Woo Hoo! Sunday after church we're going on vacation for 2 weeks. It's off to Hickory Hill Campground for 2 weeks. Oh man I can't wait. I've been looking forward to this vacation since the winter. I get criticized for not blogging too often but criticize away. For the next couple of weeks I won't be checking my emails or looking at the internet. I'll be packing up some reading material but I don't know if I'll get around to reading it. It'll be fun in the sun, playing with the kids, lounging by and swimming in the pool.
And I'm finished my sermon for Sunday. I've prepared stuff for the worship leaders for when I'm away. It'll be Service of Word and Prayer with a couple of laymen preaching. It's all printed. Once I publish this post and turn off this computer it won't be switched on again until August 14. See you then.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
I'm Superman
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Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Controversy leading to schism?
I knew it was a controversial resolution passed at our synod assembly but now I’m reading other blogs where people are talking about schism in the church over it.
As I reported below, the convention adopted a motion to authorize congregations to have the option of blessing same-gender couples who want to make a life-long commitment to one another. The motion passed with 197 votes (72%) for and 75 votes (28%) against. Following the convention Bishop Pryse sent out a pastoral letter (click here to read it) to be shared with the synod.
He mentioned how proud he was of the way delegates engaged one another around this issue. I agree with him. Last year, virtually the same motion was defeated at the National Convention and what I remember from that convention was the tension and stress that surrounded that gathering. This year, while there was, I think, some expectation that this issue would appear again, the mood of the entire convention was different.
I once heard someone say, and I don’t remember who it was, that if the devil is in this somewhere, it’s in the fact that this issue has overshadowed and distracted the church from so many other things that we should be engaged in and doing in our communities and in the world. That’s not necessarily to say that the issue should have been ignored but that it’s one issue among many in which the church ought to be engaged.
I also don’t think that this issues has gone away because of the result of one vote. The vote wasn’t unanimous at the convention and I don’t think opinions and feelings on this matter are unanimous in any congregation, but we continued to work and worship together in Waterloo and I believe that by the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance we’ll continue to do so in the congregation I serve as well. I pray that the world will know we are Christians by our love for one another and that even if we disagree on some small and some large issues, we can still be united by our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, Bishop Schultz sent a letter to the church regarding the Eastern Synod’s resolution (I can’t find a link, I received it by email) where he says that the National Church Council will make a decision at its September 15-16 meeting on the legality of the Eastern Synod resolution based on the Constitution, Bylaws, and National/Synodical responsibilities policy of the ELCIC. I hope that the NCC will prayerfully and respectfully engage one another around this challenging issue but that it will not dominate their meeting to the detriment of the other important work they ought to be doing.
I hope that this one issue will not drive those who are opposed to the Eastern Synod’s resolution out of the church. We need one another and don’t need to be fragmenting ourselves more and more.
As I reported below, the convention adopted a motion to authorize congregations to have the option of blessing same-gender couples who want to make a life-long commitment to one another. The motion passed with 197 votes (72%) for and 75 votes (28%) against. Following the convention Bishop Pryse sent out a pastoral letter (click here to read it) to be shared with the synod.
He mentioned how proud he was of the way delegates engaged one another around this issue. I agree with him. Last year, virtually the same motion was defeated at the National Convention and what I remember from that convention was the tension and stress that surrounded that gathering. This year, while there was, I think, some expectation that this issue would appear again, the mood of the entire convention was different.
I once heard someone say, and I don’t remember who it was, that if the devil is in this somewhere, it’s in the fact that this issue has overshadowed and distracted the church from so many other things that we should be engaged in and doing in our communities and in the world. That’s not necessarily to say that the issue should have been ignored but that it’s one issue among many in which the church ought to be engaged.
