Church. We are a Spirited bunch! We have made some mistakes – but God isn’t done with us! I hope that you can share our celebrations this Sunday. Wishing you grace and peace in these challenging times. Reverend Jim Cairney

Friends, I recently came across this prayer or reflection by the late Loretta Girzaitis. I invite you to read it over, then pray it slowly, and consider its various thoughts. Take time to appreciate yourself in God’s abundant love and grace. It reminds me of the bold declaration of the psalmist (139:14.) “I praise you, for I am fearfully* and wonderfully made; wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well." *fearfully meaning with awe and gratitude. O Holy One, in my mother's womb you fashioned me a home. My skin is the tent protecting the goods within. The furnishings are priceless: gifts of talent, skill, ability, and yearning. I am your temple, O God, and even when I place idols within the niches of my heart, you topple them to make your rightful claim. Because I am precious in your eyes, you set up your kingdom deep, deep into the core of my being. You, who are love, lodge adamantly within, unwilling to give up dominion of territory that is yours. Immersed in this love, I live and move and exist, content to be your property. May I never separate myself from you, or force you to leave the premises of my spirit. My home is yours. Abide within forever! -- Loretta Girzaitis alive now! M/J '89 Grace and peace to you and yours, Reverend Jim Cairney

On Sunday, in the message time, I will be sharing a few of the key things that I believe. This will help you to know me a bit better as your new pastor. Above all, I hope it will encourage you to reflect on your beliefs, and how they have been shaped or not shaped by your life journey. We are all different, even though we have been exposed to many of the same tenets of the Christian faith. Many of us renegotiate the things we were taught as children when we took everything literally. In the United Church of Canada, we are a big umbrella or big tent denomination. We welcome and embrace a wide spectrum of belief. And we welcome and embrace all -- even when we are still working on the big questions of faith. Wherever you are in your faith journey and your answer to the question: "What do I believe?" -- know that you are welcome and you are not alone as we explore these questions together. Grace and peace, on your pilgrimage of faith...

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His mother was in the house looking out the window, and she saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. But it was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. Mercifully, a farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Quite remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal, and on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother’s fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved. The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pants legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms too. I have them because my Mom wouldn’t let go.” Many of us have had mothers who exhibit or exhibited this kind of fierce love. Thank God! We are grateful. But it isn’t universally true. Some mother’s have not been able to be available, or offer a constructive presence in the lives of their children. For many of us, Mother’s Day is s time to remember, celebrate and honour our moms. Sadly, for some, it is a day of pain or regret or sorrow or brokenness. In response to both sets of circumstances, we try to move forward, determined to exhibit a fierce love for our children, or grandchildren, whether we are women or men. The bottom line is that we are all very human – imperfect – children of God, who were – or are – parented by imperfect, very human parents. We learn, we grow, we gain perspective in God’s abundant love. May we approach Mother’s Day with grace, humility, forgiveness and compassion for one another.

A few years ago there was an article in The Toronto Star entitled “The audacity of nope’” The article was about the proliferation of signs in Toronto telling you what you can and cannot do. The photo illustration was of a lamp standard with six signs attached:  To the left – No Parking/Taxi stand vehicles; and Tow-away Zone, and to the right, but indicating left: No Parking 8 am to 6 pm; and then also on the right: No Parking; No Stopping 7 am to 9 am – 4 pm to 6 pm Mon. to Fri; and a sign for both directions: No Standing 11:30-1:30 pm Monday to Friday. Obviously, you could get ticketed for pausing the length of time it takes to sort out in a human brain the seemingly contradictory messages and time constraints. I saved the article because I suspect that the dominant perception of the Christian life – by people who do not practice it – and some who do – is that we live in the land of nope. A suggestion that our faith, its teachings, and our God -- are all in the business of saying, “No!” and being a kill joy and a spoil sport. We are up against the dominant notion that to follow God is to navigate in the land with a colossal list of “Thou shalt not’s…” Don’t drink… Don’t smoke… Don’t gamble… Sit up straight in church… Don’t stick your gum under the pew… Don’t shop on Sunday’s… Don’t have sex standing up, it might lead to dancing… Don’t fool around… Don’t smile… Don’t mix with non-believers…Don’t have a good time… You get the picture! The article about street signs, contained a comment by Marcel Danesi, a semiotics professor at the U. of T. Danesi said, “This was the stuff of the priests who populated my childhood and adolescence, but now’ it’s the politicians and those people out there who try to impose. That official level... has taken over from God, hasn’t it?” Behind his comment, is the lingering or dominant perception that God’s business is still about saying, “Don’t…” And that religious faith inhibits or thwarts our happiness. But in our faith tradition, and our Biblical understanding, happiness comes as a bi-product – not the goal of life. As Christians, we learn that happiness is the bi-product of loving God, loving self, and loving one’s neighbour, and caring for this wonderful world that is God’s gift to us. The purpose of life is not self-indulgence, but loving God, serving others, and serving God’s world with justice, and compassion, and care. When we read the Gospels, we discover that the Christian life is not primarily about getting to heaven, avoiding hell, or fearing God. It is about loving God – being loved by God – and our whole-hearted participation in the Kingdom of God – here and now. That is, living-out God’s best hopes and dreams for the world – for the commonwealth of all. There are far more ‘Go and do...” or ‘Go and serve...’ or “Love as I love…” or “Let my joy be in you…” -- that there is ‘nope.’ It is a wonderful discovery that faith includes the opening up of the world, an opening up of possibilities -- rather than a narrowing. With you on the journey… Reverend Jim