 Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight  Sacredness of Creation
https://www.cofchrist.org/enduring-principles Elsewhere in the news and updates section on this website you will see my announcement about the cancellation of Canada West Mission Centre in-person events until at least the end of August. This provides an opportunity for some reflections on the current impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Community of Christ. I will offer a bit more of a retrospective on the whole year of COVID in the third week of March when we are at the one-year anniversary of the shut-down of local church services.
We find ourselves at a promising time in the pandemic. The vaccine roll-out, after a discouragingly slow and inconsistent start, now appears to be on track. All four provinces in Canada West Mission Centre are now reporting significant numbers of vaccinations, particularly among residents of long-term care facilities and now moving to some health care workers, senior citizens outside of facilities and some first responders. In Alberta (where I live) it is being projected that all persons of any age or occupation who desires a vaccination will be able to receive it by about the end of July. A recent article in the Edmonton Journal described the very positive and promising effect of vaccinations in long-term care facilities in Alberta. Meanwhile we are all still dealing with at least some level of the restrictions which have become common in recent months. Travel is discouraged, except for necessary purposes. Indoor and outdoor gatherings are still restricted. The basic measures of masks, distancing and hand washing/sanitizing now seem ever-present and almost just a natural part of what we do each day. The continuing impact of the pandemic on Community of Christ operations is obvious. Most congregations in Canada West are still not gathering in-person in any way. Many congregations are encouraging participation in some kind of regular online gatherings to maintain some sense of connection among members. These gatherings may be for worship purposes, “Sunday School” purposes, or just plain social visiting purposes. Some have instituted or increased telephone ministry. Only one congregation has returned to in-person services since October. They report significant efforts to abide by health authority requirements but report positive impacts of gathering together – despite masks and distancing – after the previous months of no services. In the fall of 2020 Community of Christ leadership released procedures for conducting the sacraments of the church in situations where personal contact was not possible. Procedures for all sacraments except baptism were provided. On February 6 over 130 members and friends were able to join in a service of ordination for two individuals where the ordinands were in different cities and the person offering the ordination prayers was in another country (the U.S.A.). It was an excellent worship experience in which the significance of the sacrament was truly felt and the presence of the Holy Spirit was evident. I am aware of inquiries concerning offering the sacrament of laying on of hands for the sick (“administration”) using electronic means. I have yet to hear of such prayers actually being offered. It feels like we may be at a turning point in the pandemic. The authorities continue to warn us to not let our guard down lest the virus re-emerge, or its new variants take on a greater hold. Still, it seems that there is hope that we may see the end of the pandemic by late summer or sometime in the fall. We have come this far, we can deal with it for another few months. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca
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 Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight Grace and Generosity
Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent
Which of the terms in that title are familiar to you? You may recognize “Mardi Gras” as referring to the colourful (to say the least) celebrations famously held in New Orleans (and other locations) each year at this time. Mardi Gras, in all its celebratory excesses, actually arises from the more restrictive and definitely religious tradition of Shrove Tuesday in which Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession with their local priest and were “schriven” (i.e., absolved of their sins). Associated with Shrove Tuesday is the tradition of “Fat Tuesday” – which is the direct translation of “Mardi Gras” – in which people attempted to use up the fats and sugars in their pantries in advance of the tradition of fasting for Lent (see below for more on Lent). This is the origin in England of what you may have heard of as “Pancake Tuesday” and thus the pancake suppers held usually at Anglican churches. Ash Wednesday is the day after Shrove Tuesday. The ashes are traditionally made from the dried palm leaves of “last year’s” Palm Sunday celebrations, just before Easter. A pinch of ash is traditionally smudged on a person’s forehead by their priest as a sign of penance (perhaps in response to the excesses of the night before?!). (All of this information, and more, is readily accessible from a variety of sources through a “Google Search”.) Finally, Ash Wednesday (February 17 this year) is the first day of the season of Lent. Lent is a time of preparation. A time when we move toward the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. A time to move intently toward God, ridding ourselves of the distance and distractions we have built into our relationships. Lent is when we are called to respond with radical generosity and spiritual discipline to God’s covenants that we may draw near to the One we seek. -From “A Guide for Lent,” p. 2 You may be familiar with the question, “What are you giving up for Lent?” This arises from the spiritual practice of fasting that is connected with the tradition of Lent – thus the purging of fats and sugars on Shrove/Pancake Tuesday. None of these terms or occasions have been traditionally a part of the practice of Community of Christ. I was aware of Pancake Tuesday