Ponder Anew

I go to meetings early. I get there a half an hour early, and wait in the parking lot, or just around the corner from the people who I am going to meet with. I would leave for the airport six hours early to make sure that I am in the Pearson Airport in good time. I would rather wait there than in traffic. I have tried to be more “ just in time “ for my meetings. But, just yesterday, I was in Milverton 15 minutes before I was to make a pastoral call, and waited along the main street before I went for the visit. Ugh.

Last week , I was to meet our youngest son for dinner on King Street . I work just south of downtown, and I went a half an hour early. I wanted to know where the restaurant was situated. I could have used Google maps.  I work about five minutes from downtown, but I arrived a good thirty-five minutes before the time that we agreed to meet.

So I hung out in Kitchener City Hall Square just around the reflecting pool. I sat down on the south side of the Square, and immediately smelled smoke. It was cigarette smell because some people around me had lit up. I work in smoke-free environments, and it caught me by surprise. I live in a bubble here in Elmira. It was quite busy in the Square in the late afternoon. There were people going in and out of City Hall.  Many of them had tattoos. I felt out of place because I do not have tattoos. Some of the people might have been homeless or people who live in and out of shelters . And,  was beginning to judge at this point.  

The people who were in the Square are seemingly so different from me. I met some men who were playing chess on the table on the north side of the Square. I felt out of place, and probably looked nervous. I could not relax, not because I was worried for my safety, but I felt like I did not belong, But, in reality I am no different from anyone else.

I have traveled the world. My wife and I lived overseas for four years in Europe and Thailand. I have led tours to Turkey, Greece, Paraguay , Uzbekistan and other places. I think I am open and have seen many things. I have seen poverty in India and Vietnam, but this experience shook me. What was I watching for as I sat, and walked around the Square ?  I live in a bubble here in Elmira.

So I was surprised by my attitude, but I have not yet arrived to the person that I would like to be in this world. God, for me, is still working on my character, and I have much to learn, The Apostle Paul, an early  church leader talks in his letter to the people of Philippi about how great he was before he had his Damascus Road experience. He was transformed and now all that is rubbish.

I live in my own bubble. “ Lord, break that bubble wrap that I am surrounded in, and allow me see the world with different eyes. “ Amen. So be it.

Fred Redekop  

AI am on vacation here at Chesley Camp . It is near Sauble Beach. As a family we have come here many times over the last 25 years. Many of the people who come here to relax have been coming here for 40 and 50 years.  It is a low key camp for programming, and I think families come here because it is familiar. They have the same cottage , whether they rent or own it . Adult baseball happens at 7 :15 every day,  except Sunday. There is always ice cream at the tuck shop. There is always two services on Sunday morning, with a Sunday evening one as well. And the pastor ( this is me  this week ) has morning devotions at 9:30 , except Saturday.  The camp administrators have been here for over 30 years, Bob and Kyle Trask.

The last July 1st weekend there was a huge fire that burned down the admin offices, tuck shop, meeting rooms and the restaurant. It was an older structure made out of wood  and it was gone quickly . So,  for the last year the camp has had a variety of trailers set up on site to meet the needs of the campers. It has been a long and stressful year for the staff and the camp. This week  they opened the new building and I have been able to eat in the restaurant ( one of the perks of being the camp pastor for the week).

What happens when your life turns upside down ? What happens when you have a heart attack ? What do you do when your parents suddenly die ? How you feel when you are let go from your job after 30 years ? And what occurs in your soul when your marriage ends ? We all experience these life changing events in our lives. It is part of being human. Things happen.

“ O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know me when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far  away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways “ Psalm 139:1-3

God is the same always and forever. It is me who must adapt to the changes in my life and the “ fires” that erupt in my life. I have to inject insulin four times a day. So, I have to think about the carb value of everything I might eat at every meal. This is part of my journey. It has gotten easier.

What are you dealing with in your own life, illness, job change, retirement, death or other important issues or events ? God knows about it. Sometimes it seems or I think God is too silent or is not even awake. “ Come on God,  do something to relieve the anxiety or suffering that I am dealing with right now “.

For me, it is enough to know God is here and everywhere. It is for me a matter of faith. I need to do things as well. Chesley Lake had to get those trailers on site quickly, and begin to make plans for a new building while serving the needs of the cottagers and campers. But, God was always there.

Shalom and strength for your own journey of faith and life.

Fred Redekop

Our daughter-in-law sent us a recent photo shoot of their family by email. It was later in the evening last night. I felt the presence of God. In the Christian tradition, there is a spiritual practice known as consciousness examen. At the end of the day, we are invited to reflect on God's presence during the past day. Often, I miss where God has showed up in the past day, so the practice is good opportunity to see what God has done, and if you become disciplined, and I am not, I might see God working in real time during the day. So, as a spiritual practice , you try to backup your day, to see where the Almighty presence of God might have been.

