Author: Fred Redekop

Shirley and I attended a recent fundraiser for the House of Friendship . The guest speaker was Sean McCann, a former member of the musical group Great Big Sea. He introduced himself as an alcoholic. He told his story, and as soon as he mentioned the church, I knew it was not going to end well . He was sexually abused by a religious person, and he kept the secret for 37 years. That event when he was a teenager, affected the rest of his life, until he named to himself and to others.

It is so disgusting that religious leaders use their power and influence in the church, to wreck the lives of these young people. It did not sound like Mr. McCann ever returned to the church. The church is supposed to be a place of love and caring, and the these kinds of experiences happen to young and vulnerable girls and boys. When these kinds of things happen, I wonder if I would ever invite someone to explore God in the church.

I work for Mennonite Central Committee. It is the relief and development arm of the Mennonite and Be In Christ churches of North America. The group works to relieve poverty in Ontario, as well as around the world. It is respected by most people. We try to serve the “ least of these” following the  words of Jesus of Nazareth. Within the last two months, I was invited to speak to a church group about the work of MCC. I am always excited to do this kind of event. I am passionate about the organization, because my parents were helped by MCC in Ukraine, and Shirley and I served with MCC in the early 1980’s . I am so happy to speak/preach about the life saving work of MCC.

Sometimes I get challenged in what MCC does. And that is a good thing. What if our aid does do what is intended to do ? What if our good intentions go wrong because we did not take in all the variables . We could not know everything about climate, economics or politics. For example , we “can” meat for overseas work , and that can when it arrives in a different country if might mean more than compassion. These are the difficult questions of development and for the church.

But, on the other hand, the church is the presence of God for many people. A woman I know has had a heart transplant in the last two weeks. The church has surrounded her with prayers, rides for her family, food for the family, and have cared for her and her husband and children in extraordinary ways. God is in the church. The church everywhere comes together every Sunday to worship and care for each other.  MCC , the people of the church, have raised over 40 million dollars for MCC to help save the lives of Syrian people. God is in the life of the church.

Jesus said in a parable once, “…  the King will say, ‘ Truly I will tell you, whatever you have done for the least of these, my brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me‘ “. All the world, including all of us, are the least of these in our lives at one time or another. It is when I love the church church most, when we love and care for all in the world.

Fred Redekop

“ For there is no partiality with God. “  Romans 2:11… the Apostle Paul ( an early church leader)

The book of Romans in the New Testament ( the Christian holy book ) is the first letter we have from the church planter, theologian for the church, Paul.  Romans is a reflection is about is in , and who is out in the Kingdom of God. Paul was Jewish, but became a follower of Jesus, after he was hit by a flash of light on the road Damascus. Some people,in the early Christian world, want to include all non-Jews ( Paul wants this to happen), while others do not want to include Jewish people into the new group that wants to follow Jesus.  Romans is book by Paul, to have everyone be part of Jesus’ world. Near the beginning of the letter, he says that there is no partiality in God. There are no biases in God. “Come on in, the party is for everyone “ He says it it is for both Greek and Jew. This means it is for everyone . No partiality with God.

But we live in a biased and broken world.

In late March, Michael Sharp ( an American) and Zaida Catalan ( from Sweden ) were killed in the Congo. They were working for the United Nations trying to bring peace to the warring factions in the Congo. It seems that it was not a random, but a targeted killing.  Following their deaths, many people have joined together to try to find out the truth about these killings. There has been an U.N. investigation. The Security Council has voted and made comments about it. The parents of Michael Sharp have met with various high-level people in New York, and have had a meeting with Nikki Haley, the  UN Ambassador from the United States . The resources that have been brought together to try to find out the truth about these two peace workers has been truly amazing. The killings happened in March , and this is only October, and the investigation is continuing ahead at full speed. This is great. The UN Human Rights tribunal works on cases for years to find out the truth. Why is this case different ?

When the Liberal government was elected two years ago, one of their campaign promises was to set up an inquiry to the many dead and missing Indigenous women. Soon after the election, there was the naming of members of the Commission that would look into the issue. I believe that no one has yet to be interviewed to find out about these dead and missing women. It has been already two years since the Liberals have been elected. It seems that these women have once again been forgotten. The families of these women want to know, and I believe we, as Canadians, want to know the answer to our questions about these daughters and sisters.

Why are these two cases so different ? Why has one case moved very rapidly , and the other case have not even started their investigating ? Are there biases here, and what do you think that they might be ? How are we biased in the church and in our communities. Who gets the the easier road and why ?  Where do you see the partiality in these two cases ? Life is not fair, but why is it not fair ?

