Ponder Anew

VIOLENCE.

On November 11, it will be 100 hundred years that the sirens went off all over Canada to announce that the War to end all Wars was over. Myrtle Wetzel, a former school teacher, told me years ago that she heard the siren in Moorfield, and the community knew that the war had ended. Unfortunately, as we all know, it did not become the last war that the world would fight.

On the Remembrance Day ceremony on November 4, Scott Sinclair, the pastor at Gale Presbyterian, reminded the community that World War I ended, but we are still searching for peace in our world.

Women, and men, of the MeToo# movement have painfully told the world, that this earth is not a peaceful place for women. The workplace is not safe, Our churches are not safe, and our sidewalks are not a safe place for women to walk at night. We have much work to do.

I work for Mennonite Central Committee, and one of our taglines for our group, is to work for Peace in all of what we do in the world. A Zimbabwean/Nigerian Church leader told our staff last spring that “ if we do not have peace, there will be no development in the world “. So, all of our work in economic and agricultural development will have no effect if there is no peace in all areas of the world. If there is a threat of violence, none of our work will be helpful.

And why does America have so many mass shootings ? This fall has been especially bloody. It is complex. Some of the shootings are wrapped up in mental health issues. Others are about racism towards all people. And other massacres have been around religious hatred. Most of these shootings are done by white males. Why do middle aged white men feel so threatened in a society that advocates for freedom ? It is also about anger, and why do angry people think of picking up a weapon to resolve the anger in their lives ?

PEACE

“ Jesus is our Peace  “ Ephesians 2:14. The writer, Paul from Tarsus, and an early church leader was speaking to two groups in this community of ancient Turkey, who did not get along. They were ethnically and culturally different. He also says that Jesus broke down the wall between these two groups, so that they could live in harmony.

But, Christians cannot even agree what peace looks like today. Some feel we should defend ourselves against all threats to our way of life. We need to help God along in making sure we are safe through the threat of violence. I disagree, but let us talk. What would Jesus think that we should do, and how we should act ? I am not asking what would Jesus do, because he is  the Messiah and Saviour, but what should I and the church be doing to break down the walls between people and societies ?

The most recent mass shooter in the US was a young Marine veteran, who might have suffered from PTSD. All those things are complex issues to deal with in a young person’s life. What can we do ?

What role can my/our relationship with Jesus Christ play in lessening the violence in my world ? Saying that Jesus is “my peace” is only a start to a lifelong journey of complex peacemaking in the world. It is never easy, but I think we need to walk a life of peace. We should never forget.

Fred Redekop

“ ‘ I have the right to do anything’ — you say, but not everything is beneficial. ‘ I have the right to do anything’— but not everything is constructive.’  These are the words of the Apostle Paul from    I Corinthians 10:13 to the church in Greece ( translated from the Greek into English for the New International Version ).

In the United States, free speech is a big deal. It is part of the First Amendment of their Constitution. During the recent lead-up to their elections here in November, there is discussion about what people can and cannot say. You cannot yell “ fire” in a crowded theatre, when there is no fire. But, can you speak lies, and demean other other people’s arguments by shaming their character ? The United States society is often trying to determine if there are lines to be crossed in the area of free speech.

In Canada, the discussion is not so heated, from my perspective.  We have had the Charter of Rights and Freedoms since the 1982,  and we have more opportunities to talk about what is not allowed in our society as free speech.  In section 2 of the Charter, it talks of our four fundamental freedoms, and it includes freedom of expression.

When you are speaking or writing in public, do you do you think about lines that should not crossed in referring to people or events ? For you, as a Canadian citizen, what constitutes hateful speech ? For you, where is the line for polite speech ?  Where is my line of speech drawn, in articles that I write here for the online version of the Observer ?

Is free speech different for the church ? No, it is not. In the church , we should be polite, considerate and always in the listening mode. But, I am biased. I think we should get along with each other in the church, because we are all trying to follow the ways of Jesus Christ. But, what are those ways of living out Christ in our church and society ? Recently, I heard about someone who does not attend church because people say such mean things to each other in the church. I have heard it many times, but it grieves every time that I hear it. UGH !

In his letters to the early church community, Paul the theologian, pastor and prophet, loves his community, but also tells them how they should act. I think he is harsh sometimes. Jesus talks about loving each other, and loving our neighbour. He is concerned with people who are at the margins of the society. I believe that is what we are called to do in the church. But he also calls the leaders a “ brood of vipers “, and is angry with his disciples sometimes. It good and fine to disagree with each other in the church. But, how we do it is important.

