Good-Lifers

I am not planning for this to be a rant. After all I prefer conversations rather than adrenaline fueled firestorms (cf. April 22 post). Also I am not planning for this to be a feel good encouragement for all my nice friends everywhere – apparently that’s not my thing either! It is however a post that qualifies for the oh oh category. It’s been wanting to get written for about a week and I did not want to do it.  But it has to be done; something about personal integrity. Acts 4:20 is one Bible verse I cannot ignore, ²⁰ for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.”   

It goes something like this. Of late I have encountered some good education experiences, including a new discovery and appreciation of prayer, new intercultural and neighborly learnings right here in my city of Calgary, new interfaith learnings, new ecumenical learnings, some new family learnings, and also new learnings and inspiration among fellow evangelical Christians.  For this chronic nesheah life is indeed quite fascinating even in these corona days!

My discomfort is with the “so what.” What do we do with ourselves, with our lives in between the learnings, the sidewalk conversations and the Zoom meetings. What do with heads full of ideas and new learnings after you click that “Leave Meeting” button? I begin with the first example. I just completed an online book study along with about 50 others, mostly North American Christians,  Beloved Amazonia: The Apostolic Exhortation and Other Documents from the Pan-Amazon Synod (Orbis, 2020). It documents the recent synodal consultation undertaken by the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Francis acknowledges deep environmental and sociocultural problems brought on by extractive corporate business intrusion into South American rainforests which are in fact “the lungs of the world.” Not only has this created a global climate crisis, but now poses a grave pastoral challenge for the people who live there and the Church that has been there since Europeans appeared on that continent.

We read designated chapters and then discussed in breakout rooms. Perhaps because of Corona loneliness, perhaps because of unrealistic expectations of the study leaders, these breakout rooms did not accomplish quite as much as organizers might have hoped. Why? My sense is that we spent considerable time ‘hearing one another’ (visiting😊). Even with the sheer intrigue of the very interesting topic about what is being attempted ‘down there’ our Zoom appearances with one another still carried the energy. Consequently, our final meeting #5 seemed more like a good-bye than a covenanting ceremony. Even as we understood the dire consequences if we do not make some lifestyle adjustments, my hunch is that we, along with a large portion of the Catholic church, have become inoculated by information overload, and life will continue as per habits to date. Not good news for our common habitat, namely the planet we live on.

Another example.  I am a volunteer on one of the committees in our Provincial Area Church, Missions and Service to be exact. As I have already written in a number of previous posts, world missions has a considerably different face than years ago when we heard reports and donated dollars to support missionaries in ‘foreign fields’. We now live in a repopulating world. Populations are shifting as political and economic and religious circumstances change all over the world. The great opportunity for today’s churches is to open doors for newcomers among us. The great challenge is to learn about and welcome those from other cultural backgrounds, even if fellow Christians. I find the church appetite or interest very similar to the Amazonia book study – interesting information, but we are careful to assure ourselves that our lifestyles are not too impacted by all these newcomers. And to make it a little extra confusing, while we look askance at immigrants coming at taxpayers’ expense, we 'exercise reservation' about those Indigenous who a short while ago accommodated most of us colonialists who have now settled on their land, some of it unceded to this day. I always find it interesting that at our church and conference AGMs our budgets are presented in environments of middle to upper middle-class prosperity with assumptions of par lifestyle with fellow settler communities around us, and little reflection on lifestyle adjustment even as we desire to be messengers of good news “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”(Acts 1:8).  In a repopulating world and in wake of this pandemic might it be appropriate to consider lifestyle adjustments as part of budgeting?  It’s on my mind lots as I do the committee work these days.

Another example, similar to the above but less formalistic, perhaps just a bit more in-your-face. At a recent men’s breakfast meeting (Not Breakfast Meetings we call them, yes on Zoom) the discussions get around to many things – life giving and very invigorating actually. Usually included is at least one or two poor-me whimpers of no trips to the sun destinations winter getaways, snowbirds parked at home, etc.  My occasional sarcasm or suggestion of lifestyle adjustment is always received awkwardly –  kind of endure and change subject asap.😕 Thus far they have not yet kicked me out of the group.

Further examples could now follow, and it’s a bit like priming the pump – once you get started there are many more that come to mind. From my previous descriptions of walks and sidewalks and local incidents you may already know my wife and I and one adult daughter live in what we label as a great location in our wonderful modest home. The fascinating thing about this is that now in retirement we finally notice that fellow church members our age are all downsizing into condos that have square footage similar to or slightly larger (yes) than this bungalow we have proudly lived in, eventually paid for, hosted Christmas parties, meetings and get-togethers in, never really aware that this was a starter home - poor people’s housing! Yes, next door is a revenue property - new renters about once a year! This is what we could afford given the salary I was being paid! Now, in hindsight I also realize our kids never attended the private Christian schools many of them sent their kids to. Did we feel short-changed? No! Did our children ever feel short-changed? No! In our home this was thought of as the way we live with choices made by mom and dad. Thanks kids; much appreciated! I’m glad we did not think about these lifestyle inequities during those years. I was busy being the pastor!

Now back to the Amazonia book study.  Amid the intrigue about the Catholic Church’s attention to dire circumstances, our personal lifestyle implications were kind of slow to catch on. Compelling information does not necessarily lead to personal changes.  I submit this is a larger and a deeper work of God which even us change agents need to be aware of. In two months that group met again (didnt really need breakout rooms because many were already busy doing - maybe learning - other things! As of this time I have not sold all that I have and given to the poor (Mark 10:21), perhaps because I am slightly over-preoccupied how I will manage my small retirement portfolio (fixed income of a senior citizen). I have and I continue to speak positively about efforts made by the biggest church in the world to right some wrongs, and applaud them in their commitment to a more just and ecologically balanced life in the rainforests, but not quite ready to ‘take up their cross’. Undeniably we all are beneficiaries of the extractive multinational infused economies which have caused the problem. My hunch is that this is illustration of your average church participant. Christian faith notwithstanding, we live in a society with survival inclinations. And sometimes our bent toward survival is a front for selfishness and sin (Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira comes to mind. They died pretending they were giving all).

Once upon a time during my years serving as a pastor in Edmonton, I regularly visited inmates at Edmonton Institution, a maximum security facility just north of the city. I always marveled at the inmates participating in the chapel program. Most of them were lifers, not so much those who were there for a year or two. The lifers seemed more peaceful, not necessarily groveling or growling about ill-fortune that got them in jail, etc. The lifers were quite open about their crimes and now living out long sentences and seemingly committed to making the best of it. Bible studies and worship life were from the vantage of ‘us’ - all of us chaplains, inmates, and volunteers - assembled by the grace of God, and why pretend anything else. Imagine my enjoyment in singing and worshiping and praying with a congregation of lifers! 

Seems to me that many of us in our communities – almost all of us – still have a hankering for the good life. Good Living is our preferred way - with some spiritual salt and pepper. So we are the good-lifers, Christian good-lifers, Muslim good-lifers, conservative or liberal good-lifers, old fashioned or new age good-lifers. Perhaps it would be okay, a healthy move even, to line up with the lifers, those inmates who have nothing to lose, not even their social status or self-images. Lifers, fully at the mercy and grace of God! We could use some of that honesty in our churches.

Once upon an even longer time ago 😅 I was a Bible School student. In one of the classes we were required to memorize - yes memorize - Bible verses.  This one passage still gives me pause and I shall never forget even as I learn many things. Thank you Mr. Zacharias. Rest in Peace.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (RSV)

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not because of works, lest any should boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Sleeping in Fresno

Tonight I met a new friend. He is a young man recently returned from a little adventure "pursuing dreams in California," as he put it. "And Corona brought him back," says his mother lovingly. "We're so glad he's here with us." There's a story there I can tell; later. Strange encounter, these people I met recently on one of my many walks in our community.  Yes, by now I know a fair number of people, most of us on the common topic of the things we do with ourselves while Corona does its thing. We seem to be a neighborhood in the making.

Anyway, about tonight's new friend, along with parents and siblings all out for an evening walk. And his father is a preacher! Later sitting at my computer there is something about that conversation which still has me thinking (Yes the thinker again 😏). I am reminded of another friend. This guy went to Fresno, CA to get some education. The locals in our church of course thinking that must be a good and a desirable place to get educated. Little did they know that in that California town interesting other things also have been happening, like an economy that was tanking! I am reminded of a pleasant summer evening in that very town, and even then (2010), this trucker already observed the big cities (eg L.A. and San Fran) coming to small towns. The face of the good life, the face of adventures, of education seemed to be changing even then.

