Things I Learned in Church, Part 7: Promises

In this latest installment of "Things I Learned in Church," I continue to highlight positive things about my involvement in church since my youngest days.

I grew up in a church that emphasized God's promises. When you hear "promises," I don't want you to think of blank checks for health, wealth, and success as are promised to believers in some church circles. 

Photo by Peggy Sue Zinn on Unsplash

More often than not, we used the word "covenant," an old fashioned word that described a deep relationship between God and a group of people. God is the one who initiated these covenants, as described in the book of Genesis, through promises that were sometimes marked by visual displays (the rainbow) or rituals (ceremonies). Covenants between God and Noah, Abraham, Moses and David were not just about individuals. Covenants were made with the whole community in mind. They also included and invited a response.

One of the ancient promises made to the Hebrew man Abraham reads like this in translation:

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; 

and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

 Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV 1984)

The promise was for Abraham, but it was also for a nation he would found. Beyond that, it was for "all peoples on earth." That's a promise that I receive as someone of non-Hebrew ethnicity. The blessing of a relationship with God came to me through people and events I had no control over. But God's promise, God's covenant is bigger than ourselves.

Because of this covenant concept, some ceremonies in the church I was raised in and of which I am still a part include expression of promises. The promises of God are recited, and the people are invited to make promises in return--to pray for each other and be involved in the faith journeys of others, not just once by in an ongoing basis. This exchange of promises happens when a baby is christened; when a child or adult makes a public commitment to Jesus; and when new leaders are introduced. 

The life of faith is not a solo exercise, just involving the individual and God. Church reminds me that I have a commitment to others, as they have commitments to me. We are a community that looks out for each other and supports each other, putting those promises into effect over our lifetime. Because we're a collection of humans, we don't always get it right. But those promises keep me grounded and linked to God and others.

Prayer for Families- reposted

 This is a prayer I wrote and then spoke about 12 years ago for a special prayer service at the local church I attend.  If you choose to pray it, I encourage you to think of specific people you know that fit the various categories.

Heavenly Father,

   We acknowledge your loving design in placing us within families.  Thank you for the secure environment many of us have experienced in childhood as our parents raised us with an awareness that You are Lord of all.  We praise you for the memories built in our homes and for the everyday conversation we can have over meals and chores.  We are grateful for ways to keep in contact with our loved ones who live far away.

   We confess, Lord God, that our homes do not always exemplify the harmony we long for because we are broken people.  So many pressures threaten to pull us apart, and our selfishness often makes us insensitive to the needs of others.  Guide us by Jesus’ humility and giving nature to care for one another.  Please make us quick to admit our faults and willing to forgive.

   We ask for your nearness on behalf of those who live alone.  May their friends and communities and church families be attuned to their needs.  Make yourself known as their constant companion.

   We pray for parents caring for their young children day and night and through illnesses that require extra care.  Grant them loving endurance and needed rest.

   Please be with families facing worries about the future and finances.  Provide peace of mind and wisdom to move forward in faith, we pray.

   Merciful Father, please give Your special strength to families where there is a heavy burden of care giving.  Please give loving patience to the caregivers and needed support so that they will not be overwhelmed by the task.

   We ask for your grace to be given to single parents.  Their task is enormous, so please show us how we can support and encourage them.

   We pray for couples experiencing the pain of infertility.  Please make a way for them to receive the desire of their hearts.

   Please guide couples who are growing apart.  Give them the courage to seek help and the willingness to work at their relationship.

   For the sake of our witness in the world, Heavenly Father, please strengthen all our homes and families.

   In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Things I Learned in Church, Part 6: Easter People

A church in Europe anticipating Easter, April 2019

It is the day after Easter as I compose this piece. Easter is one of those days that draws people [back] to church. Yesterday, I joined a celebration that brought out all the musical instruments & players that my community of believers could assemble; the hymns and anthems invited everyone to sing along. The good news that "Christ has risen / He has risen indeed" was repeated throughout the liturgy. This one day is the hinge point for the church, and it has been from the beginning.

   

   Reflecting back on my childhood, I can't say that any particular Easter Sunday service stands out in my mind. Part of me wishes I could remember something more specific than the hymn "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" being sung with organ accompaniment and with "Alleluia" punctuating each line. And yet, this annual holy-day made itself felt in other ways.

   That's because my parents made every effort to take us to worship each Sunday. And every Sunday was a mini-celebration of Easter. The fact that Sunday was the day that early believers in Jesus chose to gather together has a direct connection to the "first day of the week," when the women disciples found the tomb empty and heard the angels declare, "He is risen."  The music, prayers and teaching each week direct us to become Easter People, people shaped by the Resurrection of Jesus.

  Call it the hinge, the foundation, or the hub of Christian faith, Easter & the Resurrection of Jesus is it!

  Without the Resurrection, there would be no reason to gather. Without the Resurrection, there would be no assurance of forgiveness. Without the Resurrection, Christian hope would be misguided. Without the Resurrection, prayers to Jesus would be pointless. Without the Resurrection, the unity of Jesus' followers in any form would be impossible. Without the Resurrection, the motivation to bring blessing to others would expire when obstacles mounted. Without the Resurrection, Jesus' call to love one another would sound weak.