Fred Redekop

“ Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy “  Matthew 5… Jesus’ words

Israel, according to the Old Testament (Jewish holy Scriptures) are God’s people.  Israel became a state in 1948. In order for Israel to begin having Jewish people live in Israel, they deported/killed over 700,000 Palestinian people who were living there. It is called the Nakba. Many of these families remain in refugee camps. These events were just after the 6 million Jews were killed by Germans, and when the West turned their eyes away from that genocide. What is the West doing today ?

In 1967, there was the six day war between Israel and the Arab nations that surround it. Israel has occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River, and the Gaza Strip ( it is on the Mediterranean Sea ) since the end of that short battle. For the last 50 years, Israel has taken over more and more of the occupied land for Jewish people to live in settlements. They now have settlements in Hebron, a Muslim city that has historical importance in Jewish, Muslim and Christian history. The Old City has been welded shut for Muslims, and hundreds of Israeli soldiers guard the members of the settlements. The Israeli soldiers arrest many children and young adults on suspicion, and keep them locked up with no charges and no trial. The government also does not allow Palestinians to build houses, and they demolish houses that the local people have lived for decades.

One of the most demeaning activities that is done to the Palestinians are the checkpoints. They are made to stand in long lines, and must do everything that the soldiers say that they must do. Men are told to pull their shirts up, to show that they do not have a bomb strapped to their body. Palestinians have to go through these checkpoints every day.

So, why does the Israeli government/military treat the Palestinians so badly ? They fear that the terrorists will kill them. And the citizens of Israel have suffered much death at the hands of terrorists. So, they built a wall to lessen the ability for terrorists to enter Israel proper. They have a large security apparatus, but they live in fear. There are checkpoints, security cameras and metal detectors everywhere. So, why treat all people as if they might be a terrorist ? Do the Israelis feel more secure in the ways that they have to secure their own safety. There must be a better way ? And very few Palestinians are terrorists .

The state of Israel is not the people of God. There are many secular Israelis who live in Israel. In the Old Testament, the people of God often sin, and go away from God. God invites them back, if they straighten out their lives together and with others. But, only a percentage of the people who live in Israel and the settlements are religious. So, what are the humane reasons for the Israelis to treat Palestinians as human beings. The United Nations has declared that the settlements are illegal. No one should be treated the way Israelis are demeaning the Palestinians.

Christians  like to ask , “ what would Jesus do ? “, in other situations. What would Jesus do in Hebron today ?  Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God, from the prophet Micah.

 Fred Redekop

“ With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning , I too have decided to write an orderly account. “ Luke1:3

Luke is the third of the four writers in the Bible , who try to write their version of the story of Jesus. The others are called Matthew , Mark and John. They are written about the same man, but they are not all the same. John is most different, while the other three are similar , but they begin differently, and do not tell the end of Jesus’ life in the same way.

All four writers write their biographies about 20-30 years after Jesus lived and died. I wonder what stories that the writers tell about Jesus are most important to them. If they would name their top five, what would they be ? Matthew and Luke give different genealogies of Jesus. Mark and John tell no birth( Christmas  ) story. Luke is the only one to tell those beloved parables of the The Lost( Prodigal) Son and the Good Samaritan . So , the writers have made decisions to tell the story of Jesus in a certain way. The early church was fine with it, and I am good with it. Luke seems good with telling the story as he has heard it from others.

What stories in my own life, shape who I am as a person and as a believer in Jesus. I have one that comes back to me. Whenever I go into a public washroom, and I have to lock the door, my mind goes back to kindergarten. One day, while in kindergarten , I got locked in the classroom washroom. My teacher had to put books under the door for me to look at, while they got the custodian to come and unlock the door. So, each time I lock the door, my mind goes back to that fear and trembling as a five-year old. It does not stay there long, but I do think about. I wonder if that small event has shaped my personality.

A second thing I think about is the second coming of Jesus. I feared for years that I was not ready, and I was raised in the church. When I was taught about Jesus’ return, there was a culture of fear around it. So, when I hear those biblical passages about earthquakes and floods, and Jesus’ return, I go back to that fear . I try not stay there either.

Then there is my heart attack. My body has scars from the bypass surgery. Those scars remind me that it all happened. I will celebrate 10 years on November 26, of my personal resurrection. It feels great to be alive. I know I have been saved by many people, and by God. I try not to think about why God has me still alive. Maybe it is just “ to be” here. I do not have to do any more good deeds;  I am here to be here.