A young man from Africa lived with us for a year. He left for home a few weeks ago. I talked with him yesterday on Messenger ( Facebook) , and he has some challenges in re-starting his life in Eswatini ( formerly Swaziland ). God was there in our conversation about some of the issues he is dealing with in his life now.

I met with a man yesterday afternoon who helps me with life issues. Of course , God/Jesus was right there. He listened and played back what he heard me say. “ In theological terms” you might want to think about it in this way, is how he restated what I had told him . Actually, I knew that God was there in real time.

From where I work to where I met this man, was a beautiful drive through rural Ontario. The sky was big, within shapes of the clouds. There was a hint of rain. The wheat has mostly been harvested, and the corn is inching up to the sky. There seems to be many shades of brown in the fields . This is indeed God’s creation. God is here.

My wife leaves for Africa today ( August 2nd ). She is leading a tour to Tanzania to meet with Mennonite women who live faithful lives. So, God was there all day, as she finished up her work, and prepared all her things for the two week trip. God will be with her, and God will be with me.

At work yesterday was a normal day. I started the day receiving and answering emails. I talked with a few people. I said hello to one of the newest employees. I has a short conversation with my supervisor. I prepared for three sermons that I will be preaching in the next weeks on behalf of my work. As I prepare, I try to find God in the text, in my thoughts and in my world. So, it was an ordinary morning, as most morning are in my life, but God is mostly there in the ordinariness of life.

“ You have searched me, Lord

And you know me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise.

You perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down

You are familiar with all my ways

Before a word is on my tongue

You, Lord, know it completely

You hem me in behind and before me

And you lay your hand upon me.”             Psalm 139:1-5

Where do you see God working today, and where do see God working tomorrow ? Take time in the evening today, to find where God was in your life, and you did not recognize it in real time. And rejoice. And be in the presence of the “ground of our being”

Fred Redekop

 

“In the beginning when God created the the heavens and earth, … and God saw that it was good,….. and God saw that it was good,…. and God saw that it was good, …. And God saw that it was good “  Genesis 1:1,8,12, 18, 25.

In the Jewish/Christian/Muslim traditions the above story is about the goodness of creation. The six days, according to the story,  God “worked” at creating everything in nature and in humanity . And the author of the story tells us at least five times that everything was good.  

Some people in the world today think the world is a great place. Steven Pinker, a Harvard professor, writes a lot about how the world is much better place than in earlier centuries.. He writes that violence and cruelty has declined over the years. We live much longer and healthier lives than before. The amount of wars has steadily declined . He is a humanist and a scientist , and believes in the progress of the world. He is hopeful that humanity can overcome climate change and  feeding the world in more equitable ways. He is an optimist.

Then there are other people in our world who are more pessimistic . David Suzuki, a Canadian scientist, has has pointed out the dangers of fossil fuels, the destruction of the rainforest and the extinction of many plant and animal species. On his T. V. show, The Nature of Things, Suzuki point out many problem areas of the planet . I believe, he tries to inspire us to make better uses of our resources , to save the planet.

Both Pinker and Suzuki are scientists, and want to see the plant, plants, animals and people thrive and survive . They see the planets woes very differently. Every year in December Margaret Wente writes a column in the  Globe and Mail about the world becoming a better place. Every year she has positives statistics about wars being reduced, poverty being overcome. She is a good journalist, who usually writes about problems, but in this late in the year column, she is more than positive.

The agency I work for, Mennonite Central Committee, works in far less countries than we used to. We only work in countries that invite us to come, and so some countries do not need our help or resources. Though, we have recently have committed almost $50 million to the Syrian civil war, in Syria, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon. This is our largest relief effort in our history.

Then there are Second Coming Christians who try to scare us that the world must be destroyed before Jesus returns. The world is supposed to end tomorrow ( July 27) because there is a blood moon in the sky. And tomorrow is our youngest son’s Golden Birthday, he will be 27 on the 27th. Not tomorrow please. These people tend to be more negative in their outlook of the planet,

I believe that we should continue to work at making our world a better place. The Earth has gone through many changes over the years, and I believe it is our task to take care of it, so that we can say at the end of the day,  “ that, it is good “ Amen.      Fred Redekop

What sad news arrived on my Messenger ( Facebook feed ) on Monday afternoon at 3:36 pm.  I am still stunned with the news that Henk and Bettina of Floradale were in an accident on the dairy promotion tour.