  But because of the Resurrection:

• Gathering with others for worship is desirable
• Forgiveness has been secured
• Christian hope is appropriate
• Prayers to Jesus are purposeful
• Unity with other followers of Jesus is viable
• The desire to bring blessing to others has perseverance
• The call to love one another is accompanied by boldness

  If you missed "Easter" this week or this year, it's not too late to catch up on what you missed. The doors are open every Sunday, to meet and celebrate the One who rose again and is alive forevermore. You'll also find Easter People, imperfect humans trying to live out the way of Jesus.

   

   

"Everything is Plastic"

   My mother tells a story about me as a young child visiting my aunt's house. On one of the tables was an appealing fruit basket. I took one of the apples and attempted to bite into it, only to be told it was "plastic." Some time later, I allegedly composed an original song with the repeated line, "Everything is plastic." My childish brain could not comprehend what benefit there was in setting out fruit that did not nourish.

   This week I was visiting somewhere else and came upon this tray of plastic fruit on a counter. I was not deceived this time.

   Plastic fruit is a fitting metaphor when so many of the things that surround us are not real. The voice on the other end of the telephone is not always a real person, but a recording or sounds generated by a computer.  The so-called candid photos on our social media feeds are curated and embellished. Computers having what seem like life-like conversations with people was tested out as early as the 1960's [1], and many chatbots appear on websites to "help" us. We have an obsession with the virtual world and its technology, but it does not nourish us. Loneliness has recently been called an epidemic, and a social worker named Jake Ernst "blames technology and social deterioration for this trend" [2].

   Discerning what's real and what's plastic/fake or at best a representation of reality is not just a problem that started with personal computers or smartphones. Projecting an image of ourselves that is better than reality has been a temptation humans have struggled with from the beginning. Societies do the same, rewriting history to cover up the unpleasant parts and to kindle greater loyalty. 

  So, how to we wade through the media and the messages to arrive at anything resembling reality?French mathematician René DesCartes in the 1600's proposed doubting everything. He then rebuilt a system of reality based on his own senses and rationality: "I think, therefore I am." Maybe I'm not the only one that finds this human-centred, individualistic approach less than satisfactory.

  I offer a few ideas that have helped me.

• Whenever possible, connect with people face to face. Real people are not just voices, faces, or the words they generate. Real people are embodied, complex beings with emotions and histories. We're able to take in more of this complexity when we meet in person. We're also more able to take in this complexity when we listen at least as much as we speak.

• Interact with the real, created world whenever possible. Yes, Alexa or Google can tell you what the weather is like, but stepping outside and experiencing it is more real than their descriptions. Looking at photographs of birds and butterflies can be enriching, but looking out your window or walking in your neighbourhood and focusing your eyes on 3-dimensional wonders will nourish you in a deeper way. Allowing children to watch someone else play Minecraft or to play Minecraft themselves may have a place, but building with tangible objects like blocks or LEGO widens their sensory inputs and horizons.

• Remind yourself that everything presented to you comes from a limited perspective. It can never give you the complete picture because reality is so complex. Pay attention to the bias of the source. Sometimes, it helps to look behind the bias to see if there is something to be gained for the source by including particular details or ignoring or downplaying others.

• As a person of faith, I'm finding it increasingly crucial to be humble and to admit when I'm not sure or don't know enough to be an authority on topics outside my expertise. Even when I might be considered an expert by being an eye-witness of an event or situation, I can't claim to be the only authority. I need to admit that others have experienced it differently. If we disagree about some aspect, I need to give others the benefit of the doubt, unless there's evidence of malice.

My simple musical composition "Everything is plastic," was a reaction to being tricked by fake fruit. Some things are indeed plastic imitations of a real thing, so I keep seeking to better understand the complexity of reality in the light of God's grace.

   [1] Between 1964 and 1967, Joseph Weizenbaum developed ELIZA. It was a computer program that could carry on a seemingly natural conversation with a therapy client, who typed in thoughts and responses to its prompts.

   [2]Global News article about increasing loneliness consulted social worker Jake Ernst among others.

Solid and Dynamic Faith

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." 

Colossians 2:6-7, New International Version

We are given some word pictures by the Apostle Paul that show us that our life of faith is both solid and dynamic [1].

Photo by Bruce Kee on Unsplash

We’ll start with the solid pieces. Paul says, “Continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught.” This first image talks about plant life. As we know, roots provide stability to a tree or plant so that it can remain intact when winds and storms come. When we are rooted in Christ, we have a solid base and receive our nourishment from him rather than other sources.

And Christ also builds us up. Christ is the sure foundation of our lives, much stronger than reinforced concrete, steel or titanium. We can fully trust Christ in every situation, and he will never leave or forsake us.

Then two other word pictures indicate that unlike a tree or a building, we are not meant to stand still. They are dynamic images. The encouragement to “continue to live your lives in him” contains a reference to walking in the Greek. The New King James Version translates this phrase as “walk in Him.” 

