We have just entered the season of Lent. My journey through Lent has had many stages. As a child I didn’t know anything about this season of the year, so when I was a young adult and discovered it, I made up for lost time! My most obstinate personal habit of the time went on the chopping block for the 40 days, substituted for a practice meant to draw me toward God. There were a couple of years in a row where I abstained from Diet Coke, which required great willpower at that time!

My practice continued through seminary, where I was surrounded with people from different churches with rich Lenten practices. I confess that my practice took a major hit with motherhood. The perpetual sleep deprivation prompted me to give myself a pass from further deprivation! More recently, COVID felt the same way. It was much more difficult to restrict myself given the external social restrictions already imposed!
​
Part of our study for the Discernment Facilitator’s course through the Seminary this week is on the topic of consolation and desolation. Consolation is anything that leads to increased energy and a feeling of closeness to God, while desolation brings a sense of apathy and isolation from God and others. My current approach to Lent is to be very mindful of where I seek consolation and seek to turn my heart toward God.

May this Lenten season bring an expanded sense of who we are in relation to creation and draw us to find consolation in community and in closeness with God.

​Yours in Christ,
Gwyn, Kat, and Shannon
gwyn@communityofchrist.ca
​kat@communityofchrist.ca
smcadam@communityofchrist.ca

Unfortunately, there are many scammers looking for opportunities to take advantage of non-suspecting individuals in many different ways, especially on this holidays season!

​We want to warn you about one such scheme that may be circulating among or from Community of Christ members, friends and Mission Centre Leadership right now. 

If you should receive an email that appears to be from someone you know or trust such as CWM leadership, or congregation leadership, other close friends or relatives, etc., stating something like, “Can you do me a favour?”, be extremely cautious. These messages are likely a “phishing” email.

If you reply, the next email asks you to purchase a gift card on their behalf. The message may say they need the card immediately, but they are too busy to do it, and they will pay you back as soon as possible. ​These emails are not legitimate. They are being sent by malicious entities who are impersonating people in your contacts list to gain your trust and exploit you. These kinds of fraudulent emails attempt to gain your trust in order to access your personal and/or credit card information, or to get money (in the form of gift cards).

​DO NOT click any links or reply to such messages. Delete these emails immediately!

What to do next:

If you believe you have received this type of phishing email:

1. Contact the person whose name appears in the email via phone to find out if the request is valid.
2. If not, they should notify their contacts to be on the lookout for fraudulent emails from them.
3. If you are a victim of fraud, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Be very suspicious regarding online communication, especially when being requested to purchase gift cards or transfer funds. Remember, scams come in many forms. Click here to see a list of other possible scams published by the Government of Canada.

Note: This notice was originally published by Canada East Mission Centre in April 2021. Canada West acknowledges with appreciation their original drafting. This is being re-published by Canada West due to a series of “phishing” emails that have circulated recently.

​Every day at my workplace this month we’ve learned about a different Black Canadian who is outstanding in one way or another, and it has been an incredible way to celebrate Black History Month. There are so many amazing people who I’d never heard of before, and I wonder why I’ve never learned about them before. If we believe in the Worth of All Persons, why don’t we learn about all types of people?
 
Black History Month is a fitting time to reflect on what it is that makes White culture so dominant that we don’t learn about the contributions of those who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Colour. White Supremacy Culture might sound like a problem from far away or long ago, but it is prevalent in all of our lives, and runs against our belief in the Worth of All Persons.
 
I’ve found this website by Tema Okun to be really helpful in my own learning about what White Supremacy Culture is, how to recognize it (the “marks”), and ways to overcome it. The original article that Okun based the website around is a quick and easy read that I highly recommend. Click here to read the article.
 
For me, one of the most insightful “marks” of White Supremacy Culture that Okun talks about is “One Right Way”. This is the idea that there is only one right way to do things, and can lead to some of the other marks: Perfectionism, Paternalism, and Either/Or Thinking. Okun’s antidotes to “One Right Way” are beautiful and life-giving. These include gratitude, being transparent, and being willing to take risks and make mistakes. These, I think, are also the kinds of things Jesus calls us to. Jesus sought to bring people together rather than dividing them.
 
How will you recognize Black History month? Perhaps take a moment to read some of Tema Okun’s insightful writings and think about what you can change in your home, workplace, or congregation to help dismantle White Supremacy Culture and help bring about God’s Shalom. 

Due to Covid protocols World Conference will be a bit different this year. Last minute delegates are not guaranteed to be accepted, and non-delegates will not be permitted on the conference floor.
 
So, if you are considering coming to conference and being part of business meetings, kindly let us know prior to February 10th. Please do not worry about possibly not being able to come, or only attending a few sessions. There is a lot of uncertainty in our world, and please be assured that no one will be judged negatively if they are unable to attend after putting their name forward.
 
Please contact Shannon McAdam for more information: smcadam@communityofchrist.ca

Words of Blessing

In the auditorium with our Polynesian fellow church members.  “Bonding!” There are so many words that have such deep meaning to me that will not mean the same to you.   That said, I might think of them in a new way when I hear words of Blessing at conference.

Sunday morning, Fred Robbins lead our Pray and Share time.  He gave us one word to contemplate - “Awesome”.  The sharing was …awesome!  Betty Williams shared about receiving an unexpected gift in the mail, a book with one word on it -“Gratitude”. Betty is looking forward to filling the book.  Bob Riley was in charge of the next service - “Communion”.  A service we all shared in.
 
“Encourage” is the word I like.  I want to encourage you to ask yourself and others to send “Words” in to Karin Peter - Words of Blessing.  Think about words that you are drawn to, ask those around you about a word they would think was “encouraging”.  Different people have different words and I plan to ask all ages about a single word that they like, that brings them joy or makes them wonder.
 
Send WORDS to Karin Peter - Words of Blessing c/o World Conference Directors, 1001 W. Walnut St., Independence, MO, USA  64050. Or you can email your WORDS to kpeter@cofchrist.org. Please use “words of blessing” in the subject line.
 
Just a last thought,  what do you think of when someone greets you with “Aloha”... great images for me!

​Yours in Christ,
Gwyn, Kat, and Shannon
gwyn@communityofchrist.ca
​kat@communityofchrist.ca
smcadam@communityofchrist.ca

​Yours in Christ,
Gwyn, Kat, and Shannon
gwyn@communityofchrist.ca
​kat@communityofchrist.ca
smcadam@communityofchrist.ca