I have heard the news for three and a half days now . There have been pictures of their smiling faces as they began the tour of Ontario and Western Canada . They had just done a farm safety day a few weeks before, and it was such a successful day .

Their oldest son Jim went to school in Foradale with our youngest son, Caleb. They were always working so hard, and such a strong part of the whole community. They milked many cows on the farm at the south end of the village of Floradale.

When tragedy happens, and it is far away, like in Saskatchewan, it does not quite stick in the brain. Maybe I read the Facebook feed wrong. Even though it has been in the paper, maybe it didn't happen at at all. I just want to return to Sunday, and start the week over again. Grief and tragedy makes me think different thoughts, and often irrational things. When I sat with my dad near the end of his life, and his breathing began to get short, I said to myself , “ just a few more minutes or hours “. And then he was gone. No new memories were going to be made, only memories from days gone by and by.

The community has responded. They have brought food to the people who are working at the farm. There have been many comments on Facebook trying to support Henk and his children. There has been a simple sign put up in front of the farm , “ We hold the Schuurmans family in our hearts and prayers, the Floradale community. “ This has been shared on social media hundreds of times. We do not know what do, but this is a strong community, and we do what we can. We do we what we know best : love, because this is who we are.

These kinds of things do not lessen the tremendous pain and knot in our stomachs. We are left with the many questions surrounding the death of Bettina. Writing the “death” still does not seem or sound real. I remember that Bettina would cut the grass out in from of their farm. When I see someone else doing it, maybe then it will hit me, and I will stop my car and break out in tears.

Jesus’ disciples, Peter, Andrew, James and John and the others had to deal with their best friend’s arrest and death. They ran away. They did not want to have to deal with the reality of watching Jesus on the cross , and dying. I do not want  to have to deal with yet another tragedy in our community. I remember 1999.

The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not want.

He maketh me lie down in green pastures

He restoreth my soul.

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil.

For thou art with me.

Thy  rod and thy staff , they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.

Thou anointest my head with oil.

My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

                           Psalm 23

Pray for Henk, Jim, Tom, Eric ,Lize and Emily

Strength for the journey.

Fred Redekop

“42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”  Acts 2:42-47

The passage above is about the history of the early church as written in the book of Acts. At the beginning of the New Testament there four different biographies about Jesus, his life, death and resurrection. One one them is called Luke, and he also writes the history of the early church in Acts.

The people in the passage are the twelve friends of Jesus, and the people, men and women, who followed the group to Jerusalem. After the Resurrection, the rising from the dead of Jesus, this group began to tell the story of Jesus. Peter, one of Jesus’ best friends, is the first spokesperson for the movement.

They share teaching, communion and prayer. They were amazed at the miracles that they could perform. They held all things in common, sold property together to help others in need.  Life is perfect in the church. They seem to agree on everything, and they were respected by others.

“ They broke bread and ate together in love” . Christian communion is one of the issues that separates the church today. We are trying to re-create the last meal that Jesus had with his disciples. But, we have many different ideas about what happens in that meal, and we cannot do it together. We should be able to eat together. Eating is one of things that, I believe, unites us all.

We disagree in the Church on many things, including climate change, same-sex relationships, economics, Palestinian/Israeli relations, songs, the Bible, immigration and politics. I think it might be impossible to come together as the Church. What do outsiders see when we cannot agree on things of our faith and our lives together ?

What enabled the earliest Church to have such a positive beginning ? They came together to eat some bread and drink some wine to remember the work of Jesus Christ. We do not know much about Jesus’ disciples ( or his best friends) but they had their own history and personalities , but they were able to have this meal together . They were unified in their diversity or diverse in their unity.

In the church, we all believe we are following the way of Jesus as we see it. We all want to faithful to the early church, and the be in touch with Jesus Christ. But we do not see the world the same way. If I would say that we should have all things in common, like property, money, food and political power, you would not agree with me. The text above says that  they had “everything in common “ . And they used it to help all those in need . What do you think ?

What does it mean to be the church of Jesus Christ today ? Discuss.

Fred Redekop

In the New Testament there are many questions asked by Jesus, and directed at Jesus. The New Testament is a set of stories about Jesus, letters by early church leaders and a bizarre book about the future, or about the present reality of living in the Roman Empire. The New Testament  was compiled over the course of almost 400 years, and accepted by the church as an authority of faith and life ( around the year of 387 AD , or CE ). So, it is an old and complex set of writings,  for the church to determine what they mean for us ( for those in the church )today.