I also don’t think that this issues has gone away because of the result of one vote. The vote wasn’t unanimous at the convention and I don’t think opinions and feelings on this matter are unanimous in any congregation, but we continued to work and worship together in Waterloo and I believe that by the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance we’ll continue to do so in the congregation I serve as well. I pray that the world will know we are Christians by our love for one another and that even if we disagree on some small and some large issues, we can still be united by our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, Bishop Schultz sent a letter to the church regarding the Eastern Synod’s resolution (I can’t find a link, I received it by email) where he says that the National Church Council will make a decision at its September 15-16 meeting on the legality of the Eastern Synod resolution based on the Constitution, Bylaws, and National/Synodical responsibilities policy of the ELCIC. I hope that the NCC will prayerfully and respectfully engage one another around this challenging issue but that it will not dominate their meeting to the detriment of the other important work they ought to be doing.
I hope that this one issue will not drive those who are opposed to the Eastern Synod’s resolution out of the church. We need one another and don’t need to be fragmenting ourselves more and more.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
No More War
I sent the following letter to The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister; The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. John Maloney, Member of Parliament.
Dear Messrs. Harper, MacKay, and Maloney,
I am writing to denounce the current escalation in conflict and violence in Israel, the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. I am saddened by the loss of life and the suffering this violence has caused and continues to cause for so many people and communities. I am also disappointed and grieved by the harm that has come to any hope for peace in the region.
The history of the troubles in the Holy Land has taught us, only too clearly, that violence does not bring peace. In the face of what would seem obvious it seems that the parties involved deliberately fail to learn this lesson. In this situation talk of "appropriate means" and criticism of "disproportionate responses" are simply inadequate. In order to keep the situation from spiraling out of control, there needs to be a clear rejection of all violence as a means of securing peace, together with a genuine commitment to justice for all people of the Holy Land.
I pray that those who so easily turn to violence as a response to violence will be led to the path of peace. I pray that no more Israelis or Arabs will have to die in the name of violent and exclusivist ideologies. I pray that "the things that make for peace" will be learned, that the Holy Land will become a land of peace and an inspiration to the rest of the world. I pray for those in that region who witness for peace and who provide relief and support to communities affected by the current situation to find their work enabled and supported and their witness amplified against the louder noise of war.
I urge our government and our nation to join others in the international community, perhaps to show leadership in the international community, and move beyond platitudes and do what is necessary to calm the violence, to restore hope, and to push forward towards peace and justice. There is no hope to be found in violence, only a deadly cycle that spirals into more violence. The violence must cease. Fundamental justices must be redressed, if peace is to be more than just a word. It is past time for the international community to be clear, resolute, and unconditional in this message. Previous efforts to promote peace in the Middle East--the Oslo Accords and the "Road Map" alike-- have been mortally wounded by the continued resort to violence and by the failure to redress obvious injustice. A different approach to peace in the Holy Land is required, in which justice is at the heart. If we as Canadians and members of the international community do not insist on justice as a basis for peace, we will be complicit in the inevitable perpetuation of conflict.
Please, let us not stand idly by half a world away as sisters and brothers in our one humanity continue to suffer and die.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas P. Arth
Dear Messrs. Harper, MacKay, and Maloney,
I am writing to denounce the current escalation in conflict and violence in Israel, the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. I am saddened by the loss of life and the suffering this violence has caused and continues to cause for so many people and communities. I am also disappointed and grieved by the harm that has come to any hope for peace in the region.
The history of the troubles in the Holy Land has taught us, only too clearly, that violence does not bring peace. In the face of what would seem obvious it seems that the parties involved deliberately fail to learn this lesson. In this situation talk of "appropriate means" and criticism of "disproportionate responses" are simply inadequate. In order to keep the situation from spiraling out of control, there needs to be a clear rejection of all violence as a means of securing peace, together with a genuine commitment to justice for all people of the Holy Land.
