This letter was shared in worship this morning:
To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)
To: Marlene Davidson, Board Chair, Riverview United Church
Janet Buckley, Secretary, Cambrian Presbytery
CC: Leigh Mills, Chair of M&P, Riverview United Church
Rev. Barb Miller, Chair of Cambrian Presbytery
Rev. Cheryl Kinney Matheson, Chair of MPE, Cambrian Presbytery
In the church we are called to follow the leading of the Spirit. We are called to trust in the Spirit and to live in God's time. In that living into God's time and the leading of the Spirit we remember the wisdom shared in the above line from Ecclesiastes. We also remember that the God who we follow is the one who proclaims through the prophet Isaiah “Behold, I am doing a new thing”.
Over the last year I have done some intentional listening to the voice of the Spirit. And out of that I have realized that the Spirit is calling me to a new place. And so I am writing to request a change in Pastoral Relations, effective July 1, 2010, to enable me to respond to a call to ministry with St. Paul's United Church in Grande Prairie Alberta.
At last month's Presbytery meeting Barb Miller included in her remarks this quote from the movie Hope Floats: Beginnings are usually scary and endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will. That describes the feelings I have as I write these words. I look at the middle, the 9 years of living and working and “churching” together with all of you. As a family we have been truly blessed to live and work within the faith community of Riverview United Church, the wider community of Atikokan, and the wider faith community of Cambrian Presbytery. It is with sadness that we look to leaving. But with endings come new beginnings and the promise of growth and new experiences and so mixed in with the fear and sorrow is anticipation. And as always, we, who are people of hope and faith, wait for the hope to float up.
As we move into this time of endings and new beginnings may we do so secure in the knowledge that this part of our journey is taken in the presence of God. May God be with us as we all plan for the future. May God work with us as the new thing comes to fruition.
Peace and Love,
Rev Gord Waldie.
March 21, 2010
March 16, 2010
Looking Forward to March 21, 2010 -- Fifth Sunday of Lent
The Scripture Readings this week are:
The Hymns this week are:
The Sermon Title is What is the New Thing?
Early Thoughts: What is coming? Are we ready to let it happen? Can we see what new thing God is doing in our world?
It is easy to lose heart sometimes. IT is easy to look around and decide that there is nthing worth hoping for. But this just part of life. And it has pretty much always been a part of life. THere have always been reasons for people to give up.
And that is the world into which God speaks through Scripture. Both of these readings from Isaiah were written and spoken to people in exile, people who had seen their capital and temple destroyed and then been hauled off to a strange land. And to these exiles God sends words of hope, saying that God is doing a New Thing. God promises that the creation itself shall burst into song, that where thorns grew trees will grow. Despite the pessimism that would be so tempting they are called to be people of hope.
So are we. We need to be people of hope. We need to look for what new things God is doning in our midst and be open to embrace them. Yes, new beginnings may often (or almost always) mean the ending something else. ANd that can be hard to accept. Beginnings can be scary. Endings are often sad. But we live in hope. God IS doing a new thing. The mounitains and fields will sing and dance. And we shall go out with joy, for we are people of hope.
--Gord
- From the Jewish Scriptures: Isaiah 43:16-21
- Psalm 126 (VU p.850)
- From the Jewish Scriptures: Isaiah 55:1-5, 12-13
The Hymns this week are:
- 574 Come, Let Us Sing of a Wonderful Love
- 703 In the Bulb There Is a Flower
- 642 Be Thou My Vision
- 884 You Shall Go Out with Joy (sung twice)
The Sermon Title is What is the New Thing?
Early Thoughts: What is coming? Are we ready to let it happen? Can we see what new thing God is doing in our world?
It is easy to lose heart sometimes. IT is easy to look around and decide that there is nthing worth hoping for. But this just part of life. And it has pretty much always been a part of life. THere have always been reasons for people to give up.
And that is the world into which God speaks through Scripture. Both of these readings from Isaiah were written and spoken to people in exile, people who had seen their capital and temple destroyed and then been hauled off to a strange land. And to these exiles God sends words of hope, saying that God is doing a New Thing. God promises that the creation itself shall burst into song, that where thorns grew trees will grow. Despite the pessimism that would be so tempting they are called to be people of hope.
So are we. We need to be people of hope. We need to look for what new things God is doning in our midst and be open to embrace them. Yes, new beginnings may often (or almost always) mean the ending something else. ANd that can be hard to accept. Beginnings can be scary. Endings are often sad. But we live in hope. God IS doing a new thing. The mounitains and fields will sing and dance. And we shall go out with joy, for we are people of hope.