In the passage at the top of the article, Paul speaks to the issue of free speech in the church. Since the church has been saved, they have complete freedom in Christ. He quotes the people’s statements, Since, they follow Christ, they should act like him in all ways. Be nice to everyone, even when you disagree. But, even with this great freedom, saying certain things are not beneficial to the community, or yourselves.

Where do you draw your lines in the church ? After I delivered my first sermon in 1982, a good friend of my mom said to me at the back of the church, “ Freddie, watch your language “. She said that I have to be careful with every word that I say, so I am understood, and that I am polite and grace filled . Great advice. Thanks Katie.

Fred Redekop

Eugene Petersen died this week. He described himself as a pastor, but he was also an author. I met him one time in 1988,  at a week long pastor’s week in northern Indiana. He was my unofficial mentor from afar. I read many of his books. I have bought many books that I hope to read, but never get to them, but I have always read the books I bought by Eugene Peterson.

Eugene was a pastor at one church for 28 years. It was Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Maryland It was the only church where he was pastor. It was a church plant, and it grew large, but was never a “mega church.” After he left that church, he became a professor and authored many more books on pastoral vocation and the Bible . He has been described as a pastor to pastors. He loved the church, and the holy book of the church, the Bible. His book on the prophet Jonah ( the guy swallowed by the whale  ) helped me with my call to ministry.

During the time he was pastor at Bel Air, he has a Bible study with some of the members of the church. Out of this local Bible study, came The Message. The Message is “ … an idiomatic translation of the original languages of the Bible ( from wikipedia )”. From 1993 to 2002 he published different parts of the Bible, until he had done the whole thing. It is not a direct translation of the words, but it is an interpretation of words into contemporary language. It is an amazing transformational way to look at the Bible.  This translation was for regular people to get them interested, and passionate, of the words written by a variety of people over a long course of history of the Bible. It is a great gift to the church.

Here is his translation of John 3:16, a famous passage often seen at football games :

16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

His translation called “The Message” is disarming and inviting. His role of pastor to pastors was also important. Someone put together seven things that we learn from Eugene:

1. Resurrection starts with grace.
2. There are no shortcuts to prayer.
3. We need the Sabbath.
4. If you have ever had the Bible used as a weapon against you…
5. Less is more.
6. A totally different look at the book Revelation ( not scary ).
7. Christian maturity is for the long haul.

Thank you Eugene for all you have done for me as a pastor. Well done good and faithful servant to the church and the Bible. You have arrived at the peace that passes all understanding.

Fred Redekop

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. “   I Corinthians 6:19

“God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them

        reflecting our nature

    So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,

        the birds in the air, the cattle,

    And, yes, Earth itself,

        and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.”

    God created human beings;

        he created them godlike,

    Reflecting God’s nature.

        He created them male and female.

    God blessed them:

        “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!

    Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,

        for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth” Genesis 1:26-27

If we do not change our ways by 2030, there will be no turning back. This is not exactly what the most recent report from the United Nations said, but they say that the temperature will rise enough, so that there will be damage to the planet that we cannot recover from forever. The sea waters are rising, and there seems to be more storms and more violent storms in the world. The United Nations wants the best for all of us.

But, what about Woolwich Township ? Is the warming of the planet affecting us ? How is the heat bothering our farmers and their crops ? With all of us using our carbon footprint, is my breathing worse than before ?  Do I need to do something , more than not use one-use straws, to change the world’s climate ?

I am assuming scientists around the world are researching things to help our planet ( and all of us ) to survive ? They are working to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels. It is the burning of fossil fuels that raises the temperature of the planet. And I am dependent on them. I like to travel. I drive half an hour to work. I do have a hybrid car, but that is not going to make a difference to climate change. What must we do now ?

If we treat the planet as part of our bodies, would we live differently ? If everything is sacred here on the earth, as Mennonite/Anabaptists believe, then we should treat the earth with love, compassion and empathy. We all want to save the planet, but if it means to make sacrifices to our lifestyles, then, we are not so sure about these changes in the ways that we live.

In the first chapter of Genesis , the writer tries to explain what the beginning of the world was like. There are many holes in the story ( it is actually a poem ) because the writer was not there, and the creation was so spectacular, that it would be tough to put into words. Something coming from nothing is unexplainable, although we try to figure it out from a scientific perspective. We are still trying to find a theory that will tell us everything that we need to know. What do you need to know about creation ?

In Genesis, the text says that we should take care of the all the things that God has made. I hope we have more time than 2030 to fix the environmental problem that we might have created . Let us all be responsible for the “ fish of the sea, and the birds of the air. “.  What will you/me take better care of today ?