I pray that those who so easily turn to violence as a response to violence will be led to the path of peace. I pray that no more Israelis or Arabs will have to die in the name of violent and exclusivist ideologies. I pray that "the things that make for peace" will be learned, that the Holy Land will become a land of peace and an inspiration to the rest of the world. I pray for those in that region who witness for peace and who provide relief and support to communities affected by the current situation to find their work enabled and supported and their witness amplified against the louder noise of war.
I urge our government and our nation to join others in the international community, perhaps to show leadership in the international community, and move beyond platitudes and do what is necessary to calm the violence, to restore hope, and to push forward towards peace and justice. There is no hope to be found in violence, only a deadly cycle that spirals into more violence. The violence must cease. Fundamental justices must be redressed, if peace is to be more than just a word. It is past time for the international community to be clear, resolute, and unconditional in this message. Previous efforts to promote peace in the Middle East--the Oslo Accords and the "Road Map" alike-- have been mortally wounded by the continued resort to violence and by the failure to redress obvious injustice. A different approach to peace in the Holy Land is required, in which justice is at the heart. If we as Canadians and members of the international community do not insist on justice as a basis for peace, we will be complicit in the inevitable perpetuation of conflict.
Please, let us not stand idly by half a world away as sisters and brothers in our one humanity continue to suffer and die.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas P. Arth
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Pirates (after the fact)
Okay, so we went to the drive-in last Thursday and watched Pirates 2. We weren't disappointed. Well, just a little disappointed but not in the movie. It's fun to go to the drive-in but the picture quality isn't the same as in a theatre or on TV especially the dark parts, we always end up sitting pretty far back, even with my glasses my eyesight isn't great, so combine all these things and I didn't see as much as I would have liked.
But the movie was cool. Some friends of ours went along and parked next to us and we sat on our lawnchairs together. We went in our new (new for us) van. The kids have been reenacting scenes and repeating funny lines from the movie ever since ("An undead monkey!"). The boys actually climbed into the back of the van and went to sleep, missing most of the movie. The ending freaked us all out, not in a scary way but in an "I don't get it, he's supposed to be dead" way. I won't tell you who "he" is in case you haven't seen it yet but want to. The second feature was "Cars." We'd seen it already but we were watching but then I started falling asleep and I was getting cold so we went home.
I was dangling the idea to my wife of going again this Thursday. One of the other screens (there's 4 screens at this drive-in) is showing the new Superman and Click as the double feature.
But the movie was cool. Some friends of ours went along and parked next to us and we sat on our lawnchairs together. We went in our new (new for us) van. The kids have been reenacting scenes and repeating funny lines from the movie ever since ("An undead monkey!"). The boys actually climbed into the back of the van and went to sleep, missing most of the movie. The ending freaked us all out, not in a scary way but in an "I don't get it, he's supposed to be dead" way. I won't tell you who "he" is in case you haven't seen it yet but want to. The second feature was "Cars." We'd seen it already but we were watching but then I started falling asleep and I was getting cold so we went home.
I was dangling the idea to my wife of going again this Thursday. One of the other screens (there's 4 screens at this drive-in) is showing the new Superman and Click as the double feature.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Pirates
Okay! So tonight we're going to the drive-in. It's carload night and my girls offered to pay the admission (but not for the snacks) so that we can go see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. So my daughters will get to sigh whenever Orlando Bloom comes on the screen, my wife will get to swoon over Johnny Depp, and I'll get to admire Kiera Knightley. The boys will get to enjoy some swordfight I'm sure.
The first time we went to that drive-in we pulled into our spot and then tried to watch the movie looking around the head of the person or the headrest of the seat in front of you. But we noticed what everyone else was doing, at least those with vans. They pulled in backwards, opened the tailgate, pulled out the lawnchairs, and watched that way. That's been the way we do it since then. We even bring along a couple of little plastic tables for our drinks and snacks. I suppose you could even light a couple of mosquito coils to keep the bugs away.
Tonight's supposed to be a beautiful night. We're expecting a heat wave in southern Ontario for the next few days so we probably won't be needing blankets to keep us warm. My girls were anticipating July 7 and the release of the new Pirates movie for months. It was marked boldly on the calendar. So tonight we go to see it at the drive-in.
The first time we went to that drive-in we pulled into our spot and then tried to watch the movie looking around the head of the person or the headrest of the seat in front of you. But we noticed what everyone else was doing, at least those with vans. They pulled in backwards, opened the tailgate, pulled out the lawnchairs, and watched that way. That's been the way we do it since then. We even bring along a couple of little plastic tables for our drinks and snacks. I suppose you could even light a couple of mosquito coils to keep the bugs away.
Tonight's supposed to be a beautiful night. We're expecting a heat wave in southern Ontario for the next few days so we probably won't be needing blankets to keep us warm. My girls were anticipating July 7 and the release of the new Pirates movie for months. It was marked boldly on the calendar. So tonight we go to see it at the drive-in.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
What a couple of weeks!
What a couple of weeks!
I guess I’ll go back two weeks. It was a busier week than usual. I had my normal preparation for Sunday worship but on top of that I was scheduled to preach at the first of our ecumenical worship services down at the park by the lake. When the pastor organizing the services told me they figured on a 25 to 30 minute sermon I thought to myself, "I’ve never preached that long in my life!" Well, I did come up with a longer than usual sermon about Abraham and Sarah and their relationship with God. The focus was more on God’s mercy and grace in the face of all of their constant screwing up which translates better to our situations than trying to use Abe and Sarah as examples for living. I think the point of those old stories is what God does not what the people do, or else what God does in response to what people do.
But, the day before that busy Sunday, July 1, Canada Day (our equivalent to your July 4 holiday for any American readers), I was to preside at a memorial service. Another sermon to begin with, and an interesting dynamic with the family and those who came to the funeral. The gentleman who died had been a member of our church years ago. I don’t know what church, if any, he’d been attending lately. I certainly didn’t know him from my 4 years here. His only son and his daughter-in-law are members of the LC-C church around the corner (that’s like Missouri Synod for any American readers). I was surprised when the funeral home called and asked if I could do the service. I thought they’d ask their pastor. But I was willing to do this for them. I know the daughter-in-law a bit because she’s the organist there and we’ve had her play for some funerals at our church when our organist wasn’t able to be there.
There’s some stuff going on at that church and I don’t know all the details. We’ve had 7 people from there come over to our church and tell me that they definitely, or some possibly, want to become members here. What I’m hearing is that they’re tired of Close(d) Communion practices in that denomination and the fact that women aren’t allowed to take (m)any leadership roles in the church, not even to read the scripture lessons from the lectern on a Sunday morning. I’m also hearing rumours that there may be more to it but these two issues are what I’ve been hearing first hand.
Back to my last couple of weeks.
The evening of the worship service in the park, I drove down with my family and got there realizing I didn’t have my sermon with me. So I dropped them off, we were plenty early, and I drove back home to get my sermon. Got into the van to drive back to the park and the van breaks down right in front of the house. It sounded like tin cans were being crushed in the transmission. So I drive down in the second car, the one not big enough to carry our family of 6, and do my thing at the service and now we’re destined for car shopping.
Next day is Monday, I take it off in lieu of the Saturday holiday, brother comes for a visit and to give my youngest his birthday present a day early. Next day is Tuesday, July 4, our baby’s 4th birthday. My parents come for a visit. I don’t kill myself with work in the office since I haven’t had all of my days off lately plus I want to visit with my parents and celebrate my son’s birthday.
Then comes Wednesday, July 5, the beginning of our Synod Assembly. I’m leaving my wife and the kids stranded without a vehicle. Our lay delegate is being dropped off and we’re driving 2 hours together to Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario for our 5 day convention. For the most part I like these conventions. I get to catch up with old friends with whom I’m terrible at staying in touch. We get to worship as a synod and the pomp and ceremony and musicianship (usually) is so uplifting. It’s generally a great experience.
