Each year at Kirtland Temple, the Christmas story is shared through scripture and carols. Although the community cannot gather in-person, the Spirit of the season was expanded and streamed around the world. This was an evening to remember!

Yes, in case you were wondering, even at Christmas:
Black Lives still Matter
Indigenous Lives still Matter
Lives of People of Colour still Matter
 
This afternoon, Marian and I served a 4-hour shift at the Edmonton Community of Christ to help distribute food hampers to clients of the Edmonton Food Bank. The church has served as a weekly depot for the Food Bank for many years. It is a good community service for the congregation. Today we received 32 hampers to serve 15 families. A “family” could be a single person receiving one hamper, or a family of 5 or 6 persons receiving up to four hampers. Today, all recipients were receiving with their hampers a frozen turkey or ham for their Christmas dinner. The people receiving hampers are all good people who have found themselves, usually temporarily, in need of the Food Bank services.
 
I had not been in the church building for at least two, maybe three, months. I was struck by how good it was to see and greet the three people we were relieving who had been at the church since mid-morning. Not just greet them, but greet them in person! (Yes, physical distancing happened. No hugs.)
 
There were some nice (artificial) poinsettias which had been placed in the foyer to add some Christmas colour to welcome our food bank guests. There was very pleasant instrumental Christmas music playing on the sound system. Still, it is sad to know that tomorrow evening, Christmas Eve, there will be no service here. No collective sharing of the Christmas story. No energetic community singing of favourite songs. Along with all of you, I miss the people. I miss the sound of visiting. I miss the laughter. I miss the sharing of the week’s stories. I miss the worship. I miss the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our worship services – especially at Christmas.
 
Let me end on a positive note. In our “Virtual Visiting Fellowship Meeting” this week I shared a video clip from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in which Linus shares with his friends the “true meaning of Christmas” by reciting the story of the appearance of the angels to the shepherds and their message to them. Follow that link to see the clip yourself. (Watch for Linus symbolically dropping his security blanket just as he begins to quote the angels, “Fear not…”) Or, better yet, re-read the Christmas stories yourself: Luke 2:1-20 (the one with the shepherds) and Matthew 1:18 to 2:12 (the one with the wise men). Besides reminding you of the reason we celebrate Christmas, these stories can bring hope and encouragement in a year that has been lacking in positive community emotions.
 
Marian and I felt good about our minor role in helping ensure a few Food Bank clients had a happier Christmas. We look forward to our “virtual” gatherings with family over the next few days. We also look forward to returning to in-person congregational gatherings sometime in the new year.
 
I wish for each of you the best of the Christmas season. May you feel the blessings and promise of the birth of the baby Jesus. May you remember in your celebrations all of the blessings that may be a part of your life. May you also take time to remember those who need an interest in your prayers of support for the challenges they may be facing. And then, may we all look forward to a good and happy new year!
 
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 Carlos Mejia in Honduras reports that Hurricane Eta damaged the northern part of the country on November 4, followed on November 17 by Hurricane Iota that destroyed many roads and bridges throughout the country. Communication since has been unreliable, Mejia says.

The Presiding Bishopric indicates $40,000 in Community of Christ Oblation Aid has been sent to assist in response to the storm damage. Oblation aid is part of the Worldwide Mission budget.

"We had not yet woken up from Hurricane Eta when the other Hurricane Iota arrived. This was an experience never lived for some generations," Mejia said.  

"Several of our members and many families in general lost everything. Reaching some neighborhood communities is like reaching a war zone, everything is destroyed. At this moment there are many places that the water is still flooding the houses and it is impossible to reach these people with help."

"Thank you to the entire church for your support in these difficult times," he concluded in a recent message to International Headquarters.  

Supporting Worldwide Mission Tithes helps meet needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic, storms, and fires around the world. 

May we remember and pray for all those affected by these tragedies.

Black Lives Matter
Indigenous Lives Matter
Lives of People of Colour Matter
 
This coming Sunday (December 20) will be the last of the four Sundays of Advent. Advent is the first season of the liturgical year as supported by the “Revised Common Lectionary.” Some of you may be asking, “Steve – what does that sentence even mean?” Let me deal with those key terms in reverse order and ultimately concentrate on Advent.
 
The Revised Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of weekly themes and related scriptures that cover the major stories of the Bible. It is around these themes and scriptures that the weekly Worship Resources are based, as published each year by Herald House. The Revised Common Lectionary has a history that I cannot summarize here but that is well documented in the introductory pages of the print version of our Worship Resources each year. The Revised Common Lectionary was adopted by the church in 1995 as a basis for our worship planning. Relevant scriptures from the Doctrine and Covenants and/or the Book of Mormon are added on most Sundays to ensure representation of our “additional witnesses of Jesus Christ” in our worship planning.
 
The “liturgical year” is the calendar of significant events in Christianity around which the Revised Common Lectionary is built. It includes the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost and then “Ordinary Time” for the months between Pentecost and Advent. Other than Christmas and Easter, I associated those terms with other “main-line” Christian denominations – Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc. – from the time I first became aware of them (probably in high school) until well into young-adult-hood (early to mid-1980’s). Then we started to hold “Maundy Thursday” services just before Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Then Advent became part of our worship planning in the early 1990’s or so. And the other seasons became known to us as we became more familiar with the worship planning cycle.
 
“Advent” has two meanings in Christianity. It refers to “a time of preparation and penitence before Jesus’ birth” (Worship Resources). “Advent also refers to the second coming of Christ and the final judgment that accompanies the coming of the kingdom of God.” Also, “historically, Advent is a time of fasting and repentance, yet it has strong overtones of joy as the Christmas season approaches.” (Dictionary of Bible and Religion, Gentz) That “fasting and repentance” part has somehow escaped me for all these years. I generally look to the prevailing themes of hope, joy, peace, and love as precursors to the celebration of the birth of Jesus on Christmas. The “overtones of joy” have definitely taken precedence for me.
 
My hope is that you are enjoying the hope, joy, peace and love aspects of this Advent season. It has not been an easy year for us. Despite the restrictions on household gatherings in most areas, I hope you are being able to plan events that will enable you to be in contact – even if by phone or video conferencing tools – with your loved ones. This will undoubtedly be a Christmas that we will all remember for a long time – but for reasons that none of us anticipated last Christmas.
 
May you truly be able to celebrate this last Sunday of Advent with its emphasis on love. It is important that we remember and celebrate both the human love we have for one another and the divine love that is shared between God and each and every one of us.
 
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
 
COVID-19 Update

Just before getting to our “We Share” topic, there have been some substantial changes in provincial strategies in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of the four provinces in which congregations operate in the Canada West Mission Centre have implemented significantly revised procedures, some of which affect congregational worship and other church gatherings. These changes are very briefly summarized in this Updated Summary of Provincial Requirements. Links to more details on provincial websites are provided. Please at least review the summary for your awareness.
 
We Share…Scripture in Community of Christ
 
This is the 12th and final in a series on the “We Share…” theme. For background, see the first entry in the series here: We Share #1
 
In the book, Sharing in Community of Christ, upon which this series of columns is based, the section dealing with “Scripture in Community of Christ” can be found on pages 63 to 67. The section consists of a “Preamble” statement followed by nine “Affirmation” paragraphs. Each of the Affirmation paragraphs are very tightly worded and do not lend themselves well to summarization or abbreviation. Rather than trying to do so, I will pick a few key concepts from the Affirmations to share as examples.
 
From Affirmation 1: “We declare that Jesus Christ…is the Living Word of God. It is to Christ that scripture points.”
 
From Affirmation 3: “Scripture is a library of books that speaks in many voices. These books were written in diverse times and places, and reflect the languages, cultures, and conditions under which they were written. God’s revelation through scripture does not come to us apart from the humanity of the writers, but in and through that humanity.”
 