What events of your life do you consider to be most important to who you are as a person ? Can you name a few, and ponder what they mean for you today. The New Testament writers tell us hundreds of events of the life of Jesus, that shaped the world and us. Where do those events connect with who you are ? What are your top five life events ?

Fred Redekop

There is a famous sermon recorded in the book of Matthew . It was delivered by Jesus of Nazareth in the early part of his ministry. In the four books of stories about the  life of Jesus, there is very little about his childhood and early adulthood. There are many events about what he did and said, but really only one sermon is recorded ( it is also in the book of Mark ). I have preached more than Jesus did.

It has been called the “ Sermon on the Mount ” because Jesus delivered it on the side of a mountain, to a group of people who had heard a little about him, and had come to hear more. He begins with a little bit of poetry, and then he speaks about changing the law that had been given to the Jewish people through Moses. Then he talks about ways that we should live, like loving our enemies and not worrying about what we should eat or drink. It is not really known if this is all what Jesus said on that day, but this is what Matthew gives to us. We do not know if Jesus spoke this sermon on a few different occasions, or that he had a few different sermons he could deliver.

The sermon, I believe, sets out Jesus’ vision for his time on earth. It is not like a vision statement for the church, but it is way of thinking about how to act and be in this world. I believe, and I might be wrong, but I think it is for this world and not the next. This sets out what the kingdom of God might be like in the smallest of ways. It is a beginning for us to what God wants us to be about while living in Elmira or Toronto or Calcutta.

In the summer, the bandshell at Gore Park in the center of Elmira is packed every Sunday evening. The people come out to hear country, gospel and bluegrass music. People set up their lawn chairs everywhere, including on the street. It is like the “ Music on the Mount “. It is about two hours long, and you have the opportunity to give a donation during the intermission.

If Jesus would get on the calendar next summer, what would you want him to say or sing ? The people would set up the microphones, and the people would begin putting their chairs down at 5:30 for a 7:00 start, like they always do. If you are agnostic or atheist , what might you want Jesus to say. Should he be critical of the church for the bad things we have done ? Should he talk about the state of the world ? Or “ if you are real, why do you not heal children from their cancers ?” .

If you are a Christian believer, what would you want to hear from Jesus ? And what request would you yell out for him to sing ? What would Jesus have to say, for you to donate more than ten dollars ? What is at the center of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ ? Justice , grace, peace, compassion, generosity, hospitality ? What would Jesus say, if we invited him to the bandshell at Gore Park  ?

Fred Redekop

On Thursday , this Thursday, September 14, Hannah Redekop, our daughter, will be speaking on Colombia’s recent Peace Treaty. It will happen at 7:00 pm . It is a fundraiser for Woolwich Counselling Center here in Elmira.  

Hannah has been working in Colombia for the last four and a half years in the area of human rights. The organization she works for is Christian Peacemaker Teams, and it is committed to “standing in the way” to prevent violence from happening . In Colombia, they work with many small farmers whose land is being threatened by many more powerful groups.

Hannah will be speaking on the recent treaty that ended over 40 years of civil war . It took years at the bargaining table to reach the agreement that has led the rebel group ( FARC) to laying down its arms, and returning to civilian life. There was much violence by the FARC, the government and the private paramilitaries, and so there is much healing to happen. It is not easy to forgive the people that killed your family members

Come out and hear Hannah speaking to the possible future in Colombia . Come and hear what it means to be a peacemaker in another area of God’s world. You might hear a nudging of the Spirit, to work at peacemaking in your family or here in our community. What does it mean for you to work at peace in your own neighborhood ? What does it mena for you to be live a non-violent life ?

Colombia is a large country with a population of almost 50 million . It is more than the civil war and drug cartels. It is about everyday people trying to live their lives the best they can. We visited Colombia in March of this year, and met a few farmers trying to live out their lives growing livestock, cacao ( chocolate ), corn, beans and other things . We met one farmer who was the pastor of a local church, the community organizer, the cheerleader of the community, and he had a price on his head. He needed a bodyguard with him 24/7 . He was positive and had a smile on his face ( almost all the time ), but he was passionate that his and other farmer’s land would not be taken away from them. And he was committed to non-violent action.

What do you know about Colombia ? Come with an open mind to hear Hannah speak of her experience of living and working there. Come and listen to the bigger questions through the eyes of ?hannah who works alongside the regular folk in rural Colombia.  

The early church writer, Paul of Tarsus ), spoke to his community about the work of Jesus as a peacemaker. To be a person of peace was central to the work of Jesus Christ . Read the works of Paul in Ephesians 2:15-17:

“His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.”  