Photo by Soroush Karimi on Unsplash

British theologian N.T. Wright comments that we need to move forward in this life with Christ. He says, “Being a Christian is like riding a bicycle; unless you go forward, you’ll fall off. And going forward as a Christian means, once more, nothing more nor less than going forward ‘in Christ,’ in the king” [2].

Finally, Paul adds, “and overflowing with thankfulness.” When something overflows, there’s movement and action. The storyline of Christ is enough to satisfy us, and we don’t seek anything in addition to Him. Our response is gratitude, which flows into good works and kind deeds. 

For further reflections on gratitude, you may enjoy the following posts:

Gratitude: Weakness or Strength

Easy Go, Easy Come

Give or Receive, Part 1

[1] Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat (2004) Colossians Remixed, page 135 says, "Paul frames metaphors of solidity and stability (rooted, built, established) with metaphors of growth and dynamic change."

[2] N. T. Wright (2002) Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters, p. 164.

Year End Book Reviews 2024

This year I met my goal of reading 60 books, just in time! Sometimes people ask me for top recommendations, so I've decided to organize short reviews for different categories.

Best Re-read

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, audiobook (1843; 2012)

This classic story of transformation from a heart of granite to a heart of kindness happens through showing Ebenezer Scrooge scenes from his past, present and future. Reflection about the trajectory of his life leads him to insight and renewed gratitude. The audiobook version read by Ralph Cosham brings the reader into the authentic world of the story.

Best Children's Book

Fred & Marjorie: A Doctor, A Dog and the Discovery of Insulin by Deborah Kerbel and illustrated by Angela Poon (2021)

This graphic novel for children tells about the relationship between Dr. Frederick Banting and the dog that was instrumental in the discovery of life saving treatment for those with diabetes. I am partial to the story of Frederick Banting partly because my hometown in Ontario, Canada was his birthplace and partly because of his perseverance on behalf of children and adults languishing due to an incurable condition. Pages at the back contain biographical details, photos, and a discussion of the use of animals in research.

Best Theology Book

Telling Stories in the Dark: Finding healing and hope in sharing our sadness, grief, trauma and pain by Jeff Munroe (2024).

The format of this book is unlike any I've previously read. Its uniqueness is in the story telling followed by caring analysis by a trained counselor or empathic soul. The narration is intimate because the author personally knows the people whose stories he relates. A weighty book that provides validation for the reader's own losses as well as assurance that pain can indeed be stewarded.

Best Novel

Children of My Heart by Gabrielle Roy (1977)

This novel is a series of vignettes told by a teacher at rural schools on the Canadian prairies during the days of the Great Depression. In this book, immigrants and their children are presented with dignity and respect. Furthermore, the author shows her vulnerability by including mistakes she made in her relationships with students and their parents.

Best "Window Book"

Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and his Green Book by Keila V. Dawson and illustrated by Alleanna Harris (2021)

First, I should explain what I mean by a "window book." Educator Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop used this expression to talk about a book that gives the reader insight into a world outside of the reader's personal experience. This often means that the book will include characters from a nationality or ethnicity different than that of the reader.

This is an informative and colorful book for children and older readers, too. It tells about a clever mailman who used his connections to make travel safer for African American families. His Green Book was a director of businesses and hotels that would welcome Black guests during the era of segregation. A fun feature is the road-shaped timeline at the back of the book.

Inspired Word for 2025: Ubuntu

It has been eight years since I've formally chosen a word to act as a guide for the upcoming year. For 2025, I've chosen a word that does not have an exact English equivalent. This word UBUNTU originates from South Africa, specifically the Nguni and Bantu languages. Statesman Nelson Mandela and Clergyman Desmond Tutu helped spread this word into more common speech.

Simply said, Ubuntu is defined as "I am because of who we all are" [1]. It's an acknowledgement of the reality that a human being is one in relationship with others. We are born into families and communities, and they are part of defining us. As a British poet has said, "No man is an island." When people become isolated or lonely, they lose some of their humanity. We see them become more suspicious, more bitter and less able to have simple, respectful conversations.

I've been thinking about ubuntu in an era of polarization.

I've been thinking about ubuntu when I see more signs posted in retail and service industry spaces letting people know that abusive and harassing language and behavior will not be tolerated. Apparently, customers and clients are letting loose with verbal volleys.

I've been thinking about ubuntu because of what American physician Sheryl Heron has written about social determinants of health [2]. She says that every individual needs three things and five communities to thrive and experience physical and mental wellbeing. She says the three things are something meaningful to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to. Furthermore, the five stable communities needed include one's family of origin, one's work or volunteer community, one's neighborhood, one's faith community, and one's current family or household.

And yet we see social ties eroding on every front .There are people we don't or won't talk to anymore. We perceive others as hostile if they are not "like us."

I've been thinking about ubuntu because it is compatible with the second great commandment that Jesus highlighted. Answering the call to self-giving love will help build and rebuild community and relationships.

During my year of ubuntu, I will endeavor to be more intentional about fostering community and respect with the people I encounter, day after day. And I'm not waiting until January 1st.

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[1] This definition is given on the website of an open source software initiative of the same name: https://ubuntu.com/about

[2] To read her full article, see https://harvardmacy.org/blog/the-heron-8

[3] Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash