 Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight  Pursuit of Peace (Shalom)
You may be familiar with the Christmas song “Mary’s Boy Child / O My Lord” by Boney M that plays somewhat incessantly over the Christmas radio music period each year. A recurring line in the song is personal pet peeve of mine: “And man will live for evermore because of Christmas Day.” From the perspective, I suppose, that Jesus had to be born in order to eventually die and be resurrected, there may be some validity to the line. But, my friends, if there is any such attribution to be made, “All of us will live for evermore because of Easter Day.”
Then, not to put too much of a fine point on it, it is not “the Day” that is important – it is the event of the day. Let’s back up briefly. The scriptural records tell us that Jesus and his disciples spent the week celebrating Passover in Jerusalem, beginning with his entry into the city on Palm Sunday (see last week’s MCP Message). On Thursday evening Jesus celebrated the feast of the Passover with his friends in “the Upper Room” and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was instituted. They moved from there to the Mount of Olives to engage in prayer. It was here that Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss and Jesus was arrested by the Romans. On Friday, after a series of appearances before the Jewish and Roman authorities Jesus was whipped and then was sentenced to death by crucifixion. He died on a cross between two thieves nailed to their own crosses. He was buried in a tomb at the beginning of the Sabbath with no time to properly prepare his body as required by Jewish tradition. On Sunday morning, under slightly different circumstances according to each of the Gospels, the women discovered the empty tomb and became aware that Jesus has been resurrected – he had risen from the dead. And THIS, my friends, is the event that solidifies the promise of eternal life into Christian faith. In Jesus’ subsequent appearances to his disciples and friends he reinforces that this is what his earthly ministry has been about – bring about the immortality and eternal life of all humans. I invite you to participate in any of the many online opportunities this weekend to celebrate the events of all of Easter weekend. References and links can be found elsewhere in this “Weekly Wire” as well as on the World Church website at www.cofchrist.org. Take a few moments to remind yourself, along with your brothers and sisters in faith from around the world, that because JESUS IS RISEN on Easter, you have been given the promise and opportunity of eternal life through Jesus Christ. 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 Responsible Choices
The 11th chapter of the Book of Mark in the New Testament records the “triumphant entry” of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem. This is the focus of Palm Sunday in the Christian calendar, which will be celebrated this Sunday, March 28.
As Mark describes it, the entry into Jerusalem was a colourful affair. Jesus’ disciples first retrieve a donkey or colt for Jesus to ride, then other followers put their cloaks on the back of the donkey to make it more comfortable for him. Finally other followers even put their cloaks on the ground in front of the donkey for it to walk on. These are all signs of respect and honour for Jesus. Mark also says “others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the field” on the path of the donkey carrying Jesus. The similar account in the Gospel of John is the only specific mention of “branches of palm leaves,” but it is from that account that we get the name “Palm Sunday.” As colourful as this event is, we all know “the rest of the story” – and, for the most part, it is not nearly so triumphant or celebratory. Some of you may remember the movie of the rock opera, “Jesus Christ Superstar.” In the scene that represents this triumphant entry the crowd around Jesus sings the song, “Hosanna, Heysanna.” At various points the crowd directs some rather poignant words to Jesus, namely:
As the crowd asks for this potential ultimate sacrifice, the camera freezes on Jesus’ face as he momentarily seems to offer a panicked look. The scene continues, the crowd moves on and Jesus proceeds to the next scene. This question, “would you die for me?”, of course is true foreshadowing of the next few days. Although Jesus is recorded as warning his disciples about his pending doom in Jerusalem, his friends seem to brush aside the warnings and really do not understand or accept what Jesus has been telling them. In this particular scene I think the intent was to show Jesus’ reaction to his words being shouted back to him by the crowd when his closest friends and confidants had refused to accept them as real. What would YOU say to Jesus if you had the chance to walk along beside him as he rode the donkey? What would YOU ask him at that highly emotional time if you could? Perhaps most importantly, let me ask: What are YOU doing after the parade?* Do you think you will just go home for supper and maybe tell the family what an interesting afternoon you just had? Will you stick with Jesus and his followers and maybe find out where he will be preaching tomorrow? Will you go with them to find out more about what he is all about so that you can share that with friends and bring them all with you the next time you hear that Jesus will be in town? Now let’s ask the really difficult questions: Where will you be on Thursday evening when Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested? Where will you be on Friday morning when Jesus is being tried and tortured? Where will you be on Friday afternoon when he sentenced to death and then taken to the edge of the city and crucified by the Romans? Where will you be on Sunday morning when the women discover the empty tomb? Will you believe them when they tell you about it? And then… And then… What will you do? Just a few “easy” questions for your consideration on Palm Sunday. 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 *This question shamelessly stolen from a sermon by Danny Belrose in Edmonton more years ago than either of us will admit to.  I am sure that for many of you, particularly those who might be of a certain more generous age (such as me), sometimes five years goes by really fast! Well, that is what has happened for Parker Johnson and the Canada West Mission Centre.
Five years ago in February, Parker came to the mission centre on a five-year contract. He was primarily assigned to work with the Calgary congregation and a bit with the mission centre at-large. The mission centre portion eventually was amended to allow him to take on communications responsibilities for Community of Christ across Canada. It has been a positive and exciting time for everyone involved. Parker brings enthusiasm, personal and professional skills, and a commitment to the church and to his faith that has enabled him to have real impact in his various responsibilities. If you are following the numbers you may have figured out that that five-year contract is coming to an end. At the end of March, Parker will leave his position with the Canada West Mission Centre having most honorably completed the terms of that contract. Parker is not physically going anywhere. He and Preston are still excited to be building their home in Calgary. Parker will still be around and, we trust, involved with the Calgary congregation as are other members and volunteers. You may still see him at church events. He is continuing in his volunteer role as president of Harmony, so you will almost certainly still hear from him in that capacity. Please join me in thanking Parker for his contributions to the church in Calgary, in Canada West, and, indeed, in the Canadian church, over the past five years. Also join me in wishing him nothing but the best in the future. Thank you, Parker! Best wishes! And God bless you! Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President  Community of Christ Enduring Principles Spotlight  All Are Called
Here we are, my friends: we are officially one year into our “COVID world.” It was one year ago this week that the world truly did begin to change significantly. One year ago this week, with the announcement of various types of shut-downs in response to the pandemic, we began to feel impacts as individuals, as communities, and as the church.
Many people suddenly found themselves working from home. Many others found themselves with jobs that suddenly were ended. We were encouraged to “just stay home.” Most of us did. Streets were quiet. Even main highways were comparatively quiet. Businesses lost customers and had to close at least temporarily. For some as yet unknown reason, panicked shoppers hoarded toilet paper! One year ago this past Sunday, most of us enjoyed our normal Sunday routine of an in-person worship service with no restrictions. Then one year ago this week our international church leadership issued the direction to congregations around the world to close for the next Sunday and to await further instructions before re-opening again. Suddenly we found ourselves in an unanticipated world of online services which quickly grew to include online classes, youth camps, retreats of all kinds, family camps, and even mission conferences. An initial expectation of short-term closures for a few weeks or maybe a couple of months, extended into several months. Here we are a year later and many/most congregations have yet to re-start in-person meetings and nearly everyone has become accustomed to our online meeting environments. Everyone is eagerly anticipating being able to meet again in-person, share handshakes and hugs, enjoy sitting together, and break bread together in pot-luck lunches as well at restaurants. Some of us were affected directly by the virus, falling ill with symptoms that varied person-to-person from minor and short-lived to serious and long-lasting. A few of us died. If we were not directly affected by the virus in these ways, most of know someone who was. And those impacts continue though hopefully with decreasing frequency now. In well under a year the medical and scientific community has produced and tested and begun distribution of vaccines to protect against the virus. Hope and optimism is growing. Throughout this past year most congregations have done their best to reach out to members and friends in attempting to maintain a sense of connection to one another. Besides the online gatherings of many kinds there have been telephone visiting campaigns. In good weather there were outdoor, physically distanced, informal gatherings such as ice cream socials and just general visiting. Other creative ways of bringing people together – if only in spirit rather than in person – were implemented and were greatly appreciated. Thank you to everyone who has come through this past year. Thank you to everyone who provided new kinds of leadership and programming this past year. Thank you to everyone who did their best to maintain some sense of connection among the members and friends of your congregation. May we all look forward to a return to some semblance of “normal” in the next few months, even if it does not look exactly like the “normal” we left behind one year ago. God’s spirit was leading us then. God’s spirit is leading us now. And God’s spirit will continue to lead us in the future. May we always be aware of God’s leadership in our lives and look to God’s love and comfort in all situations. 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  Worth of All Persons
Stop! Go back up and re-read that “Worth of All Persons” stuff before you keep reading. Read ALL of it, please!
Do you ever feel personally challenged by “official” statements from Community of Christ? In response to most official statements I will often pause and recognize good thoughts or words or intentions. I may or may not recognize a role that I, personally, must take up in response to such statements. I have to confess that I do not often feel “personally challenged.” For the last three weeks I have been highlighting the church’s Enduring Principles in the “header” of this column. This is week four. There are five more to come. As important as I believe all of our Enduring Principles are, this is the first one that has demanded my attention as I copied it onto this page. “Worth of All Persons.” With these four words the church proclaims that, with Christ, we believe all persons are human, all persons are created in the image of God, and all persons are of inestimable worth in the sight of their God – and in OUR sight, and in MY sight! NONE of these phrases should be taken for granted. Not everyone in the world believes that all other men and women in the world are truly “human” in their worldview. Even if some people believe in a creating God, some people will reject that some “others” are actually creations of the same God that created them. And “inestimable worth”? It is but folly to consider that all humans have anything close to “equal,” let alone “inestimable,” worth to other humans of particular characteristics in the eyes and minds and opinions of way too many people in this world. Jesus uplifted the poor, the prostitute, the woman caught in adultery, the tax collector, the woman at the well, and even “Samaritans” (just to name a few) as persons as worth, even though they were considered on the lowest rungs of society in his time. Who do we have to uplift today? The last year has shed light on too many societal situations to mention in which the principle of “worth of all persons” is not only not recognized, but also essentially ignored and denied. For just a few examples consider: the continued abuse of persons who are Black, Indigenous, and persons of colour across North America; the dithering of local and provincial governments about how best to respond to the related issues of homelessness, mental health, and drug abuse in pretty much all communities across the country; and internationally consider situations where democracies and human rights are being trampled by governments (those in today’s news: Myanmar, Hong Kong). The four bullet-points that follow the main statement each are challenging as well. The first two begin with “God views…” and “God wants…” Does that mean that we just leave those statements up to God? What role do we have in making those two statements reality in today’s society? The last two, though, begin with “We seek…” and “We join with Jesus Christ…” Not to put too fine a point on it, but “We” means “you and I!” So – what are “you and I” going to do about “uphold(ing) and restore(ing) the worth of all people individually and in community, challenging unjust systems that diminish human worth?” What are “you and I” doing about “bringing good news to the poor, sick, captive, and oppressed?” Are you bored yet? Or just intimidated? This is only the fifth of nine Enduring Principles. We are already way behind, my friends. What are “we” going to do about it? 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  Continuing Revelation
https://www.cofchrist.org/enduring-principles On Sunday afternoon, February 28, an online service was held to bid farewell to the Meadow Ridge Congregation. It is generally a sad occasion for a mission centre president to preside over the sale of property and the dis-organization of a congregation. Sunday’s service, however, was truly a celebration instead. It was a celebration of almost 40 years of mission and ministry to members and friends of the congregation. It was a celebration of contributing to the surrounding community. It was a celebration of many happy and significant events that happened in the life of the congregation since its organization in December 1982.
Current Pastor, Gary McDonald, led the service. Greetings and congratulatory remarks recognizing the work of the congregation came from the Apostle for Canada, Art Smith, the Bishop of Canada, Dar Shepherdson, and the Canada West Mission Centre President, Steve Thompson. Founding Pastor, Ed Salahub, provided a wonderful history of the congregation from its beginnings to its conclusion. Ed was Pastor, in two separate terms, for a total of 21 years of Meadow Ridge’s existence. He recognized the leadership and support of others who served as Pastor and of the gifts of many other members and friends of the congregation over the years. Darrell Belrose, former Canada West Mission Centre President and most recently a Congregation Missionary with Meadow Ridge as one of his assigned congregations, spoke lovingly of his experiences with the congregation and of the way the members supported each other and any person who happened to walk through the doors of the church. A letter from the First Presidency of Community of Christ was read that also recognized the legacy of the congregation and thanked all those who had served as Pastors and leaders and members over the years. There were at least 54 different “screens” logged on to the Zoom service, representing approximately 79 persons. When given the opportunity to offer individual thoughts many remembered fondly their time as a member of the congregation or as a guest minister or visiting for any reason. There were many wonderful and meaningful memories shared of how much Meadow Ridge had meant in the lives of so many people. The place of the Meadow Ridge Congregation in the hearts of members of other nearby congregations was effectively symbolized by the beautiful recordings of two hymns for use in the service – piano and solo voice – by two members of the Vancouver congregation. (Thank you, Leah Christensen and Kat Goheen!) It is tempting to mourn the loss of a congregation, and emotionally it is probably necessary to do so. But rather than mourn the loss of what might have been (after all, who can predict an uncertain future), it was best on this day to celebrate what is known to have been: a small congregation with dedicated, visionary leadership, and enthusiastic members who provided a safe and welcoming space for anyone who came under their influence. The Holy Spirit was most certainly a part of our service on Sunday. May God’s blessings follow all the members of the Meadow Ridge Congregation as they move on to continue to represent the mission of Jesus Christ wherever they choose to serve. 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 PS: In case you missed the service and are interested, here is a link to the recording of the service: Meadow Ridge Farewell Service. The main service is almost 90 minutes in length. This is followed by about half an hour of additional visiting and sharing of memories about Meadow Ridge Congregation. Note: you should be able to just click on the link and the video will load in your default browser. You will need to click on the “play” button that will probably appear at the bottom of your browser window. |
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