September 28, 2010               

HE SLEEPS

There he slouches on a bench right beside front door of the restaurant.  Head tilted at a strange angle and mouth agape, this guy is gone to the world. He sleeps. Middle class customers walk by as they enter and exit, children make the giggly comments, hookers walk by on the street, waitresses take the occasional look at the ‘guy outside’.

It’s a fine autumn evening; the weather allows for activity like this.  Inside the restaurant my waiter’s comment, however, adds a bit of extra perspective. “Welcome to Fresno’s recession, up close and personal”, he says somewhat cheerfully as he brings my coffee.  His words are probably an accurate description of what’s going on in many places these days.  It seems as though the world of the unfortunates is coming closer.  Hookers are more daring and no longer stay in the dark back alleys, offering their wares almost at the front door of trendy even-if fast food restaurants. Even among the busy renovating restaurants and businesses there is also evidence of others standing empty or closed down. I’m straying.

This guy sleeping; what’s his story?  Is he married, divorced, or widowed?  Does he have children?  Do those children wonder where their daddy is?  Or I shudder at another possibility; do they maybe not care? Has he had a good life and lost it all? Or has ill health or addiction and lack of discipline caught him up in this compromised position? He is weary and beyond caring what he looks like tonight. Still, he does not appear to be a down and out tough guy.

This seems to be a new scene, beginning of a new trend? Undeniably it happened right before my eyes tonight. On the other hand, this is nothing new.  Martin Luther, a 16^th Century reformer, once saw a similar situation, and noting a tramp, said to the person beside him, “There but for the grace of God, go I”.  1 Cor 10:12 also comes to mind, and at the very least I confess it totally applies to me, “So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall”.  

Hmm, now that I think about it some more I realize I need some info, maybe even some fellowship, with that tramp.  Maybe he is also middle-class fallen on hard times. Stranger things than that have happened. Maybe he and I are/were almost in the same boat.  If he’s still hanging around there tomorrow morning, I shall strike up a conversation!  

Hmm, and now ten years later, from deep within a Corona crisis I realize I would still enjoy conversation with that front entrance sleeper. How you doing man? Is that one of your daughters out there? Or what's up? Me, I was a preacher and I needed some open road. And from thereon conversation would have been high quality. 😀 Last week even in this year 2021 I heard the perspective of a homeless guy in this my 'big city'. He is part of my life even as that California guy back there was part of my life. I find their stories usually a bit more interesting than the common menu of sports, politics or other bs coming from the paying customers. It's the other side of life.

And now back to my new young friend recently returned from his 'vision quest'. Next time our paths cross I shall yet ask him what he found in California.  And soon also I shall ask the studying one, my pastor, if he found anything else interesting in that California college town in transition.

Prayers in a Bowl

The twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Revelation 5:8)

“God cherishes our prayers.”  It was said in a matter-of-fact way, obviously coming from a person who fully believes it.  And it was in response to another within our group wondering about the significance of that phrase, those golden bowls full of the prayers (Bowls of prayers. 😊 That image even caused some chuckles in our circle). These comments were our thoughts and reflections which we are privileged to share with one another after the scripture readings of the Daily Prayers.  As I have mentioned in several previous posts, this is a ‘Coronavirus program adjustment’ made in my Area Church – an opportunity to log in and hear a prerecorded hymn and hear some daily scriptures and then pray silently in a quiet orderly way.  That’s it! No bright theological theories, no discussions or speeches; just read and pray and be with one another.  No need to massage egos; just focus on God together with the others logged in. For myself this has become the most life-giving of routines I have adopted since the onslaught of Coronavirus.  In addition to my routine of walking and some online study courses, this opportunity for scripture reading and silent prayers is a lifeline for this retired workaholic.

So now this simple statement about us and our prayers.  In recent blogposts, both mine and several colleagues/friends, I note considerable written about insights that come from books read, family circumstances, coronavirus activities, and (at least in my case) interfaith political implications.  I read very little about how God might feel.  I admit that is an awkward topic for me also, because I know not much about it. So, I'd rather not expend too much energy trying to sort that out!  I emerged from seminary an historical theologian at best – one who only dares to speak of God as a God who Acts (cf. George Ernest Wright).  Mostly I pay heed to the things that seem to be evidence of God's presence and God's doing as revealed to us in the scriptures and in our community (Hermeneutic community, us Anabaptists call it).  Needless to say I have not heard many (?) sermons about God's feelings and none about prayers in a bowl! Perhaps my colleagues and I have shortchanged the people a bit.

