 The SPEC leadership team made the difficult decision to cancel SPECTACULAR 2021. Earlier in the year we’d been cautiously hopeful that holding SPEC as usual might be an option. However, current data trends have made that seem unwise.
As we thought about the SPEC experience—the way we live, eat, learn, play, and worship together—our ability to guarantee a safe, virus-free environment would be nearly impossible. If even one individual tested positive, that has the potential to shut down the entire event. We are heartbroken about not being able to gather again this summer and will deeply miss the opportunity to form sacred community together. We ache alongside all our campers and staff at what feels like another huge loss in a year of losses that just keep piling up. Questions about some kind of online experience for 2021 and allowing current seniors an additional year of eligibility in 2022 are still under discussion and more information will be shared when it is available. Even though there are tears in our eyes, we are confident this is the most responsible choice at this time. This past Sunday, May 23, was celebrated as Pentecost in the Christian calendar. You may know that Pentecost, as a Christian event, originates with the story in Acts 2 of the gift of the Holy Spirit to Christ’s followers in the form of wind and of fire and of speaking in tongues (people speaking in foreign languages but being understood by all those around them). The event gains further emphasis from the sermon of the apostle Peter addressed to the large crowd that had gathered, apparently numbering in the thousands, following which about 3,000 persons believed what they heard and were reportedly baptized. This mass conversion is sometimes recognized as the actual beginning of the Christian Church.
As both an event and a word, “Pentecost” has some fascinating history behind it. Much of it that is directly related to its Christian significance is easily found from many sources. For example, the word “Pentecost” literally means “fifty” or “fifty days.” It marks fifty days since Easter. (Actually, it is seven weeks since Easter, so technically only 49 days – but that may be quibbling.) I found an article titled, What is Pentecost and Where Did it Come From? that explains the Jewish heritage of the day in a clear and concise a manner. I encourage you to read the article. Among other interesting facts is that, although it was also known as “Pentecost” in the Jewish tradition, it also had an alternate name of the Festival of Weeks: seven weeks of seven days (a “week of weeks”) since the feast of the Passover. As you will recall, it was the celebration of Passover that had brought people into Jerusalem in the week before Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The Festival of Weeks had brought people into Jerusalem from many nations of the known world – thus the opportunity for the miracle or gift of “speaking in tongues” that was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit for Christ’s followers. On Sunday, the Beyond the Walls online service from the Toronto congregation took on a very interesting challenge to mark Pentecost. The planners set out to have 50 languages spoken during the service, taking that cue from Pentecost’s meaning of “fifty” as well as the cacophony of languages reported in Acts 2. They fell slightly short with “only” about 40 languages represented in the service. It was still quite remarkable. A person speaking each language read a portion of scripture related to Christ’s ministry. The screen showed the language – often in its own script rather than the Arabic-based script of English writing – as the person read the few verses of scripture, along with its translation into English, French, and Spanish. If you have not seen the service, it can be found here: Testify in 50 Languages. The story of Pentecost in Acts 2 is a representation of the impact of faith in the public square. Peter had to assure those watching that the people speaking in strange languages were not drunk. (It was apparently too early in the morning for that!) Then, having defended the language (and sobriety) of his friends, Peter preached the good news of Jesus Christ to the assembled crowd and, according to the record, convinced a good portion of these unbelievers to believe and to respond by being baptized. The lesson for us is to not be ashamed when some element of our faith becomes visible to those around us, and that to then confidently share what that faith is all about may have more positive influence on those people than we might expect. It is a call to courageously share our faith more often. 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 [email protected] A Moment with the Mission Centre President–All Voices Canada and Samish Fundraiser Concert5/19/2021
The first event of the “All Voices Canada” conference occurred on Saturday, May 15. It brought together over 140 people from across Canada to share with each other what Community of Christ means to them. We heard recorded “testimonies” from seven people in response to two questions:
Then everyone was invited to discuss their own responses in break-out sessions of smaller numbers of participants. These sessions enabled people from Canada East and Canada West mission centres to gain understanding and appreciation of what the church means to each of them from all areas of the country. The next day, on Sunday morning, the Beyond the Walls online church service, originating from the Toronto congregation, provided the opportunity for seven more testimonies to be shared. A recording of this service is available here: Beyond the Walls May 16. You may note a majority of voices from Canada West in this service. The reverse was the situation for the Saturday conference. A recording of the Saturday conference is not available. About 40 testimonies have been received in writing and many of them have been recorded. You can watch for those recorded testimonies (including those shared at the Saturday conference