Affirmation 5 (quoted in its entirety): “Scripture is vital and essential to the church, but not because it is inerrant (in the sense that every detail is historically or scientifically correct). Scripture makes no such claim for itself. Rather, generations of Christians have found scripture simply to be trustworthy in keeping them anchored in revelation, in promoting faith in Christ, and in nurturing the life of discipleship. For these purposes, scripture is unfailingly reliable (2 Timothy 3:16-17).”
 
Affirmation 9 (also quoted in its entirety): “With other Christians, we affirm the Bible as the foundational scripture for the church. In addition, Community of Christ uses the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants as scripture. We do not use these sacred writings to replace the witness of the Bible or improve upon it, but because they confirm its message that Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God (Preface of the Book of Mormon; Doctrine and Covenants 76:3g). We have heard Christ speak in all three books of scripture, and bear witness that he is “alive forever and ever” (Revelation 1:18).”
 
Scripture varies in age and nature from the ancient accounts of God’s mighty acts among ancient peoples (Book of Genesis and much of the Hebrew Bible – or Old Testament) to modern prophetic revelation that is current and relevant to the challenges of the world today (the latest sections of the Doctrine and Covenants originating in the last two to sixty years). All of scripture is worthy of our study and efforts at discerning its message for us in our own lives. The revelatory experiences with God, recorded by humans with the best words and language available to them to express the unexpressable, are available to us today to study, to interpret, and from which to learn and gain wisdom. It is a lifelong opportunity and challenge available to anyone.
 
If you have an interest in pursuing questions or further discussion about scripture in the Community of Christ, please contact the writer or a congregation near you. Material for this column is drawn primarily from the book, available online, Sharing in Community of Christ: Exploring Identity, Mission, Message, and Beliefs.
 
This is the last in our “We Share” series. I commend the book referenced above for your reading pleasure and study. It is the best current statement of what defines Community of Christ as a Christian denomination. If you are someone newly interested in Community of Christ, get to know us a bit better through this book. If you are a member of Community of Christ, get to know your church a little better and be more prepared for sharing the church with your friends and associates.
 
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

In his most recent video, President Steve Veazey shares some important updates and words of encouragement with the church. As you prepare to hear his message, consider these additional resources:
​

• View the principles and guidelines for offering the sacraments through online means during the pandemic that President Veazey references in his message. 
• Listen to the Project Zion Podcast "Sharing Sacraments During COVID" where Linda Booth sits down with Scott Murphy to discuss these guidelines and what they mean for the church.

President Veazey's video has subtitles in French and Spanish.  

Black Lives Matter
Indigenous Lives Matter
Lives of People of Colour Matter
 
This is the 11th in a continuing series on the “We Share…” theme. For background, see the first entry in the series here: We Share #1
 
“We Proclaim… Jesus Christ.” The Community of Christ’s belief in Jesus Christ has been emphasized in the explanations of many of the “We Share” columns:

• Our “vision for creation” (We Share #2) is centered on the symbol of the empty Christian cross and the revelation of Jesus Christ in his life, death, and resurrection.
• Our name, Community of Christ, (We Share #3) is a statement of our primary identity and purpose “to proclaim Jesus Christ.”
• “We share the Peace of Jesus Christ” was the focus of We Share #4.
• Further, “Christ’s Mission is Our Mission!” as drawn from Luke 4:18-19 (We Share #6).
• The primary elements in our Basic Beliefs are God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit (We Share #8).
• Finally, almost all of the sacraments (We Share #10) are based on the instructions or the example of the ministry of Jesus.

 
After all of those affirmations of faith and belief in Jesus Christ, why is it necessary to have a statement explicitly aimed at our proclamation of Jesus? It is to further emphasize and confirm the primacy of that faith and belief, and to make a clear statement of our place in historic Christianity. Much to the surprise of some persons who may be detractors of Community of Christ, we ARE a CHRISTIAN denomination! From the time of our establishment in 1830, through our “reorganization” in 1860, and our name change in 2001, our focus and reason for being has been to witness of the life, death, resurrection, and continuing ministry of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God!
 