According to some notes in my study Bible, these prayer bowls are thought of as being presented to God by angels, in mercy and grace. The imagery is both Greek and Hebrew, suggesting to me that the saints are not necessarily restricted to only one culture. And noticeably, these are prayers, not lectures. I'm afraid we are still quite addicted to the explainers rather than the pray-ers.  We engage academics and scholars to speak about what’s happening or not happening in the church – often complete with explanations about other periods in history when same thing happened. And so denominations get explained to us, environmentalist Christians explain the importance of honoring the earth along with our Creator God, social activists harbor about poverty even though the poor have always been with us, colonialists defend their right to land, dispensationalists explain how seasons unfold according to 'the plan', apocalypticists prattle about this pandemic which was predicted by so and so and the end is now, and atheists laugh at us poor souls just hanging on to straws. Each of these perspectives may drive us to many seminars and learning activities, protests or whatever, perhaps to help us feel better (or worse) about ourselves. But how about God? How about relationship with God?

In a recent devotional my wife and I read about the mighty Creator who “knows the names of each of us” … and rejoices with a remnant of the people of Israel returning …"will take great delight in you ... will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17). Rejoice! (Vol 56, No 3, 2021). It is at end of the Old Testament that God’s happiness is highlighted. This goes on to become the New Testament story; God in Jesus come among us (John 1:14) - the one who also knows the name of each of us (Matthew 10:30).  This is such very good news. 😑

God cherishes my prayers? This is probably consistent with a feeling God. And then there's the old adage we don't hear much about any more - personal relationship with God.  It bears thinking about in a new way; old thoughts, new contexts. I am becoming acquainted with many Muslims in this our urban abode. Muslims pray more than most of us Christians, but do not presume upon a personal relationship with Allah.  They have a master-servant works relationship, and depending upon the country of practice, they are subservient to the mullahs. While denying a possibility of relationship with Allah, much attention is given to the teachings of Jesus and other prophets. Religious experts study the Quran and explain the teachings, including the authority to enforce. In some countries (Iran for example) they are the Supreme authorities - Ayatollahs. As Christians we claim that a divine personal relationship with God is possible and available through none other than Jesus. When I committed my life to Jesus as an Old Colony Mennonite teenager the terminology was "personal savior;" no more works-righteousness as per my O.C. legalisms, but 'saved by grace.' Even though I did not feel an immediate change of persona, I began to claim a peacefulness about a public declaration made - and that followed shortly by baptism, and further learning and education on what that might mean for my life.  Differences and similarities about personal relationship with God (evangelical Christians) and the works - righteousness of the O.C. and Islam is not lost on me. I think about that even from my vantage as a born again Christian.

Today many years later, I find myself freshly attracted to that throne room Revelation image. Even this year, 2021, as I also listen daily to Prayercast, praying for Muslims during this month of Ramadan, I cannot but feel a kinship with them. It would be so good if only they could recognize the grace - Divine Grace - available in Jesus the Christ. Yet, there is a kinship with those who pray humbly and systematically, prayers much different but perhaps also similar to those prayers I memorized as a little Old Colony boy (Unser Vater in dem Himmel...). I'm wondering whether in God's great mercy their prayers may also be included in those bowls at the end of time. 

At the very least, I am a proponent for Daily Prayer, available two mornings and two evenings a week for anyone anywhere who cares to log in. mcab.ca/events.  No speeches; just prayers. 

Postscript which must be included after my participation tonight, May 4, 2021, in a very touching, inspiring, and enlightening Learning Event by Canadian Council of Churches on The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Bill C-15.  My oversight, I should also have referenced the smudge bowl used whenever our Indigenous brothers and sisters begin sacred ceremonies praying God's holy infilling. May those prayers also be included in the bowls at the end of time.

Of Rants and Conversations

Yesterday afternoon while I was poking around in my backyard I received a phone call.  Unavoidably it was intended for me, given that the loud noise was coming from my jacket pocket - cell phones! Conversation begins with the old familiar; one of my in laws seeing a certain truck on the highway and it reminds him of me and the golden years I spent going up and down the highways and biways of Canada and U.S, often passing through his city of habitation providing many good stop-ins. He is even more sentimental about those years than I am.