and the Sunday service) to be posted to the website: www.AllVoices.ca. As of today (May 18) the recordings have not yet been posted. However, if you scroll down to the “Testimony Tapestry” area of that page, you will find the invitation for you to write your own contribution and forward it to Apostle Art Smith. I invite and urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to include your story in this growing “Testimony Tapestry.” A second major online event also occurred on Saturday. This was a fundraiser organized to benefit the Samish Island Campground as it makes its way through a second year of hosting no church or community events and therefore realizing no rental income. The event featured sharing by people with long histories with Samish and what the campground has meant to them. This included church members as well as representatives of organizations who have rented the grounds for their events for many years. The sharing of these individuals was interspersed with professional musical entertainment from church members and from other artists who responded to the invitations of friends to perform for the benefit of the Samish Campground. The stated goal of the event was to raise $30,000 for the campground. The two co-hosts for the event (Alexis Beer from Canada West Mission Centre and Sean Langdon from Greater Pacific Northwest Mission Center) did a marvelous and entertaining job. Besides enthusiastically introducing the program participants and musicians, they regularly reminded all viewers/listeners of the purpose of the event and provided invitations to donate and instructions on how to donate – plus tactful and entertaining requests to donate MORE! By the end of the evening, they announced that the total raised had exceeded $50,000! Congratulations to everyone involved in this very successful event! There are too many individuals to name here. By categories they include the organizers and planners who did their work for the last few months, Alexis and Sean for their skillful hosting work, the people who provided the supportive testimonies of what Samish means to them, the behind-the-scenes people who made sure the program and videos all ran on schedule and that donation updates could be provided throughout the evening, all the artists who contributed so generously of their musical talents, and, finally, all of those who generously financially supported this event. Thank you to all! Both of these events are examples of “community in action.” All Voices Canada brought members and friends of Community of Christ together to discuss what is important to them about the church in Canada. The Samish Campground fundraiser brought together a diverse set of people from western Canada (mainly BC) and the U.S. Northwest – all friends of the campground regardless of their connection to the church – who recognize the importance of a place of spiritual and social significance to them and to so many others. Well done, everybody! Well done! 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 [email protected]  Dr. Waugh’s candor, expertise, and friendly demeanor enables him to speak the harsh truths of climate disruption. As a long-time elder in Community of Christ, his scholastic studies and teaching rest on a lasting appreciation of sacred space, an understanding of the sacredness of creation, and a deep respect for the Enduring Principles of the church. He brings to the conversations a firm conviction that people of faith must go beyond stewardship to mutuality. Join follow-up conversations on these dates:
Invite your friends to join as well. All sessions are free and participation in previous webinars and conversations is not necessary to join in this opportunity. Please note that you only need to register once for the entire series. To register please click on the button above. For more information about the series please visit the Climate Change Colloquy website.
 Apostle Art Smith invites you to add your voice to a Canada-wide Zoom conference, sharing the things we love about Community of Christ and our hopes for the future as we look forward to a time past the lockdowns. Please join us on Saturday, May 15, 2021 for a conversation with your church family. Hear testimonies from the rich tapestry of voices who experience Community of Christ in Canada. Join topical break-out rooms to chat about all the interesting ways individuals experience the church and further its mission. Add your voice to the tapestry! Plan to participate in this time of intentional reflection and discernment. Enjoy the community, collaboration, and cross-Canada friendship. WHAT: All Voices Canada-wide Conference WHERE: On Zoom HOW: Go to https://www.communityofchrist.ca/all-voices.htmland click on the button that says "Zoom Meeting". WHEN: Saturday, May 15, 9 AM-Noon BC/ 10 AM-1 PM AB-SK/ 11 AM-2 PM MB. Watch the video below to get a sneak peek of some of the messages from across this country forming our most amazing Testimony Tapestry! In the Virtual Visiting Fellowship groups this week we are discussing two scriptures involving talking God out of punishing the people. In Genesis 18:20-33, Abraham talks God out of destroying the city of Sodom even if there are only five “righteous” people living in the city full of otherwise sinful people. And in Exodus 32:7-14 Moses argues with God about God’s intention to punish the people for their misbehavior while Moses was on the mountain to get direction from God. The links given above will take you to the stories in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. In Exodus 32:14 God “changed his mind” and did not punish the people. In the King James version the verse says, “And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” Most modern translations use some variation on the NRSV wording, so it may be a more accurate expression of the original language. However, the KJV presents an interesting concept. How can God “repent” of anything? And how could God possibly think of “evil” to do to his people?