as a child only because we went to the Anglican Church every year for the pancake supper! I was distantly aware that some of my Catholic and mainline Protestant friends were marking this season of Lent. In the last fifteen to twenty years or so, you may have heard a bit more about Lent in our church because it is a major part of the Christian calendar that provides the themes for our worship planning guides. Although fasting may be mentioned in those resources, the main emphasis is on meditation and spiritual practices that focus on preparing for the Easter season. Easter Sunday occurs 40 days after Ash Wednesday (not including Sundays) – which recognizes the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness after his baptism and before he began his formal ministry. Check “A Guide for Lent,” on the church website for more information and six weeks’ worth of suggestions for meditations and worship leading to Easter. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight:
Hey! What happened to the statements about whose lives matter? Glad you asked. Glad you noticed! Repeated messages often begin to be ignored after a certain amount of repetition. Sometimes a change helps reinforce intended messages. Watch this space over the next few weeks for an emphasis on issues related to Enduring Principles and their application to Christ’s Mission, Our Mission. In last week’s “moment,” I presented some thoughts on the Post-Pandemic Church that were generated by a workshop sponsored by Canada West Mission Centre in January. The workshop challenged us to consider how the experience of living with COVID might affect our expectations of church after the pandemic. This week, I want to be sure you take a few minutes to watch a video prepared by Apostle Art Smith on the topic, “All Voices Discerning Across Canada.” Through the video Art is inviting all of us to participate with him in a conversation about discerning the future of Community of Christ in Canada. Art’s challenge is similar to that presented by the January workshop which, in turn, is consistent with the challenge of “Metamorphosis” that was presented by President Stephen Veazey in an article printed in the “Herald” magazine a year ago. The point of all three of these “challenges” is that Community of Christ is anticipating a period of significant change over the next few years. “What!?,” you might exclaim, “Has the church not changed enough over the last few decades? Can’t we just stay the way we are for a while and catch our breath?” The realistic answer to that question is, “No.” Church leadership must continue to look to the future to be sure we are financially secure. (Aside: See the very encouraging most recent Contributions Update that show: first, that we are now over $80 million towards the goal of $120 million for the “Bridge of Hope” campaign; and, second, that, despite the congregational and church facility closures of 2020, contributions to World Church Mission Tithes were within the budget goal range for the year!) Thank you to all who made or continued their generous gifts to the church! Adjustments to programming and staff must always be considered against the expected generosity of contributors from year to year. Further, church leadership at all levels must continue to look to the future just to stay ahead of where church members are taking the church by their various levels and kinds of participation. Church members (and friends) strongly influence the direction of the church through their participation (or lack of it) at the local and mission centre level. In the video Art mentions the efforts of the World Church Leadership Council to discern elements of the future for the church. Such discernment is only possible through prayerful consideration of the leadings of the Holy Spirit AND through direct involvement with, and understanding of, the priorities that are being expressed by members at local levels through the kinds of mission activities they are supporting (or not supporting). These conversations all support each other and are intended to support both church members and leaders as we all try to discern Christ’s Mission in our communities and in today’s world. I invite your active participation in such conversations with your congregation, your mission centre, and your apostle! As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Black Lives Matter
Indigenous Lives Matter Lives of People of Colour Matter For two Saturdays in January at least twenty-eight congregational leaders from Canada West and Canada East Mission Centres participated in a workshop on the theme: Exploring a Post-Pandemic Church: Discern, Plan and Act in Hope. The workshop was sponsored by Canada West and was facilitated by Joan and Carman Thompson from the Kitchener, Ontario, Community of Christ. For about five hours each day (plus homework assignments in between the days!) we were challenged to consider how the experience of living with COVID might affect our expectations of church after the pandemic. Here is just one sample question from early in the workshop: What might be the difference between gathering together to follow a worship outline, versus gathering together to engage meaningfully in each other’s lives? We discussed societal changes that are affecting the growth and ministry of Christian churches. We discussed models of doing things “To” people (typical of oppression and injustice), “For” people (typical of arrogance and band-aid solutions), and “With” people (typical of transformation, meaningful relationships, and, wait for it… “Mission!”). We talked about various experiences of exercises of discernment in our lives and in our congregations to determine what we felt God was calling us to do. Here are some key phrases and challenges from the workshop that may be useful to you:
Here are a couple of my own questions for you:
As with all good workshops we came away with a few good ideas and lots more challenges. I enthusiastically urge all congregation leaders and members to consider how we might “do church different” after the pandemic. We have had almost a year of doing church differently and I think we are actually surviving better than we thought we might have. What can you and your congregation learn from your experience and the experiences of others as you explore and build your post-pandemic church? This may be our opportunity to build the Community of Christ that we have always thought we could be! As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  All Voices is both a commitment and a process of discernment for the future of Community of Christ in Canada. As the name implies, All Voices takes a collaborative approach, ensuring all members, friends, and supporters of Community of Christ in Canada feel heard and affirmed as we collectively work toward a better and brighter future. Apostle Art Smith welcomes you to the process in the short accompanying video.  Black Lives Matter
Indigenous Lives Matter Lives of People of Colour Matter How many stories do you know from the Bible? I know that today many people are not as familiar with Bible stories as they once were. There are many reasons for that – which is not the point of what I want to discuss today. Suffice it to say that some of you reading this will be able to name many Bible stories and others – well, not so much. And that’s okay! I have many Bible stories that I have come to love and to respect over my lifetime. On this past Sunday I had the opportunity to use the Book of Jonah in the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) as a primary text for a sermon. If you are not familiar with the whole story of Jonah, I encourage you to look it up and read it. It is short – only 4 chapters and a total of 48 verses. But the writer of Jonah manages to pack a lot of action into those 48 verses! If people know anything about Jonah, they know that he was swallowed by a giant fish (sometimes mis-characterized as a whale) and that he lived in the fish for 3 days and nights before being thrown up by the fish (sorry for the imagery!) on the seashore. From there he finally obeys God’s direction to go to the city of Nineveh. God asked Jonah to invite the people who lived there to repent of their evil ways. (To “repent” means “to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one’s life for the better.”[i]) The unstated assumption, at least on Jonah’s part, was that if the people did not repent God would bring destruction on the city. The story tells us that Jonah went to Nineveh, walked about a third of the way across the city, stopped, and preached to the people only five words in Hebrew (8 in English): “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4) From those few words the Ninevites responded! They did NOT throw Jonah out of the city! No – they repented! They, along with their king, committed to change their ways and they all wore “sackcloth and ashes” as a symbol of their humility and repentance. If the story ended there, it would be a happy ending. But it continues with Jonah complaining to God that God did not follow through and destroy the city. Jonah felt that his credentials as a prophet had been undermined. But God responded that he simply could not ignore the well-being of that many people in such a large city after they had responded so positively to Jonah’s (very brief) sermon. The lesson for Jonah and the book’s readers is that “a prophecy of destruction is meant…to educate and bring repentance.” Even for foreign nations (Nineveh was in a foreign nation outside the boundaries of Israel) “the prophecy of doom is a conditional prophecy that will come true only in the absence of repentance.”[ii] Our God is a loving and patient God, always prepared to extend forgiveness when we stray from his expectations of how we should conduct ourselves. As humans we can never truly be “perfect”. In the eyes of God, we are always persons of worth and human beings subject to the unearned gift of forgiveness from God when we stray. May God bless you as you seek to repent of old ways and try to do better in new ways. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca -----------------------------------------------------------------------------[i] Dictionary.com [ii] New Oxford Annotated Bible, NRSV, 4th edition, p. 1302  Black Lives Matter
Indigenous Lives Matter Lives of People of Colour Matter New Reading for a New Year Might you be interested in some new books for your reading pleasure in 2021? Let me share some titles that have recently appeared on the Herald House website. Exploring Community of Christ Basic Beliefs: A Commentary is a contemporary successor to two previous editions of Exploring the Faith texts that were published in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The introduction to the book makes it clear that this work has been in the making for many years. The “commentary” is on the statement of Basic Beliefs of the church that was first released in 2009. This is part 1 of a 2-part series. It is currently only available as an e-book for purchase from Amazon.ca here. Of interest to Canada West readers will be that Shannon McAdam (Vancouver) is acknowledged as writing one of the chapters, and Kat Goheen (also from Vancouver) is acknowledged as a co-editor of a previous draft of the chapters. Commentary on the Community of Christ Doctrine and Covenants, Volume 2, by the late former Apostle Dale Luffman, has just been released. This is a “must-have” for preachers, teachers, and students of church history and theology. This volume covers sections of the Doctrine and Covenants from 1860 to the present. Volume 1 covers earlier sections originating with Joseph Smith, Jr. Just a warning: there is a “double-sticker shock” effect on these books. First, they are on the expensive side and the currency exchange rate only makes that worse for Canadian purchasers. Second, the shipping charges from Independence make the total expense nearly double the purchase price (that might be mitigated somewhat if you are ordering both books at the same time). Sadly, until we can travel into the U.S. again, we cannot just ask someone going to headquarters to pick them up for us. Mail-order is the only option. The Non-Violent Life is written by John Dear (not a Community