Of Religion and Polemics

po·lem·ic /pəˈlemik/ noun plural noun: polemics

a speech or piece of writing expressing a strongly critical attack on or controversial opinion about someone or something. [i]

 

Even as the price of groceries is upward bound along with everything else (except wages), it seems that social encounters are still happening, at least for those who are healthy enough mentally or sufficiently extroverted to make the effort. High prices notwithstanding, these social occasions continue around food and drink. To me this is both a comforting thought and also a bit of concern. Comfort comes easily along with the term “comfort food.” Familiar food well prepared is reason enough to rejoice to high heaven for the great privilege of having enough tasty morsels to continue our habits – such luxury. For example, at latest Thanksgiving the mealtime guests and the turkey were almost coterminous.

Concern is more related to the places of our eating. Eating together, still a sentimental idea, may show up kind of noncommittally, like conversations that end with, “You’ll need to come over for dinner one of these days” or “drop by for coffee or a beer” or one of those equivalents. I can think of a couple open enders like that which are stretched out way too long. “We say it and then we don’t do it,” my wife lamented the other day. Exactly. Even while “we wish it weren’t so,” neighborhood insulation or isolation continues. We don’t come over to each other’s places.

There are variations on this, of course. In our case we are part of the church. Here the blanket wish statement about ‘get-together-sometime’ is almost being replaced with a new discovery. We have become an after-church lunch crowd in nearby restaurants! It is kind of in-groupish and informal, so the usual participants are easily gathered by whispered signals in the foyer (occasionally a guest invited); then we each get into our cars and join a little cavalcade. Presto, in 15 or 20 minutes we are assembled (reassembled) at the chosen eating place. Now we are in the larger crowd, neighborhood Sunday lunch! These after-church lunches follow a protocol: Everybody pays their own, usually men and women somewhat separated just to facilitate ease of conversation. Topics to avoid: the sermon we just listened to; the ongoing war in Gaza; the election going on in the U.S. (Canadian scene not necessary at the moment because we already know who are the Liberals, the NDP, or Conservatives in our circle). Topics okay: dental or medical appointment issues of the past week, sunshine holiday trips reviewed or being planned, and what the kids are up to, plus some CFL or NHL reports or World Series right now, final word usually provided by person with the loudest voice! 😐 That’s about $25 per person, tip included. We do like to keep up with one another and we also like to support our local economy! We do this because we can! Part and parcel of a societal trend, still not coming to each other’s places, but at least getting together.

I used to be pastor of a church with no building. This is 40 plus years ago, a new congregation in formation stage. Our worship life happened in a rented facility, and everything else in other places wherever two or three gather in my name (Matt.18:20). I would cheerfully frequently reference that scripture. Small groups for fellowship or study, committee meetings, and even occasional large group gatherings (eg Christmas Eve) all happened in our homes! In this lively environment, I would preach openly against Sunday restauranteering, saying it is no-fair to seat ourselves in those establishments on a Sunday, expecting chefs and waitresses to look after us. My reason? They too need a day of rest just like we had just enjoyed in our worship services. Now I smile to myself knowing that the people of today would smirk and wonder at the presumption of that young (or by now old) know-it-all. The good people of those years? They agreed. [Old bygone days, I know. Sigh!]

Of Religion and Polemics. The gaudy title of this post might suggest it will be a doctoral dissertation or something like that. Definitely not; it is merely the ponderings of my thinker again. The big title and the restaurant meals are two sides of the same coin! Seems to me (that’s as close I’ll come to saying “It is my thesis …”) that our yearning for fellowship and the avoidance of genuine encounters are but today’s version of a thirst that has been forever. Among the proclamations and idealisms of young preachers and the testy opinions of middle agers, or the experienced perspective of senior citizens, I am increasingly convinced that faith communities – whether they be churches, synagogues, mosques, gurudwaras, or people’s living rooms -  are all in pursuit of company, including Divine company. Religions, of whatever label, also in that pursuit.