--Gord
March 10, 2010
Looking Forward to March 14, 2010 -- 4th Sunday of Lent
The Scripture Readings this week are:
The Hymns this week are:
The Sermon title is: Get Found! Join the Party!"
Early Thoughts: Have you ever been lost? Was it an accident or on purpose? WHat happened at the end of the story??
Robert Fulghum, in a story in one of his books, suggests that sometimes we get lost on purpose -- only we call it hiding. ANd then we sometimes hide so well that we get mad when people seem to stop looking for us. Fulghum also suggests that we try the same thing with GOd.
But of course the witness of Faith and of Scripture is that God doesn't stopp looking. Or GOd never stops waiting for us to "come to our selves" and decide to stop being lost/hiding. And then there is a party! There is always a party!
So maybe we who sometimes feel lost, adrift, wandering aimlessly, need to all our selves to get found? Maybe we who sometimes get really good at playing hide and seek need to "accidentally" let our arm poke out from behind the bush? ANd then we can join the party too!
--Gord
- Psalm 32
- Luke 15:1-32
The Hymns this week are:
- 559 Come O Fount of Every Blessing
- 227 For the Fruit of All Creation
- 266 Amazing Grace
- 410 This Day God Gives Me
The Sermon title is: Get Found! Join the Party!"
Early Thoughts: Have you ever been lost? Was it an accident or on purpose? WHat happened at the end of the story??
Robert Fulghum, in a story in one of his books, suggests that sometimes we get lost on purpose -- only we call it hiding. ANd then we sometimes hide so well that we get mad when people seem to stop looking for us. Fulghum also suggests that we try the same thing with GOd.
But of course the witness of Faith and of Scripture is that God doesn't stopp looking. Or GOd never stops waiting for us to "come to our selves" and decide to stop being lost/hiding. And then there is a party! There is always a party!
So maybe we who sometimes feel lost, adrift, wandering aimlessly, need to all our selves to get found? Maybe we who sometimes get really good at playing hide and seek need to "accidentally" let our arm poke out from behind the bush? ANd then we can join the party too!
--Gord
February 11, 2010
National M&S Fund totals for 2009
2008 2009 $Change %Change
from Cong. 27,300,852 26,507,150 -793,702 -2.91
from UCW 2,010,613 1,895,922 -114,691 -5.70
for WDR 404,030 521,096 117,066 28.97
Total 29,715,494 28,924,168 -791,327 -2.66
Goal 31,500,000 32,500,000 3.17
% of Goal 94% 89%
SOurce
from Cong. 27,300,852 26,507,150 -793,702 -2.91
from UCW 2,010,613 1,895,922 -114,691 -5.70
for WDR 404,030 521,096 117,066 28.97
Total 29,715,494 28,924,168 -791,327 -2.66
Goal 31,500,000 32,500,000 3.17
% of Goal 94% 89%
SOurce
February 08, 2010
Looking Forward to February 14 -- Transfiguration Sunday
The Scripture REadings this week are:
The hymns this week are:
The Sermon title is Shine On!
Early Thoughts: It has been said that we all carry a spark of the Divine light. What would it take to let it shine?
Both of our passgaes this week talk about people shining. Moses in the desert and Jesus on the mountain top. IS this shining a literary device? Or is it something else? IS it a way of noticing that someone has been changed, even if the viewers have trouble describing just how?
What do Moses and JEsus hve in common in these stories? THey both start to shine when they are in relationship with God. Moses removes the veil that masks his shining when going to commune with GOd. Jesus starts to shine when he is praying. COuld it be that GOd is shining through them?
It is my belief that part of what we are called to do and be is to connect with the Divine in our lives. WE need to fan the spark that lives within us, we need to access it's spiritual-psychic energy. But we can't stop there. THe moments when we feel the spark glowing in us are often called "mountain-top moments". ANd it is tempting to stay there in the glow.
But we can't. AS much as we are called to be in relationship with the Divine, we are also called to share the glow with the world around us. WE are called to shine in the dark places of people's lives. We are called to be light to the world. In short, we are called to shine on. To do that we need to access the light, to make it a part of us. Then we can leave the sanctuary and go back into the world where our living and our ministering happens.