Conversation moves into what obviously dominant on his mind, and which receiving considerable airtime in local circles here as well.  It's a plot. All this coronavirus crap is of the devil just trying to make a mess of our country, of our lives.  He cooperates with protocal when and where he must "but it's all a hoax, a scheme."  A scheme of whom?  He doesn't really know.  I agree with him it's important to not be reckless, but I push back against his validation-seeking rant. I tell him I cannot agree that somebody planned this whole pandemic. Then of course I offer my variation, that this present dilemma, this pandemic is a  consequence of our modern world-traveling lifestyle (which can get me into a rant too, but he wouldn't be interested in that).  Mercifully conversation moves beyond the binary rant to queries about family members and the good memories we share.

The memories we share. There was a time in my life where, with my own self worth seriously at risk, I hit the road.  The open highway became a life-saving chapter, an opportunity to reflect on my own perceived failures at my noble life calling. There he would be, eagerly answering his phone always ready for a rendezvous anywhere almost anytime in his busy days managing his Services company, always full of stories, images, and yes, probably a bit gossipy.  He of course affirmed my re-entry into the real world (his world 😉) and I appreciated his lively company. He was very much a part of my therapy, along with my youngest son who lives in another city but also amazingly ready to meet dad for dinner or coffee here there or... wherever!  The appearance of a long haul trucker has a certain romanticism attached which I was easily able to provide for friends and some family members during those years. Thinking about this now, I realize the memories we now share are indeed a lifeline, and those occasions of check-in back there probably also lifelines for him and others I encountered along the way.

Lifelines are pretty important actually. "Throw out the Lifeline" was a song I became aware of when I was a teenager. Although themed for struggling drifting sinners, the idea holds sway for me in these retirement corona days.  We need lifelines, and the lifelines may not necessarily be thrown by people of same age, interests, or intellectual ability.  Lifelines can come from surprising places and in surprising ways.  I am reminded of a somewhat traumatizing incident this past winter. Our son fell into a partially frozen lake trying to rescue his dog who had scampered out chasing some birds.  Seeing a bit of skirmish a passerby nonchalantly threw a piece of rope laying on the shoreline and my son grabbed it.  It was his son however, yes our 14 year-old grandson, who made all the difference.  He grabbed other end of the rope, anchored his feet on some rough surface and literally pulled his dad and their dog back onto the ice.  Kadin does not like hero accolades - "It was nothing" - but we tearfully still thank him for holding the lifeline for his dad! 

In a different vein but similarly, I am a participant in some men's breakfast groupings which provided some marvelous pre-corona fellowship for a number of us. Now during corona we try to mimic a bit of that on Zoom, "Not Breakfast Meetings" we call them.  The beauty is in the mixture of retired farmers, businessmen, university professors and preachers.  One "good morning", one smile easily communicates the value of these 'board meetings' of the morning. The guy with a grade nine education may speak sentences a bit differently than the university professor, but we all know he has a fantastic faith, or life perspective. Or who might be feeling down because of a recent bad luck or family incident?  And who has the best jokes? It may not always be the guy who tells them all the time. 😐  It may be the guy who speaks the deadpan truth.  Absolutely essential, these varied contributors. This of course stretches into our recognized christian need for one another in the household of faith (eg Acts 2:42; cf also my recent post "Angels Close to the Ground," March 18).

And so I am grateful when my cell phone rings and a family member wants to shoot the breeze (There are also others of my lineage who could not be bothered). Also there are new friends from many other cultures right here in my longtime urban neighborhood - Christians, Muslims, and some 'unbelievers' - who throw me some amazing lifelines.  So, come to think of it, some of us read and write blogposts, some just read them, and also many who would not be bothered. It is good for those who cannot be bothered to also consider the lifeline somebody may be holding for you in surprising ways or places.  And speaking to myself too, Why not just make a phone call some time. I know it's old fashioned, but after a moment we could probably adjust to a novel new idea reminiscent of an old habit!  As truckers we called it "shoot the bull," or ---- more colorful yet, but I'll keep it classy here! I know I still like to pretend I'm busy, but I know I'd quite appreciate it.

Before you know it, that Facebook rant may well be replaced by a conversation.