On Thursday morning I get to the assembly hall and am handed a message. "Call home. There has been a death." So I get on the phone with the secretary, with my wife, with the funeral home, hoping that they can hold off with the funeral until Monday so that I can be there and do it, otherwise I have to find someone else to do it and all the Lutherans are at the convention, maybe the new Anglican priest (here less than 2 weeks) can do it for me. I’m hearing that the husband (now widower) wants to wait but there is some disagreement with a brother and an executor/power of attorney who wants it on Saturday. They agree on Monday. Not much time to prepare but I can swing it.
Thursday afternoon in the first report of the Committee on Reference and Council we’re presented with a motion to allow congregations a local option to perform the blessing of same-gender couples who want to make a life-long commitment to one another in the presence of God and their community of faith. Actually there are 7 motions made asking for this in one way or another. Last year our National Church Convention defeated such a motion 55% to 45%. This year our Synod passed virtually the same motion 72.4% to 27.6%. I wasn’t surprised the motion appeared. I wasn’t surprised it passed. I was surprised by the size of the majority. I expected it to be somewhat closer. I was impressed, and the bishop also commented, on how respectfully the convention engaged in the discussion of this challenging issue. There wasn’t nearly the same amount of tension and stress as last year at the national convention, or even in 2004 when our synod passed a statement of welcome to people regardless of gender, race, ancestry, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, age, record of offences, marital status, sexual orientation, economic status, family status, or disability.
The rest of the assembly was pretty tame. We had a great keynote presentation from Kathy Magnus, Lutheran World Federation Regional Officer for North America. There was discouraging news about finances, especially regarding Waterloo Lutheran Seminary. But I think we’re people of hope and I think we can become a more generous church. It might just take some creativity and prophetic utterances to make it happen.
Back on the home front my wife is researching vans, and what do we buy to replace our old crippled one. The old van, a 1996 Ford Windstar, is 10 years old (I guess you could do the math and know that, eh?) so it’s not really worth fixing in our opinion because at that age it won’t be long before something else goes wrong. A nearby used car dealer actually lets my wife test drive a Nissan Quest for a number of days. So she wasn’t stranded after all. But from her research it seems the Quest has pretty low customer satisfaction and reliability ratings. It seems the top of the heap are Toyota Siennas and Honda Odysseys. So, after Monday’s funeral, we go car shopping. A sister-in-law has been looking around for us too and said there were some in Burlington, an hour away but where our families live. We went to look at them, found a 2003 Honda we liked at the Toyota dealer in Oakville (yes a Honda from the Toyota dealer), stayed over night with our families, and brought the new van home yesterday.
It’s a nifty van (I know, nobody says nifty anymore) and looks like it’s never been driven, certainly not by anyone with children. Now we’ve got to get rid of our old transmissionless Windstar. We’ve actually had two people show interest in it.
The funeral on Monday went pretty well. I went to visit the husband/widower on Sunday evening. He cried a lot. I asked him if he had any requests as far as hymns or scripture readings for the service. He left it up to me (I chose LBW 272 "Abide with Me"; LBW 346 "When Peace, like a River"; and LBW 501 "He Leadeth Me: Oh, Blessed Thought!" for the hymns and Ps 23; Rom 8.31-35, 37-39; Jn 11.21-27 for the readings). We talked, we prayed, I went to the office and worked late Sunday night to get a sermon written, and the next day we had a funeral.
Now I’ve got the rest of today and tomorrow to get a sermon written for Sunday. I take Fridays and Saturdays off so I like to be done by Thursday evening.
I spent some time with a good friend at the assembly. She found her way to this blog and keeps telling me I’m not thinking often enough. Here it is Dini. I’ve got some fun plans for tomorrow evening but I’ll post them tomorrow (that’s my plan but not a promise).
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