In the book, Sharing in Community of Christ, upon which this series of columns is based, the section of “We Proclaim Jesus Christ” can be found on pages 58 to 60. There are nine statements affirming our proclamation of Jesus. They will not be repeated in their entirety here, but even the first phrases of each one is affirmative, explanatory, and worth listing:

1. As members of Community of Christ, we are bound together with Christians in every place and in every time by our confession of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, author of our salvation, and head of the church.
2. Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh, both fully human and fully divine…
3. By the mystery of the incarnation, Jesus, born of Mary, came into the world to live and dwell among us to reveal God’s nature and will…
4. Jesus was betrayed by his own friends…and sentenced… to die on a cross…
5. On the third day, God raised Jesus from the dead…
6. Christ is our peace…
7. The church, the body of Christ, is called to proclaim the gospel until Christ comes again…
8. The promises of God in Jesus Christ are sure…
9. …Putting our trust in the Risen Christ, present among us by the Holy Spirit, we press on together…

 
There is much to explore about a faith and life based on the ministry and example of Jesus Christ. Entire lifetimes of ministry have been dedicated to the task. Uncountable books, from authors both in Community of Christ and in other faith traditions, have been written about it. All such efforts, ultimately, find their basis in the scriptural record of Jesus Christ. I certainly commend that record to your reading and study.
 
If you have an interest in pursuing questions or further discussion about the place of Jesus Christ in the Community of Christ, please contact the writer or a congregation near you. Material for this column is drawn primarily from the book, available online, Sharing in Community of Christ: Exploring Identity, Mission, Message, and Beliefs.
 
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

In accordance with Harmony's mission to provide advocacy, education, and resources for Queer voices in Community of Christ, we offer this four-part series with Sexologist Dr. Jill McDevitt. 

​The purpose of this series is to provide our members and the public with meaningful and science-based information concerning human sexuality and gender identity as well as insight into common areas of struggle for the Queer/LGBTQIA2S+ Community such as shame, intimacy, power and agency, pleasure, and more. This series is meant to provide individuals with accurate and thought-provoking information that has the power to improve lives.

Utilizing the Experiential Learning Model of sexual health education, this workshop facilitates self-reflection and provides participants with a framework for understanding sexuality as a broad and interconnected topic that impacts nearly every aspect of being human. Through the collaborative development of the 7 Circles of Sexuality Wall, a bevy of topic ideas for future events will also be generated.

Dates/Times​​

• ​Saturday, December 5 @ 10 AM BC /11 AM AB/ 12 PM SK-MB

​Meeting details will be emailed to registrants.

Pricing

• Member rate: FREE for current 2020 members of Harmony
• Non-member rate: $10 per person
• SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE (see details on registration form)​

Join us on December 6 for a free online Advent worship service with special music, including participation from many locations. 

The event will open with Christmas carols from Mexico, the Asia field, and Zambia. The three members of the First Presidency will welcome viewers. After scripture from the Gospel of Luke, Ron Harmon Jr. will offer a Prayer of Invitation and Anticipation. Apostle Mareva Arnaud Tchong from French Polynesia will deliver the homily.

While most of the event will be played from a recording, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper will be live. The invitation will be presented simultaneously in English (First Presidency), Spanish (Apostle Carlos Enrique Mejia), and French (Apostle Bunda Chibwe). Members will answer "Where do you see (Joy/Hope/Love/Peace) Being Born Today?," with an opportunity for social media responses from viewers.

The Disciples' Generous Response will come from Andrew Fox, field bishop of Eurasia Mission Field. Prayers for Peace come next, followed by an international children's choir performing CCS #420, "Star-Child."

Grammy-nominated Organist-in-Residence Jan Kraybill will perform:

• Congregational hymn:  "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" (CCS #400) on organ
• Sacrament of the Lord's Supper: "Wachet auf," an Advent hymn, by J.S. Bach
• Reading: "Canticle of the Turning" (CCS #404), improvised piano music under reading
• Postlude: Improvised organ postlude incorporating "Silent Night" and "Joseph, Kind Joseph"

This message of the holiday season will air at 4:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. CST on Facebook and YouTube.