Come out next Thursday at 7:00 at Gale Presbyterian to hear about Colombia.

“ Meaningless , meaningless, meaningless “ Ecclesiastes 1:1

Last Sunday was the year anniversary of my leaving the Floradale Mennonite Church. I was the pastor there for 25 years. They were good years for ministry and good years for our family. I felt it was time for me to go, and explore another calling. That is not quite true because I did not pursue anything until a few weeks before I left, because I realized in late August I needed a job. Maybe my calling for a while could be called uncertainty

So, how am I ? It has been a long year for me. I left a community I really loved. I could not stay worshipping there, because I needed my own space, and there needed to be space for the interim pastor and the congregation. I understand the politics of this policy, but it is not easy. One Sunday I was pastor, and the next Sunday it was no longer my worshipping community

I gave my heart and soul to the Floradale church and community, and was blessed by the people and the community of Woolwich township. Being pastor is tough and lonely work, but I am part of a community. So, I am still living here, in Elmira, but am not allowed to worship with the same people. I see people around town at events, or walking downtown, but it is not the same. We have attended a few churches, and feel comfortable at most.

So, what is God telling during this time of starting a new journey for my life ? I have two part-time jobs. I like them both, but I am still looking for my new calling, or new job, or new being. I am not sure what God is saying.

The Philosopher from the book of Ecclesiastes ( from the Old Testament ) speaks of his life and work that has no meaning. The Hebrew work can be translated vapour as well. You can hardly see vapour, and it travels in the midst of the wind. It vanishes, and then reappears at at a whim. Why would the synagogue and the church see that this book should be in the Bible ?  God, I believe, inspired the writer to reflect on the world and God in this way, but it is the leaders of the people of God that allowed it to be in the sacred scriptures. When would you read the first few verses from the Philosopher ? At a wedding or a funeral or a baby dedication ? I do not think so. So I am trying to find myself in an uncomfortable biblical text .

I have not found my life, after Floradale, to be meaningless. But it has been long and hard this past year. Though, I have had many opportunities to continue to preach the Gospel for MCC and the church, something is unfinished and unsure. I am still moving toward wholeness. Hundreds of people read the Observer article from last summer about me retiring, and they ask me often, “ ….so how is retirement going ?” . I am not quite there. I hope next year is not quite as long. Shalom and strength for me, and for you.

Fred Redekop

“ ….I am the way, the truth and the life …. “ Jesus of Nazareth  in John 14

There are conservative and liberal think tanks. I am confused by the terms that we use for these organizations. The do research for themselves, and then release their information to the general public or for their own political groups. If you are a conservative “think tank” you mostly think in conservative terms, and if you are a liberal think tank, you think in liberal terms. Therefore, you are really not thinking. You have your own agenda before you do your research. If you find something you do not like, then you might not release as widely. This happens on all sides and in all areas of political life. So, who are we to believe, and what are we to believe. I do not think that we should call them think tanks anymore.

I think it is the way that we treat Jesus and his words in the Bible  There are four biographies of Jesus in the Christian holy book, the New Testament . If you are a Christian it is hard to read the life of Jesus with new eyes. You have a history with the book and the church, and  you have a certain orientation when you read, and it is really hard to listen to the words, at least for me.

For example, Jesus is hard on divorce, but says nothing about same-sex relationships. He is hard on people who do not treat people well who are on the edge of society, and says nothing about drinking ( but, there is that miracle of wine into water with barrels  of wine ). He is challenging the religious leaders, people like myself, to stopping following all the rules, but then he says we should follow God’s Law ( includes the Ten Commandments ). He talks more about life here on earth , than about hell or heaven.

We have theologies, ways to understand God, from the liberal and conservative ends of the world. Often, we read the words of Jesus, so that they fit into our ideas. We often create a Jesus in our own image. Jesus thinks and acts like we do.  We are projecting onto Jesus the Saviour what we think salvation should like .

Jesus spoke to an audience about 2000 years ago. He spoke to them in terms that they understood. It is a very different culture than I live in today. It is a huge faith jump from rural Palestine to suburban Elmira. I do not think that Jesus had a coherent theology for conservatives or liberals. He was , and I believe is, a living person ( and Son of God ) who continues to challenge my understanding of faith in God . Jesus is the “ way” , but I am trying find my way along the road that he has set out for the world. Sometimes, I get lost along the way. I am always seeking the “truth”, but the truth seems to be beyond me, but I will continue to seek truth in all aspects of my life. And Jesus is part of my “life”, and I am seeking to find a new life everyday. I need to continue to seek and find a new Jesus every morning.