--Gord
- From the Jewish Scriptures: Exodus 34:29-35
- Psalm 99 (VU p.819)
- From the Gospel: Luke 9:28-36
The hymns this week are:
- #371 Open My Eyes, That I May See
- #585 Jesus Bids Us Shine
- #104 We Have Come at Christ’s Own Bidding
- This Little Light of Mine (insert)
The Sermon title is Shine On!
Early Thoughts: It has been said that we all carry a spark of the Divine light. What would it take to let it shine?
Both of our passgaes this week talk about people shining. Moses in the desert and Jesus on the mountain top. IS this shining a literary device? Or is it something else? IS it a way of noticing that someone has been changed, even if the viewers have trouble describing just how?
What do Moses and JEsus hve in common in these stories? THey both start to shine when they are in relationship with God. Moses removes the veil that masks his shining when going to commune with GOd. Jesus starts to shine when he is praying. COuld it be that GOd is shining through them?
It is my belief that part of what we are called to do and be is to connect with the Divine in our lives. WE need to fan the spark that lives within us, we need to access it's spiritual-psychic energy. But we can't stop there. THe moments when we feel the spark glowing in us are often called "mountain-top moments". ANd it is tempting to stay there in the glow.
But we can't. AS much as we are called to be in relationship with the Divine, we are also called to share the glow with the world around us. WE are called to shine in the dark places of people's lives. We are called to be light to the world. In short, we are called to shine on. To do that we need to access the light, to make it a part of us. Then we can leave the sanctuary and go back into the world where our living and our ministering happens.
--Gord
Conference Annual Meeting
The theme for the Annual Meeting of the Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario (MAy 27-30 in Killarney MB) has been announced. It is Who Do You Say I Am? and will be looking at JEsus and our understanding of him. Riverview is in need of a representative to attend since at present it looks like both Gord and Elvin will be unavailable.
You can read more about what is planned here
You can read more about what is planned here
February 04, 2010
This will be An Interesting Process...
In 2 years all Pastoral Charges will be asked to vote on our words of faith. The following is from the National Website:
In August 2009, meeting in Kelowna, British Columbia, the 40th General Council adopted the following proposal:
That the 40th General Council 2009
1. in the area of Doctrine, The United Church of Canada recognizes the primacy of Scripture, with the “Doctrine Section of the Basis of Union,” “1940 Statement of Faith,” “A New Creed,” and “A Song of Faith,” each being recognized as a “subordinate standard” of the United Church as contemplated by Declaration 28(b) of The United Church of Canada Act.
2. declare that “Doctrine” of the United Church for all purposes in the Basis of Union, By-Laws, and Appendices of The Manual be those subordinate standards, subordinate to Scripture, that are so approved by the United Church in accordance with the conditions contained within The United Church of Canada Act; and
3. authorize a remit to Presbyteries and to Pastoral Charges to test the will of the United Church with respect to these declarations and recognition.
Motion: John Young/Doug Wright
This remit is what is known as a Category Three remit requiring that a study process be available in the church for two years prior to its release. The formal remit will be issued by the Executive of General Council between January and May 2012.
This background document [PDF: 36 pp/168 KB] is provided to the church to enable it to prepare for the remit and to encourage study of its implications.
February 03, 2010
What will the REaction Be?????
THe lease on the office space currently being used by the General Council Offices will come due in a couple of years. IT is a given that GCO will not get nearly as good a deal at renewal, and so the current space will not be affordable. Since you need to plan well in advance to move the national office, a Task Group has been created to investigate the future location.
In this week's Conference Weekly News was this blurb:
TIme will tell what recommendation gets brought forward and what decision gets made.
In this week's Conference Weekly News was this blurb:
Re-location of General Council Offices - Last November, the Task Group on General Council Office Relocation invited all Conferences to submit Expressions of Interest concerning their willingness to host General Council Offices. The deadline for submissions was January 29, 2010. Here is the Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario’s Expression of Interest. Our appreciation and thanks go to Caryn Douglas who worked diligently and pulled this package together on our behalf. Thank you Caryn! The Task Group received three submissions. The other two being Ottawa and Bloor Street United in Toronto. We are expecting a recommendation and decision at the 2010 fall meeting of General Council Executive.
TIme will tell what recommendation gets brought forward and what decision gets made.
February 02, 2010
A Map of the United Church
What does it look like to be a national church?
This map will show you one way to answer that question. It plots all the Pastoral Charges in the United Church of Canada according to their mailing address.
This map will show you one way to answer that question. It plots all the Pastoral Charges in the United Church of Canada according to their mailing address.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)