These two stories are examples of significant bargaining with God. In our own lives the extent of bargaining with God in a stereotypical sense involves trying to make a deal with God as in, “Dear God, If you will get me out of this mess (that I know I have created), I will go to church every Sunday from now on.” Or maybe it’s “heal my disease,” or “help my family reconcile,” or any other of life’s major challenges. Seldom do such deals work out as well as the two situations in the Old Testament did. In the Gospel of Matthew, we find Jesus giving this advice: “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:7) This is the more likely example we should be following. No matter the situations in which we find ourselves, it is expected that we will reach out to God in prayer and supplication to seek his special blessings of wisdom and relief. We may feel God’s direction and inspiration as we find our way to healing (or even if the answer to our prayer is not what we expected or requested). Mostly, it is reasonable to believe that God knows what blessings we require before we ask. We do not need to follow the example of Moses or Abraham in bargaining with God. We need to follow Jesus’ advice to not “tempt” God, but rather to simply seek God’s blessings. 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 [email protected]  Community. Nature. Spirituality. Creativity. Family. Friends. Samish Island Campground holds a special place in our hearts. We long for the chance to be together, basking in our love for each other and that sacred place. Join this special fundraising concert on May 15 at 7:30 PDT on Zoom! To make sure Samish survives until we can gather there again, let’s give back. We need at least $30,000 to get through the summer season - much more, depending on how long COVID-19 restrictions last. WHAT: Fundraising Concert WHEN: Saturday, May 15, 2021, 7:30 pm PDT WHERE: On Zoom HOW: RSVP here https://forms.gle/GqzXgGwzQQXtBhxT6 or click on the button below to join the event when the time comes. (Please do not share the Zoom link publicly in order to preserve security of the meeting.) DONATE through the following links:
If you prefer to send donations by mail, please use the following information:
Community of Christ c/o Dave Skoor 12303 32nd Ave SE Everett, WA 98208
Community of Christ c/o Sam Smalldon 1185 Strathcona Drive SW Calgary Alberta, T3H4S1 or send e-Transfer to [email protected] WHY: We need to raise $30,000 or more to keep Samish Island campground running. Be entertained, celebrate and give back to the place we love! Questions? Email [email protected] We hope to see you there! #SaveSamish  Adult Weekly Lessons ongoing Sunday evenings! May 2, 9 and 16. These classes are intended to create an environment similar to a Sunday morning adult Sunday school class. We have a diverse participation across Canada West Mission Centre. It is interesting because the materials have been prepared by the church. It is enjoyable because those teaching/facilitating have prepared each session to appeal to participants as much as possible. All are encouraged to participate, there is no fee. Join these weekly lessons during the following times:
Instructor:
Pre-registration required for Zoom links. No registration fee.
For more information please contact Lisa Neudorf [email protected] Spring seems to have finally come to Edmonton. As I write I am sitting at my kitchen table and looking at my sun-filled back yard. We have put our deck furniture out which adds to the impression (illusion?) of warmer weather. It is 16 degrees (Celsius, of course) and quite pleasant. But we have been teased by warmer weather a few times in the last month and then forced to endure another few stretches of cooler weather including sub-zero overnight low temperatures. I have described Edmonton’s weather because I know that the weather is vastly different in other parts of this province, let alone in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, or Manitoba. In my twice-weekly “Virtual Visiting Fellowship” meetings, I have been reminded since some time back in March that things are warmer and greener and more “blooming” in BC, but also that rogue snowstorms have happened in southern Alberta and in neighbouring Saskatchewan - storms which never touched Edmonton. Is this not like so many other things in our lives? Our perspective on many things are affected by the angle from which we view them. The poem of The Blind Men and the Elephant has each man touching different parts of the elephant and each of them concluding that “elephants are like… (different things).” Similarly, our family up-bringing and childhood-through-adolescence experiences affect how we see the world as adults. The generation of which we are a member may affect how we view government and politics, social issues, music, the media, and technology (to name just a few issues). And each of our individual perspectives results in different views on religious faith and belief – also often formed by the generation of which we are a member or by our unique experiences as children, youth, and young adults, or, perhaps, by our educational and even vocational choices. And yet, somehow, most of the time, it all works. Somehow, we find ways to get along: Men/women LGBTQ/straight Young/old/somewhere-in-between Left/middle/right Traditional/progressive/I-don’t-really-care Spiritual/religious/both/neither The scriptures are full of conflict and eventual reconciliation with the help of the Spirit of God. A recent inspired message to the church provided this guidance: Listen together to one another, without judgment or predisposition. Do not assume that the answers to matters of conflict have yet been perceived. There is much labor to be done. Reason together in love, and the Spirit of truth will prevail. --Doctrine and Covenants, Section 162: 5c And there is the key. Whatever may tend to have us see things from different angles and points of view, whatever may threaten to divide us, if we will only “listen together to one another, without judgement and predisposition” we have hope within the faith and fellowship of Jesus Christ to come to a peaceful understanding. Not necessarily agreement! But at least understanding. Are we moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One? If you have any comment or question about this weekly message, please do not hesitate to contact me using the email address provided below. 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 [email protected] |
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