Fred Redekop

“ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.

During this weekend, many of us will celebrate Thanksgiving with family, food and fellowship. Some of us might travel a long way to be with family. This means that family is important that you would make the time to travel to eat together. What is the food that you hope will be on the table ?  Turkey, mashed potatoes, or pumpkin pie ? Or whom do you want to sit beside and talk together with to have a good time ?

So, what are you most thankful this year ?  As always, Thanksgiving is a complex time, if your life has been hard ?  How do you says thanks if your parent has died, or you have lost your job, or you are living with conflict within your family ? What if it is hard to sit down at the family table, when you are not talking to your brother ? How do you thank God, or the Spirit or the Man Upstairs when things do not go well ?

It is a mystery to me.

 In 2004, my best friend died of ALS ( or Lou Gehrig’s disease ). It still remains a question for me that he would have to suffer in this way. For two or three years his body deteriorated, until he just stopped breathing. He retained his sense of humour, and his mind was sharp, and he had hope until the end that a cure would be found . But it did not happen. He died at the age of 46, leaving behind a wife and two young boys. I do not know why it still affects me with emotion. He was my best friend, and we played hours and hours of ball hockey with each other. His memory for birthdays was astounding. He was the first person I played scrabble with, and he was very good. We never went to the same school; he was Catholic and I was Mennonite. He was  my best friend

It is hard to give thanks to God for this situation, even after 14 years. Even if you do not believe in a higher power, you might struggle with the senselessness of it all.

This weekend is also World Communion Sunday. As churches, we are invited to think of us all over the world,  celebrating the Thanksgiving meal together. In Greek, the language of the New Testament, the word for communion is eucharisto ( or giving thanks ). I give thanks for a community that has allowed me to ask difficult questions about life, disease, healing and death. I would alawys hope that our church communities would be open and inviting to all people. I know we have a ways to go yet.

At that last supper, Jesus knew someone in the room was going to betray him to the powers of the Empire, but he invited everyone to take the bread and the cup as part of the ending of the meal. Who must we invite to the meal, or what question of life and death are we able to ask around the table this Thanksgiving ? Everyone can come, THANKS BE TO GOD. AMEN

Fred Redekop 

Prayer for the Fall ( the season ), or for any day that you want to do it.

Dear God, dear Parent or Mother or Father, or even Friend

Lord of Everlasting

Lord of heaven and earth.

Lord of the Pain, healing and hope

Lord of the past, present and future.

Lord of all including all those Amoebas that we do not see.

Pray for Trudeau, Ford, Trump, Kim Jong Un, and Putin and other leaders I do not know

Pray for the accusers of Kavanaugh, the supreme Court Nominee,

Julie

Deborah

Christine

And two others, yet to be named .

Pray for the civil war in Syria

God, from my perspective it is gone on too long.

Can you do nothing ?

Oh well, we want freedom , freedom to do evil or good , I guess

We do not to be puppets in a eternal melodrama,

An by the way, when things go right, we take all the credit and forget about you anyway.

Pray for healing between families, spouses, brothers and sisters, older people and toddlers.

And between neighbours, co-workers, owners and farmers, too.

For drivers of cars, and police officers and firemen.

Pray for the church, oh the problems that we have there.

Pray for Elders, leaders and people that sit in the pews.

Pray for issues, money, and us who want to have jt just our way, exactly only our way.

Pray for pastors, when we mess up big time, when lead the wrong bible Study, and preach the

Wrong Sermon.

Pray for me, a small person in the Universe that goes on and on for millions of years and billions of light years,

That seems never to stop.

I am only a speck, and iota of belief and a very small piece of water and flesh, put together

And Called Life .

And you invite me, through the life of Jesus,

To be part of you,

And the Big Picture, in this place called Earth , and being in conversation with you. Thank You.

Fred Redekop

It is time for a second look at my 2018 haiku. Actually I look at it every day because it is the postscript at the end of my Google email account . A haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that has a certain structure. It is always three lines, with the first line having 5 syllables, the second line having 7 syllables, and the third line having five syllables.

A friend of mine, Monika, has given me haikus for about five years. She writes in the late months of the year, and then sends it to me. Below, is the one I have had for the past year, 2018.