Just yesterday I picked up a small freebie pamphlet entitled The Bible and the Protestant Reformation [ii] giving a brief and concise description of how Martin Luther, chosen by God, had been instrumental in availing the Bible for all to read, and thus to find the way to salvation through Jesus Christ, not the Roman Catholic Church. It is a Protestant statement about the Reformation. Within my faith commitment there are elements of precise agreement with this Trinitarian apologetic, but also something in this document that I must label as polemics. Things have changed in the 500 or so years after the16th century. [iii] A news article in Christian Century, August 12, 2008 is entitled “Lutherans to apologize for Anabaptist Persecution: Decision of Lutheran World Federation Council.” Yes, the initiators of Protestantism have extended an official apology to the Anabaptists for their participation in the killing of those who took Luther’s teachings seriously enough to celebrate the rite of adult Believers baptism, thereby removing themselves from membership in either Catholic or Protestant Church. This heartfelt apology is an example of honorable review; ongoing relationship with fellow pilgrims in the Christian faith and also people of other traditions. The Lutheran pastor, one of my friends in this corner of Calgary, is in full agreement with that new view of their Reformation history. Reading and relating to my neighborhood in this way is indeed a great satisfaction in my continuing faith journey.

Some time ago I read a book by an author named after my two sons (not at all true, but the author’s name is David Bentley Hart). [iv] 😅 Even if I was a little over-enthused by his name, I found this book quite informative, an overview of Christianity including the Early Church, the Gnostics, the Crusades’ encounter with Islam, Oriental and Western Church, Middle Ages, Reformation, to name but a few headings. [v] The Edicts, the reassigning of allegiances, persecution and warfare is a testimony of endless polemic. That historical rhetoric is ongoing and gravely illustrated especially now as I type these words just a few days before the U.S. Presidential election. Discussion topics in our fellowship circles aside; we must pray fervently for our American brothers and sisters.  "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).

It is because of these observations and learnings that I find myself occasionally weary of routine habits like coffee klatches and rhetorical polemics, whether political, religio-political, or within our various and sometimes competing denominations of Christianity. There is much to learn, and much to repent of. This must therefore end with the same vision as my last blog. 

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away” (Revelation 21:1).

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[i] Google. Oxford Languages.

[ii] A. Stoutjesdyk, Trinitarian Bible Society (London, England: William Tyndale House, 2017).

[iii] See Rev. Ruedi Reich, Inauguration of the Memorial Plaque to the “Anabaptist Martyrs of Zurich,” Gareth Brandt, Radical Roots (Morgantown, PA: Masthof Press, 2024), p 26.

[iv] David Bentley Hart, The Story of Christianity: A History of 2000 years of the Christian Faith (New York: Quercus, 2009).

[v] Ibid., Two chapter headings illustrate Hart’s interesting style, “The 19^th Century: A Time of Radical Doubt” p.306 and “The 19^th Century: A Time of Fervent Faith” p.314.

 

Seasons Come Seasons Go

Inspirations, thoughts, phrases, and/or titles to things often come in surprising or weird ways. This morning I was walking my usual sidewalk. My brain seemed preoccupied with two things. One was the seasonal repeat of autumn leaves crunching underfoot, coming from above and blown about here, there and everywhere (almost recognizing last year’s patterns of which trees had shed their leaves in which places). The other was preoccupation with today’s Canuckle word which still had me baffled in the morning darkness. So I walked, waving a few neighbors off to work and a couple walking their dogs. On my mind was the no-brainer of autumn leaves and the brain-baffling word of the day!

When I got back in the house and into the kitchen, rubbing my hands trying for a quick warmup, I pulled my cellphone out of jacket pocket and gave it one more try in front of the coffeemaker. There it was: AGAIN! Fifth try, finally I got it! Such a simple ordinary five-lettered word inspired by that Canadian television show of the sixties, “On the Road Again.” Why hadn’t I thought of that earlier? One of the vowels is repeated - and it showcases unique stories and traditions of people living in this good country. So, vowels repeated and different episodes every day. AGAIN, what a nice Fun Fact word and theme for this day.

Seasonal occasions can be either repetitive mumble jumble or quite exciting. I’m glad each day presents a different word! If today's Canuckle word was same as October 18, 2023 I would have quit playing by now and probably the game would be dead! Repeat patterns must have something new or they die! I think of certain habits my wife and I nurture, now in retirement quite important to us. Every morning just before breakfast after I have had my morning walk (yes the morning walk a perfect remedy for my Type-2, and mental mindset for the day). [That plus prescriptions of course, pills – aagh]. Anyway, back to topic at hand, the morning ritual also includes lighting two candles, and then we read the devotional as outlined in a publication from our church denomination. I read the scriptures, she reads the devotional, and then one or the other of us leads the prayer. Oh, and that is ritually interrupted by a 5 minute timer to stir the porridge! The ritual is the routine, not necessarily the set time – one of the benefits of retirement scheduling! The scripture passages and the discussion and the morning moods are new each and every day. If within the ritual we were to read the same passage each day and repeat same prayer, it might be well dead by now.