Jesus is asked by a lawyer one day, “ What must I do to inherit eternal life ?” What would you say to this fundamental question ? Actually the translators look at the term “lawyer”  differently. Some say ruler, some say teacher, and some say Jewish leader, and one says “ an important man “ So, it was an important leader of the local faith, who asked Jesus a question about life and faith. And the answer Jesus gave was that he should give away everything, and then he can come and follow him. And the man, ruler, expert in the law, teacher said, “ then who can be saved ?”  I will let you and me decide how to answer that question.

Another question that was asked of Jesus, “ should we have to pay taxes to Caesar or not ? Jesus then says to the leaders, “give me a coin” ? On the coin was the imprint of Caesar of the that era, and Jesus says , give to Caesar ( or the government ) what  is Caesar’s, and give God what is God’s. What a great answer, but I am still trying to understand it for my own life . Next time that you order a “Caesar “ salad at The Sip and Bite , think about this question.

After Jesus is arrested in Jerusalem, he is brought before the political leaders and asked some questions. Mostly , and especially in the story from “Mark” , Jesus is silent. In John, the fourth biography of Jesus in the New Testament, Pilate, the leading politician, asks a question of Jesus. “ And who are you ?” The crowd is screaming for Jesus to be killed, and the religious leaders are telling Pilate that Jesus has broken the law by threatening the Empire. So, Pilate returns to talk to Jesus, but he does not know what is going on. He knows Jesus is important by the reaction in the city, but he does not know for sure, and in the end, he washes his hands.

So why is Canada in Mali ? This is a contemporary question. We have sent peacekeepers. I think it is great that we are doing peacekeeping again. But why Mali ? Four U.S. soldiers were killed in Niger, next door to Mali. They were fighting Muslim extremists. Are we, Canada and U.S., Christian extremists fighting in small countries in Africa ? Did I/we know that Canada has invested over a billion dollars in Mali with foreign and military aid ? it is just a question . And Canadian companies have invested even more money in the minerals in Mali, including gold. Oh no, going to war or peacekeeping, to help Canadian companies do business ? In truth, we have done this before. But why Mali, and why now ? Questions do not always have to have answers, but they are always good to ask them.

What questions do you have about obtaining eternal life ?   Fred Redekop

I would never have thought that there might be a discussion of the Bible on CNN, Fox, the CBC, or in every major newspaper in the United States and Canada. But there it was. The Attorney General of the United States, who is a member of the United Methodist Church, talked about the Apostle Paul in a speech he was giving defending the separation of children from their immigrant parents. It was not a sermon, but Paul, the early church theologians and church planter, was quoted and interpreted for the world to see.

I did not agree with Jeff Sessions , the Attorney General, but it was nice to hear the Apostle Paul mentioned in the public realm.  So, Mr. Sessions quoted from Romans 13. Romans is a deeply theological book about the role of Jewish and Gentile ( I guess that is everybody in the world ) people in the Kingdom of God. Paul is trying to include everybody into the church, not what we understand to be church today, by saying that the work of Jesus of Nazareth is saving  to the whole world.

But, what is Romans 13 all about. Sessions interpreted the passage to say that the government has been ordained by God, and the policy to separate children from their refugee parents is justified by such an interpretation. He said the following, “ … [we are] to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the laws of Government  for his purposes.”  Sessions makes a huge leap from the first century to today, to say that we must obey the government  in all things.

The Roman Empire persecuted Christians at the beginning of the history of the church. Was that ordained by God ? The church was not the Empire at the beginning, but when one of the Caesars converted to Christianity, and then the church became part of the Empire.

The U.S. is the Empire. They are the leaders of the free world, and they have the biggest military in the world, so they are the Caesars of this world. So, I interpret Mr Sessions to be trying to be both the Empire and the church. This really mixes things up, so this is why you can use the Apostle Paul to justify separating migrant families. Unfortunately, we can use the Bible to justify our actions, if we believe that our actions to be true.

Romans is a complex book. The whole Bible is a complex book. Our lives are also very complex. As I say this, I cannot agree with the policy of separating families when they come into a country. This is so far from my understanding of the Christian faith . We are to take care of the least of these. We are to welcome the refugee, the orphan and widow, the most vulnerable parts of the population. Jesus is about love and compassion. This is my orientation to faith in God through Jesus and the Spirit.

Romans 13: 1,9 and 10, “ Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no other authority except that which God has established….. Love your neighbour as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. “

What do you say ? What do you think ?  How do you interpret it ?   Fred Redekop

“ Make sure that nobody pays a wrong for a wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and everyone else. “ I Thessalonians 5:15

Last evening I attended a conversation with Setsuko Thurlow. She is part of ICAN, International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons. Last year, 2017, was a great year for the campaign. In July, the United Nations passed a resolution saying that it was illegal to obtain or use nuclear weapons. So, the nine countries who have these kinds of weapons are doing something illegal in the world community. Then in October, ICAN was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its work in our world. Setsuko was one of two women from the organization that accepted the award.