Here is my second reflection on this haiku:

Mature trees stand still

Whispering loudly wise words

Will we join their call

                              Monika Pieper Landoni 2018

I have had a busy year . Both Shirley and I turn 60 this year. Shirley was 60 in June, and I turn to the next decade in November. I have returned to being pastor in March. I did not think I would be a pastor again, but I returned to the call, although only part-time. I have embarked on something completely different as well. I am pleased also to work for Mennonite Central Committee, and am humbled to preach for them on Sundays.

In the haiku, I hear that I must stand tall, but be silent. I must know what I believe, and stand in the background, and await for people to ask me what I believe and think. As an introvert, I do not usually enter into a discussion unless asked, But, if am leading a meeting, I am able to do that . At 60, I hope I am more mature, as an oak, elm, or maple tree. What is my favourite mature tree ? I like blue spruces, but I think my favourite would be a Maple of any kind.

The second line is a oxymoron, opposite things going on in the same sentence. “ Whispering loudly “ cannot be done, but it is for me a symbol of all the paradoxes in my life. Having faith in God is like opposites in my life. I know God is there, but cannot quite grab hold of God. Last night at Bible study, we talked about meaning and meaninglessness. They are both part of my faith journey. It is like “ chasing after the wind” ( Ecclesiastes 1 ). I seem to have to start over again every day. But wise words are offered to me everyday, by events, by people and by my work. Sometimes I do not see them or hear them or live them out, but I know wise words are there if I wait to see them.

“ Will I join the call “. My daughter was denied access into Israel. I must continue to call the government of Israel to a more just living with the Palestinians . What other call must I continue to live out ? I must stand up for the #Metoo movement. There is the call to always to work for non-violence in all of our relationships. What are you called to do ?

Jesus says in Mark, the second of the biographies in the New Testament of Jesus, chapter 8 that I must do three things, “ deny myself, take up my cross and follow him.”. That is the call that I must continue to join everyday. Come on for the ride.

Fred Redekop

“ The words of the Teacher, son of David in Jerusalem,

   Meaningless! Meaningless !, says the Teacher.

   Utterly meaningless !

   What do people gain from all their labours

   At which they toil under the sun ?

   Generations come and generations go ,

   But the earth remains forever.

   The sun rises and the sun sets.  

   And hurries back to where it rises .”

                                                            Ecclesiastes 1:1-5

Do you ever feel like this, and you work day after day, and year after year ? I hope you do not feel like this, and that you feel value with your work. But, I know that we do not all feel valued for the work that we do. We do not get enough time off, or do not get enough pay, or the job is too hard and too dangerous. We have all felt like this at least once. Or not ?

We might get bogged down by climate change, or disease, or wars or other factors in our world. And we might say, “ I do not understand the meaning of life. There are too many negatives, and I do not find God in my world anymore. Why I am working , and living , if I know that I am going to die anyway eventually ? ”.

Why would the people who put together the Bible include such a book in the books that shape the Jewish/Christian communities ? What is the role of this book as we have it ? We, in the church, do not read these verses very often in our worship services. It is not the only voice in the Old Testament, but it is a holy book.

So, is the Teacher speaking out of his own personal experience with life ? I would think that he is crying ( yelling ) out to God because this is what he feels deep down in his soul. I do not think it has to do with work, but it has to do with his relationship with God. I think he trusts God so much, that he can cry out in this way. If he did not know God, then he would be screaming into the wind. Some translators use the word “vapour” instead of meaningless. There is this gas or vapour that moves as it wants, and we cannot control it . For the Teacher ( or Philosopher ) he cannot control anything in his life, so he cries out in anger or sadness or just at life. Or is he just blowing into the wind

The great thing about Scripture like this, is that we can argue with it. In the Jewish tradition, there is always arguing going on. We have not always thought that we can rage against God and Scripture in the Christian tradition. But if our faith is active and real for us, we have to fight with God.  We can see illness as meaningless, so what do we say to God ?

The book of Ecclesiastes was my favourite while I was in university ( at Trent in Peterborough ). My faith was struggling, and I was trying to own my faith for myself, and move beyond the faith of my parents. I was a history and English major, and much of what I read was about war, abuse and the ugliness of life. I turned to the Teacher here in Ecclesiastes to my experience, so this meaningless Teacher carried my faith along to the next part of my journey.

Fred Redekop

 

   

“ Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,  

                who walk according to the law of the Lord “   Psalm 119:1

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm in the Bible. There are 150 of these poems in the Old Testament, and they make up a Jewish/Christian devotional book . I know it is the longest because I had to write out by the vice-principal of my public school, after I was caught throwing snowballs in the schoolyard in grade 5. It has 176 verses in it. It goes through the Hebrew alphabet with 22 stanzas, starting each one with a different Hebrew letter. It goes from A to Z . It repeats the words statutes, ways, laws and precepts many times. It is 176 reflections upon the Law.