I think also of other ‘almost’ rituals. I have been looking forward to beginning of the NHL Hockey Season. The only given is the schedule – and it is date/time specific all the way through until next April 17. So on time and on schedule the season has opened. This year already small variation at least for Edmonton Oilers fans. Opening night was already devoid of cheers because they lost the opener to Winnipeg Jets (6-0) and next game turnovers galore to last year’s lowest ranking Chicago Blackhawks (lost 5-2). Roster changes like first round draft pick Connor Bedard and the ho hum aging of star players like Connor McDavid do make a difference. [Note wins are also on record by now (2W 2L), including last night’s win against Nashville 4-2]. So the hockey season 2024-25, although set in time, is already different than last year. The ongoing life is in the wins – losses, the injuries and even the personal circumstances faced by players and coaches alike. On similar theme, the World Series are coming up. Repeat repeat, I remember listening to the series on radio during my high-school days. This year’s headline news, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees will square off! It’s been 43 years since that last happened! The Series still rolling along year after year, but would have been dead long time ago if there were not winners and losers, competitors (and fans!) in American and National League action during each and every season.

The coming and going of seasons and the life therein. In a recent sermon in church our pastor began with a reference that he labeled as bad news. Churches are dwindling; statisticians claiming that as per present rates of births, deaths, and church attendees, by 2040 the church may be extinct! “Ouch,” he says with that attention getter, and then moves on to tell us this most certainly is not our reason for being. We are not gathered to prop up a dead institution. The real reason for our gathering is to celebrate that we have the Messiah, as declared by Jesus’ eager student Peter in Matthew 16: ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  Are you here because of loyalty to a dead institution, or to experience the power and the presence of the One who is beyond times and seasons?" That was the timely question. Aah, I thought to myself, that's a good shaker-upper for us. 

Does this suggest we ignore times and seasons? No, we cannot ignore them, but it means we stop fussing and fretting about rise and fall of institutions, and also some institutionalized habits like camping season and winter holiday season and those other good life rhythms. The original meaning of times and seasons is not so much about our lifestyle seasons as about seasons of the year and also seasons of our life. Interestingly, my lifelong nescheah [i] in these last several retirement years has been providing some extra info on that as well. Our indigenous forebears cannot be forgotten any longer. I discover this via recent books read [ii] and also new friends. Rev Tony Snow, a United Church Minister and member of Calgary Interfaith Council, will remind us of seasonal  encounter with the living Messiah. This Messiah is available to each of us as trees and gardens go to sleep and wake up, as birds migrate and bears hibernate and emerge. The medicine wheel and ceremony is an expression of our dependence on Creator God ever present and available within the rhythm of seasons. Hai! Hai! All us Jewish and Muslim and Christian colonialists have so much to learn from Indigenous brothers and sisters. Seasons are a part of encounter with our living Creator God, and availed for our lives through none other than Jesus our Messiah. Here is reason for us to reach out to neighbors (all creatures great and small) with harmonious intent rather than preoccupation with individual rights and freedoms and political and religious polemics.

Again and again. Each time around there are new things to learn, until that day which will probably be beyond times and seasons.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (Revelation 21:1).

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[i] Low German for “nosey curious boy.”

[ii] See references by an Episcopalian Bishop, Dr. Steven Charleston, The Four Vision Quests of Jesus (New York: Morehouse Publishing, 2015) and also Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass (Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 2013).                           

Of Guests and Hospitality

Yesterday's thanksgiving dinner was on our table at full splendor. Fascinating, only an hour after the guests left, my wife and I were talking, not about the food, but enthusing about the guests. We had so much enjoyed them. Half of our children were here, the other half replaced by very dear friends, also happy for an occasion like this which brought us together. And of course we were grateful that our sons in other provinces were present in spirit. Hearts and table were full!

Decorations were minimal; only one cheery candle at mid-table surrounded by fixings and condiments - and the turkey itself. If I listed the gravies, the veggies, the cranberries and salads this post would become inaccurate and inadequate -  because Verna or one of our daughters would read it and promptly add this and this and this detail to my incomplete list!

Guests and food are strangely intermingled when it comes to occasions like thanksgiving dinners, part and parcel of the same thing. I remember Verna the day before, not worriedly at all, but already in thanksgiving mode, telling me a few things, a few interesting things to take into consideration. You see, one of our guests is on a certain diet which forbids (this and that, I can't remember), and another is gluten-free, so she will fine tune the stuffing to make it acceptable for her, and her other friend doesn’t particularly like this, so she will adjust the recipe there. And of course a regular consideration; one of our daughters is lactose intolerant. No problem, we're getting ready for thanksgiving! Oh, and no alcohol!