Setsuko is a survivor of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945 by the United States. She was thirteen years old on that day. She has told her story thousands of times, each time to a different audience, and she said it brings back the trauma each time. She puts herself in a vulnerable position every time she tells of that horrible day.

Survivors of that day are called “hibakusha”. There are fewer of these people still alive, and Setsuko is now 86, and its is still important for her to tell here story. This week she received an honorary doctorate for the University of Waterloo for her work in attempting to abolish nuclear weapons. She became an activist soon after she arrived for a visit to the United States at the age of twenty. She was harassed and blamed for the bombing because she was from Japan. She has told her story ever since those accusations were directed at her.

What are the nuclear numbers : Russia has 7000, the United States has 6800, France 300, China 270, the United Kingdom 215, Pakistan 120-130, India 110-120, Israel 80, North Korea 10-60.  It is only nine countries, but the firepower of all these weapons is off the charts. We can be destroyed if only a few of these weapons would be used. It is an abomination to our humanity to have these weapons in our possession.

Although Canada does not have any nuclear weapons, it has been part of the history. They had scientists on the Manhattan Project, that produced the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki., It was uranium from the Northwest Territories that was in those early bombs. Canada sold  CANDU nuclear reactors to India. These reactors were used to make bombs for the Indian subcontinent’s Cold War. Finally, Canada voted against the U.N. resolution abolishing nuclear weapons last year. It is complex. We are part of NATO, and so we have to vote alongside the U.S..,England, France and other countries of NATO. It not easy to voice another opinion on the world stage ( look at the talks on trade recently ) . But we should do it. It is the right thing .

Setsuko said the following at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, “ To every president and prime minister of every nation of the world, I beseech you: Join this treaty ; forever eradicate the threat of nuclear annihilation.”

Please write to the federal government to challenge them to sign onto the treaty to abolish nuclear weapons in the world. The governments of the world spend $1.5 trillion on the military  every year. We need to honour the requests of those who died and those survived the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Please write today.

Fred Redekop

In my life in the church, I have have always read the Bible. I believe the writers were inspired by the Spirit of God to write their biographies, histories , poetry and letters. When you pick up the Bible, where do you go for inspiration ? Some churches are “ Paul” churches. An early leader in the church, Paul wrote wrote to the communities about what to believe and how to live together.

Some other churches are “ Gospel” churches , where the focus is the first four books of the New Testament and the life of Jesus. Other places read the Psalms , as it is the devotional book of the Jewish and Christian people.

But, the Bible is hard to understand, and it is old. So ,what do read alongside it. I read many novels, and I try to find God in the fiction. Not all writers are Christian, but being a Christian is my orientation. I have read a few Muslim novels from African writers, and they write differently from North American novelists. But what do you read beside your reading of the Bible ?

I write for Rejoice, a Mennonite devotional magazine. We are assigned different Scripture texts and a theme. We are given a week of writing opportunities . I read Richard Rohr’s on-line daily blog. He is a Franciscan priest, who writes from a theological perspective. I have bookmark on my computer ,  Sacred Space, but I do not use it very often. Earlier in my life, I read the Daily Bread, another devotional guide . Many people read the Bible devotionally , so they might feel closer to God

It is a giant leap from 2000 years ago to today. And as we read the sacred texts, it is really about interpretation. We might say, we read the Bible in a literal way, but none of us are going to give away all of our money and follow Jesus. There is a story from Jesus’s life about a guy who asks what must he do to inherit eternal life. And Jesus tells him to sell all that he has and give to the poor, and then come follow me. When was the last time that any of us did that as a faithful response to Jesus of Nazareth ? We read for meaning and interpretation

Do not only read the devotional material. Read the newspaper, and read history,  poetry and novels. Read them next to the Bible. One of the hardest things for Christians is to actually read the text. I am guilty of reading the first few verses, and think that I know what the passage is all about. Read the whole passage, and all the words…slowly

And then let the Spirit move you, and your thoughts, from the time of Christ to today. That is a long journey sometimes . Stay with the Spirit for a few minutes or a an hour or so. Stay with the Spirit as you drive to work. Stay with the Spirit as you play hockey. Stay with the Spirit as you preach your sermon. And stay with the Spirit as you try to live a faithful life.

The writer of the Gospel of John writes, and I read it, “ But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in him. “  ( John 20:31  ) . I am doing all my reading with this in mind. What are you reading ?

Fred Redekop