I have a fascination with the US Supreme Court. Recently, a member of the Court resigned, and so they are in the process of selecting another member. There are nine members in the Court, so that they will never have a tie, when they are deciding  on a certain case. There will always be a decision. US politics is very divided at this point, so the media says that this newest member, if selected, will make a big difference for the next thirty years. Supreme Court justices are named for life, unless they resign themselves. The nominee this time is Brent Kavanaugh.

Yesterday,  Kavanaugh was interviewed for over 11 hours, and said almost nothing. He kept saying that he cannot answer any hypothetical questions, and that he is not biased one way or another. Really !!?? He will interpret the Law, if selected, without taking into consideration any of his personal opinions ? Really ?? If you are a human being, how can you not bring your own biases into any situation. I would invite him to be honest.

Mr. Kavanaugh has talked a lot about the Constitution. He speaks as if he knows what the original writers meant by every word that they wrote in the late 1700’s . He will not deviate from those words. And the law today is influenced by the previous decisions made by the Court over many years. He calls it precedent. This is how the Court makes decisions , except for if the Court was wrong with one of its previous decisions. Really ? Then,  there is no precedent. There is no history ?

This is what we do in the church with the Bible all the time. We sometimes say we are following the original words of the Old Testament. And we have made some decisions up to date, but then we might say that we have been wrong all along. We go by the long tradition of the precedents that we have make over time. Mennonites have changed their confessions of faith many times over their history because they have emphasized some things over other things.

In Leviticus ( an Old Testament book of laws ), it says you should not plant two kinds of seed in the same field,  nor wear clothing made of wool and linen. What do these laws mean ? For Judge Kavanaugh, how does he interpret the carrying of weapons ( the Second Amendment  ) and or other things from the late 1700’s . It has to be about interpretation.

We cannot go back to the Bible ( or Constitution ) and say “ this is how it is” . We read, we  interpret, we cajole, we argue, we live in the present and we want to be faithful today.  

Fred Redekop

“This Fall, we want to make the most of the opportunity for fresh starts and organized schedules. Together, we'll consider and assess where we are spiritually as followers of Jesus and where we may need to Start Over on this journey that we call discipleship.” This statement comes from the The Meeting House facebook page.

The Meeting House is a multi-site Church with its founding site in Oakville. They have many other sites, often in theatres, where they have their own worship time, and then have a sermon ( streamed ) from their teaching pastor, Bruxy Cavey. It is a growing and innovative place, that seeks to follow Christ from an Anabaptist perspective. This means they are committed to the Bible, salvation and peace. I have attended the site in Oakville for a Sunday morning worship, and was impressed with the experience.

They have also been generous contributors to the work of Mennonite Central Committee , mostly in Africa, with the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the creative program of Peace Clubs. The community also stresses home study groups, and engagement in the communities where their members live. I find it to be a exciting new way to being church in the 21st century.

So, are you looking for a fresh start in your life ? Or do you begin on January 1st, or do you begin on June 30, as you begin the summer ? Or do you begin a new year after you have filled out your taxes for the CRA ? Or maybe you are like a spiritual director, who finds each morning a new start with her relationship with Christ by saying, “ My soul magnifies the Lord “.

I am not an organized person. I am a type B personality, maybe almost approaching a “C” . I usually do not miss meetings, but I do not have a good filing or google system. My desk at work is always in a stage of disarray, but I am able to find the papers or documents that I need. I have been helped by good administrators over the years. They have kept me in order. I am able to deliver a coherent sermon on Sundays.

So, when I read this post from the Meeting House, I get scared. I do not attend this church, but if I did  check it out online , will I be overwhelmed by another system to help me my journey with God ? I do not think it will be do exactly this or that , and you will be come closer to God, but it will be a new way to approach God. It is called a  “ Start Over “

I sort of know what I need to do, but I am like that guy, Paul in the Bible, who says “I do what I do not want to do “ Why am I scared to do a new thing ? Many of the things that I have tried, have not developed into life long practices that have nurtured my soul.  “ Just get yourself together Fred !”

C.S.Lewis, who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, said, ‘ You may not feel like praying, you might be tired and even bored. But, God welcomes you just as you are. “ So, it is fine to not have schedules or a time frame or a plan, and God will be there. I might still sneak a peek at the Meeting House’s  fall series. Maybe something will stick into my soul.

“ For I am fearfully and wonderfully made. “  Psalm 139: 14

Fred Redekop