of Christ author). In follow up to the motion on non-violence approved by the 2019 World Conference, this text is an important resource for gaining some perspective on the issues surrounding the idea of non-violence and how individuals can pursue a lifestyle that actively supports non-violence. It is available in e-book and paperback format on Amazon.ca here, which enables avoiding U.S. dollar exchange and those shipping rates! I will also just mention three other slightly older titles in case you missed them somehow. God All Round is a book of personal stories and testimonies from former Apostle Linda Booth. It is also a manual that emphasizes the importance of storytelling in ministry and teaching. It is available as an e-book from Amazon.ca here. A Way of Life: Understanding our Christian Faith, by Anthony Chvala-Smith, is a very readable theological consideration of Community of Christ faith. I am currently using this text as a discussion guide for our “Virtual Visiting Fellowship Meetings” each week (a shameless plug, just in case you are interested). The e-book version is on Amazon.ca here. Choose Generosity: Discovering Whole-Life Stewardship, as you might expect, has been prepared by the Presiding Bishopric to promote a reasonable and faithful stewardship perspective among church members and friends. I could not find this book on Amazon in either Canada or the U.S. I hope there is something here that “tweaks your interest” either for personal reading or perhaps for a study group at some point in the future. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Black Lives Matter
Indigenous Lives Matter Lives of People of Colour Matter Last week I provided information about programs and activities from Canada West Mission Centre coming up in the next two months. You can review that entry here. It includes summary program information and links to more details about each one. I want to repeat the notice for this program coming up this weekend:
Now on with THIS week’s message: Have you noticed that we are in a new year? The theme scripture for this past Sunday from the church’s worship resources was the first five verses of the Bible: 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. --Genesis 1:1-5, Authorized King James Version What if we were to approach the new year as if it is a new creation? A new beginning? An opportunity to do things differently – and better? This analogy may go sideways sooner than later, but bear with me for just a few more sentences… If we are leaving 2020 behind us and consider it to have been a less-than-ideal year, might we consider 2020 analogous to being “without form, and void” and perhaps even a place of darkness? And can we pray that the Spirit of God might move upon the face of our waters. And, oh, that God might command, “Let there be light!” And that “there (would be) light” to help show us the way through this new year. Surely, we would celebrate that evening and that morning being the divinely promising first day. And surely, we could promise God that we would celebrate that new creation and build the new year so much better than the last as each day succeeded the other. Well – certainly, we can pray. And, most definitely, we can conduct our lives in this new year so as to recognize the points of joy that come our way as we are privileged to enjoy them. And may we give thanks to God for this new beginning and for the blessings that will come from it. You can judge how well that hopeful and well-intentioned analogy worked for you. My intent and my conclusion is that 2021 is now upon us with a “blank slate” ahead for the next twelve months. It is up to us to make it a better year than the last one and, come next December, to be able to look back on it and declare with God that “it was good!” As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Black Lives Matter
Indigenous Lives Matter Lives of People of Colour Matter Happy New Year to you! I hope that everyone has had a good experience over the Christmas and New Year’s period. Along with you, I look forward to 2021 with expectations of a better year. For today’s message I will highlight the variety of programs and events that are already on our Canada West Mission Centre calendar for the first couple of months. There are MANY of them. Truly, there is a plethora, some would even say a cornucopia, of choices! Full information about all of these programs appears elsewhere in this week’s Weekly Wire. Here is the summary of what is upcoming – click on the links where you can find more details. First, a cancellation announcement followed by a replacement announcement: The Canada West Mission Centre e-Conference (i.e., online conference) scheduled for Saturday, February 6, has been cancelled because of a lack of enough business to conduct that would justify the meeting. Check with me or with your Pastor for more details. In its place an Online Ordination Service is being planned. It will be on the same date, February 6, and will begin at 10 a.m. Pacific Time/ 11 a.m. Mountain Time/ 12 p.m. Central Time. Two persons will be ordained: Brenda Senga (Saskatoon), to the office of Evangelist; and Doug Hayden (Calgary), to the office of High Priest. Both calls were approved at the 2019 Mission Conference in Edmonton. We will be using the principles and guidelines for offering the sacraments through online means provided by the First Presidency last fall. Watch for more details about this service in the coming weeks. Here are three multi-session events that are highly recommended:
All of the following events also are scheduled in the next few weeks. Without providing any details here, follow the links to these events:
There is obviously LOTS of activities from which to choose. I invite you to register now in the events of interest to you. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Apostle Art Smith brings Christmas greetings to the church across Canada in this video made especially for you. He has graciously provided it to us in both English and French. See videos below. English Version:French Version: |
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