The meal was incredible, everybody said so among all the chatter. And also, we did not particularly mention any of these dietary constraints at mealtime. In fact, we sang a table grace with all of us almost on pitch, totally grateful to God.

This year’s thanksgiving seems to have a lesson for us, especially me. A considerable effort is being made in our neighborhood - and perhaps the whole city - “to be thankful” without strings attached. As most of the readers of these blogposts know, I write with a bit of an edge, some call it cynicism. It is my preference for interesting rather than nice. I enjoy “saying it as I sees it” and people keep reading, perhaps out of indulgence. So with this inclination I could now go into a paragraph or two about all these dietary constraints not only at our table but everywhere – grocery stores and restaurants bending backwards and forwards to meet all these requirements by the almighty customer. “Bah humbug, this is yet another face of our entitled society” says this interesting writer. It is flavor favorites medically endorsed, all contributing to imaginary economies with countries at war and a world going hungry. That may be entertaining, a bit overstated and also very old, reminiscent of Scrooge back there, and also an occasional speech from our dad when we were being picky at the dinner table.

Thanksgiving. Perhaps plain old thanksgiving with food and people and the sheer privilege of being together, that is reason enough – at least as effective as all the ‘interesting’ speeches we make to help us be responsible or guilty. To err on the side of celebration, that is the genuine fare from my wife, my life partner, who loves nothing better than to have friends and children and grandchildren all around, and to cook and accommodate to the very best of her ability. “Welcome to our table,” she says. And then the most important people of our life keep on showing up. 

We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 

1 Thessalonians 1:2

The Day

Every year on this day I go into a sentimental repose. I remember October 5, 1980 as though it was yesterday, a worship service in a rented facility in the northeast quadrant of Edmonton, Alberta. It was a Sunday afternoon, a special service with Conference Minister Rev David Braun (Rest in Peace) and dignitaries from Conference of Mennonites in Alberta (now Mennonite Church Alberta), guest speaker Rev Menno Epp (R.I.P.), Calgary, and send-off blessing by Rev Gary Harder (R.I.P.), pastor of the sponsoring congregation. The auditorium of Parkdale Elementary Junior High was filled with friends and relatives. Thirty-five persons signed on that day as charter members of Faith Mennonite Church, 25 by transfer from our mothering congregation, First Mennonite of Edmonton, and 10 by transfer from several other churches where they originated from. It was a day of celebration after a year of meetings and prayers and task groups. A “Committee for Church Extension” had been appointed by First Mennonite alongside my call to come to Edmonton to assist in an identified task, the birthing of a new congregation.

What memories. The spirit of that birth day cannot be contained by that one Sunday afternoon. My memory bank continues on immediately into the first weeks and months of life in that new church made up of young families, some older faith-filled cheerleaders, and a group of young adults somewhat self-directed making their presence known in so many ways, including the church fastball team (won a city-wide church league championship one year). [1982?]

One early problem still brings a smile to my face. We had committed to an organizational structure as required in order to become a registered assembly. A decision-making council was needed, and we agreed it would have six identified tasks. We asked for six volunteers; we got seven! So we cheerfully rebranded it a Council of Seven, with one member assigned “minister without portfolio.” Needless to say the forthcoming Council meetings and subsequent congregational meetings were full of laughter, some very capable members putting their energy to very productive church life.

Was it all fun and games? Not at all. It was also fun and work. Sunday morning worship services included a slate of rotating worship leaders, some already experienced in previous church life and others brand new at so noble a task, and of course I was the preacher most of the time! Every week I would meet in-person with the designated worship leader (none of this online email stuff) to plan upcoming Sunday service. It was considered a holy time, that preparatory teamwork always evident come Sunday morning. 

Another special blessing was the congregation’s provision of volunteer secretarial help. Secretary work was not a job; it was a volunteer opportunity. What a pleasure it was over the course of ten years to work with skilled persons who took pleasure providing communication which excelled in detail and spirit. For several years this secretary position also double-dutied as a call center to facilitate our church’s participation in a new Edmonton Food Bank getting started at that time.

Another fun work project comes to mind. We liked to think of ourselves as “the church that could” so one time we built a “House in a Weekend.” Five years into the life of this church we had purchased a building from another church. Rather than endless mortgage morsels it was decided to pay it off in one fell swoop! Us being blessed with several contractors, a building plan was laid out in bite-sized pieces and together with connections of our congregational chair who happened to be a land developer, everybody got busy securing donations for publicity, materials, services, etc. etc. lining up volunteers to help with successive stages of the build. Businesses, neighbors, and supporters from far and wide helped us to do it. I still remember Rev Braun, our beloved Conference Minister, coming up from Lethbridge for opening prayer 5:00 a.m. that Friday.