Fred Redekop

“ for Jesus himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one, and had destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. “ Ephesians 2:14

Robert Jeffress is a spiritual advisor to President Donald Trump. He is a pastor at the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas in the USA. Most Presidents have advisors. Bill Clinton had a few since he had an affair with one of his staffers. Both Bushes had people looking out for their soul, and Billy Graham was the advisors for five or six Presidents. Often these pastors are invited to pray for the US, after the politicians and generals have decided to go to war. I disagree with that role that these pastors have played in American history. The nation is not God’s people ; the church is God’s people.

Recently, Pastor Jeffress said publically that God had given Trump the authority to take out the leader of North Korea, and to initiate a first strike against the North Koreans. Does this mean that Pastor Jeffress can justify using nuclear weapons against the world. For as we all know, dropping a weapon on North Korea, the blast would not stay within its borders. It would kill thousands of civilians, and not only Kim Jong Un. It would lead to other conflicts as well.

As a pastor for 30 years, I believe our work is to always work on reconciliation, and to work for peace, and not to stand behind governments who wage wage in battle or in words. The Gospel  that I try to preach and live, is about compassion and love. For Pastor Jeffress to say that it is fine for Mr. Trump to take out the leader of North Korea, just seems to be wrong to me.

In Matthew 4, there is a story about Jesus being tempted by the Devil. The Devil, or the Evil One, offers three things to Jesus, who is living in the desert with nothing to eat or drink for 40 days. He offers him food in exchange for worshipping him. The second temptation is that he can have all the the religious power in the world . Jesus declines this temptation as well. A third test requires Jesus to say yes to the kingdoms of this world. Jesus is offered all the political power of this world. Jesus says no to this temptation as well.

Jesus said no to Herod. Jesus said no to Pilate. Both Herod and Pilate were the political leaders during the time of Jesus. Jesus said no to the high priests who were leading the religious groups. He said no the Dark side as well, those people who were said to have demons inside of them. He healed these people.

I would ask Pastor Jeffress to counsel Mr. Trump to work on diplomacy with the world including the North Koreans. Maybe he could talk to the Canadian diplomats who helped to get the Canadian Korean pastor freed last week. Violence is never the answer to life’s hardest questions or problems. I will always continue to pray for peace and peacemakers in our world.

Fred Redekop

I just finished reading the One Book, One Community selection for Waterloo Region for 2017. It is written by Wayne Grady , and it is called  Emancipation Day . The book is about racism in Canada, and it is mostly set in Windsor and Detroit. The book takes place mostly during WWII, and the years following. It explores what it means to be white and black in the society. One couple has a baby, and the boy is white, although both his parents are black.

The meaning of the book is found in the story that is told. The moral, and there is no moral, should not be found outside of the book. It is like a good poem, the  meaning is found in the words, and it should not have to lead somewhere else. It  is really hard to read poems and books in this way, but I believe that this is the way to read fiction. We should not try to find meaning into the future, of a book we are reading now.

When I read the Bible, it is hard to not to try to find meaning for my life. But, I should try to enjoy the stories that are found in the different histories, poems, biographies and letters. The writers are trying to make sense out of God, for the time that they are living . And the words , in Hebrew and Greek, are so far removed from 2017. I should try to stay in the story or poem.

To read the Bible literally makes no sense to me. To read it metaphorically is also hard, and what metaphor am I going to listen to anyway. To attach a meaning to every character so that I might find spiritual meaning is not the way to go either. For parables, some people like to say  this is God, this is sin, this is the world, and this is salvation. Every object, animal and person has meaning beyond itself. This is not a good way to read the Bible So, how am I supposed to read the Bible ?

Let me reflect on one short story in all the stories that we find in the 66 books we have in the Bible. It is a story told by Mark, Matthew and Luke, in their biographies of Jesus. They all tell it slightly differently.

A man, a leader in the community, comes up to Jesus, and asks what he must do to get to heaven. This is pretty fundamental in the Jewish and Christian communities. Jesus asks him if he has followed the commandments. Yes, I have done that he replies . Then Jesus says you must do one more thing, “… you lack one thing, go sell everything you have and give it to the poor,,,, and then come follow me. “ The leader went away saddened, because he had great wealth “  I am not going to do this in my life, I have great wealth. Most Christians I know are not going to do it. We do not take this story literally because we do not want to do what it asks of us. But it is about eternal life, right ? What is the story telling the people who are hearing it for the first time ? What does it say, and what does it mean, and what am I going to do about it ? Discuss.

Fred Redekop