At the heart of the fun-work was the gift of our deacons. This being a church with young adults, some with interesting non-church connections, we had some interesting weddings. I still give thanks in the depth of my heart for the help of these deacons, mature Christians recognized and chosen for their important role as per Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3. All marriage requests were met with my proviso that I would check with the deacons. I would explain that my service was on behalf of this congregation, and the deacons’ participation was needed in order for it to be properly announced and also the invite for them to continue in the church’s life. The deacons also understood my request that they be invited to the wedding even if they were not well known to the other wedding guests.

Then there were a few Silent Retreats. Thanks to the vision of one of our deacons who had become acquainted with the ministry of Church of the Savior in Washington, DC, [i] we became interested in the inner journey, especially important if our busyness was to continue in a meaningful manner. Urban life can become so hectic that it made sense to find some quiet especially for those in leadership. What a gift it was to me as pastor to receive this ministry from the deacons. I attended several retreats, learning a gift of listening and silence along with several other leaders in our otherwise lively bouncy congregation. Here I learned to relax among the pressures and sometimes 'inner obligations' of different preferences and personalities in the congregation. If leaders cannot “be still and know” (Psalm 46:10) how else can a God-anointed message be learned? Sermons can come out of silence much easier than slavish study and analysis, often enabling good Holy Spirit connection with the people, including some old fashioned gospel prods, rather than too much academia. I was helped to walk my spiritual journey along with the congregation and they with me.

The journey, the journey. Many years have elapsed. Now in retirement, in these last several years I have become involved with an Interfaith Council in this city of Calgary (yes quite worldly, a council which includes people of many differing faith traditions); and very recently also an ironic opportunity to become acquainted with some of my people from way back there well before the 1980's (definitely anti-worldly). Old Colony Mennonites, always opponents of new-fangled ideas and education and even historic opposition to comforts like rubber tires on their farm equipment 😞. Many of them recently have arrived back in Canada, landing in the welcoming province of Alberta, probably because of their enterprising hard-work reputation. So with large families they now contribute to the robust economy of this province. Meanwhile many of them are also encountering new understandings in their faith journey, meaning there are at least six denominational groupings among these 60,000 or so immigrants. [ii] Mennonites historically also not immune to denominational splits, a common feature of all faith traditions! 

This provides considerable reflective material for me (my thinker again)! Although my parents were Old Colony, they did not participate in their church's opposition to public education. They encouraged it! The message to us kids was "if we were interested, then we should go to school." Like most large families, there were different responses to this among my siblings. As a typical oldest child, I grabbed it, off to high school and then chased my dreams in Bible School (also found my wife there 😏), then University and Seminary. So outwardly this might suggest a parting of the ways. Not at all. I have always been a theological thinker, probably why I got called into pastoral ministry at too young an age. The conversations, the non-conversations, and some disagreements are still in our large family of teachers, truckers, farmers, social workers, activists, business owners, mechanics, and one preacher! Now in retirement I have suddenly been provided with opportunities for good conversations and friendship among many others of this background, people also on their continuing journey. The children and grandchildren of those early resistors are back in Canada, making a considerable contribution to my spiritual growth, especially after most of my adult lifetime spent in the cities. Interfaith and my dear Old Colony, two ends of my faith continuum. Interfaith is new, very refreshing and essential in today's world; and the Old Colony pilgrims, very tested and also important in these days of mental and physical diaspora.

My latest blogpost [iii] about coronavirus and lingering issues is more philosophical than these sentimental memories. It concludes, however, with a sentence which is a truth for all times and seasons - and writing styles. Last sentence of that post, “Bring it back to the Savior who was there before Covid, and still is.” That Savior has been with us, very present there in the beginnings of that church in the 1980s, and very present among the old and the new right here in 2024. Good reminder: when offering wise sayings and opinions on all things, I must make sure the tongue moves only after the appropriate silence.

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[i] Elizabeth O’Connor, Journey Inward, Journey Outward (New York: Harper and Row, 1968).

[ii] Estimate provided by Abe Janzen, Alberta Representative for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. He identifies six church groups among the Low German immigrants: Old Colony, Sommerfelder; Bergthaler, Reinlander, EMMC, and Kleine Gemeinde.

[iii] Jacob Froese, “Seeing and Looking,” https://jcfroomthoughts.blogspot.com. September 22, 2024.