Zion Calendar

Thursday 28 November 2013

General Secretary's Weekly Letter






November 27, 2013

Dear friends,

This past weekend, we had our first snowfall of the season in Toronto. Earlier in the week, I and others in our part of the city were still raking leaves. There are a couple of maples in our yard that are always the last to lose their leaves.

The street behind our office building is lined with mid-sized ginkgo trees. This ancient tree grows naturally in China, but does well in our area, too, and is known to be tough enough to withstand the pollution of an urban environment. I liked the pattern of the triangle-shaped yellow leaves that had fallen to the ground, so I took a picture of them a couple of weeks ago that I’m using as the background picture on my BlackBerry right now.

As I walked home from work later that week, I noticed two women on the ground beneath the same row of ginkgos, eagerly gathering up the fleshy nuts that had fallen to the ground. I was curious about how they were going to use them, whether for food or medicine, but when I inquired it turned out we had a language barrier so we exchanged smiles and I carried on home, leaving them at their work.

A week later on my route home, I observed a crew of workers from either the city or the nearby apartment building, busy cleaning up the mess that littered the ground beneath the trees. They had a noisy leaf-blowing machine and were blowing all the leaves to one place where they packed them into bags for the city’s yard-waste composting program. They were getting everything tidied up before winter.

“One person’s trash is another person’s treasure” is a common phrase that captures some of the complexity of humanity.

While part of me appreciates those who work to keep our neighbourhood tidy, I found myself rejoicing at seeing someone finding value in something that others considered to be refuse. Through this small incident, I was reminded of the treasures, both noticed and unnoticed, that God has given us.

Nora

Thursday 21 November 2013

Update - Philipines Typhoon Haiyan Appeal

Members of The United Church of Canada have shown their generosity this past week. A total of $235,271.25 has been given by 1515 donors (as of 8:45 a.m., Wednesday, November 20).
 
Please share this good news through the church bulletin, in prayers and in the announcements.
 
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and ACT Alliance partners on the ground in the Philippines are co-ordinating relief and reconstruction efforts and have begun to receive the funds.
 
All donations received BY DECEMBER 9TH will be matched by our Canadian government.
 
Resources are being updated regularly – www.united-church.ca/haiyan
 
Gary Kenny
Program Coordinator,
Emergency Response
The United Church of Canada

 

Monday 18 November 2013

General Secretary's Weekly Letter






November 18, 2013


[I wrote this letter last week, but the week became so busy with meetings that it is just getting out now!]

Dear Friends,

There were long lineups of people in the lobby of the Toronto City Hall.  I wondered briefly if they were all there, as I was, for the City of Toronto’s Proclamation of a Year of Reconciliation.  Toronto Conference Executive Secretary David Allen, who was alongside me, knew what it was about.  They were all lined up to purchase bobblehead figures of Mayor Rob Ford.  A collector’s item no doubt.

I hope that the ceremony upstairs, and the fine words spoken about the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission – and of all of us – is more enduring than the plastic dolls or the antics of the politician they portray.  This is long-term work.  For the city officials and citizens who are serious about this, it will be a busy year, and the year will really just be the beginning.  This work is about painful memories, and about building a better future.  Amongst several inspiring speakers, the most significant for many of us was Holly Laforme, a member of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, and a grade 10 student from the Hagersville Secondary School.  She spoke of taking part in the Walking Together course, where students heard the stories of residential school survivors and created pieces of art depicting what they had learned.  She gave thanks for the opportunity to learn about this part of our history, and spoke with confidence that her generation will be the generation of reconciliation, the generation who can hold this knowledge and value their culture and history as they take their full parts in society.

Remembering the past gives deeper understanding of our lives today, and serves as a reminder of the things we must protect for the future.

This is a week for remembering.  The Proclamation of Reconciliation came the very day after Remembrance Day. 

Like so many of us, each Remembrance Day, I find myself rich with memories of my father, grandfather, uncles and others.  It’s ironic in a way, because Dad was never all that big on Remembrance Day.  He honoured all those who had fought, but I always had the sense that the there was much he didn’t want to remember.  All the World War I vets have passed on now, and the remaining veterans of World War II are elderly in a way that makes my heart go out to them and their courage in facing the memories on yet another Remembrance Day.  There are younger veterans, too, and they carry their burdens without certainty of a nation fully engaged and supportive of their efforts.  It is right to remember all of them, and all those whose lives have been directly affected by war.  It’s particularly important for those of us with no personal experience of war to hear the stories. 

We often speak of honouring those who fought to protect the freedoms that we enjoy, and so often take for granted, today.  Some gave up their lives, some their physical strength, and all gave days of their youth when they might have been playing hockey or enjoying life on campus.

On Remembrance Day the images on TV of the veterans standing in the snow at the ceremony at the cenotaph in Ottawa were interspersed with pictures of the devastation in the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon  Haiyan.  In the midst of remembering, we were confronted with unexpected and horrifying events in the here and now.  As dramatic weather disasters become more common, I find myself reflecting if our generation can get serious enough about sacrifice to change our climate-damaging ways.  Delegates attending a UN Climate Change conference in Warsaw this week heard emotional words on behalf of small island nations who see this event as a stark reminder of the cost of inaction about climate change.

 This is a week to remember that past, present, and future are all connected.   We remember the past and the lessons it holds.  We remember obligations we have in our lives today to remember the legacy for future generations. 

Lest we forget.

Nora

Minutes for Mission

November 17—And a Child Shall Lead Them

Sometimes how mission and service monies are raised is just as important as how much. Hear today the story of a child who stepped out in faith.

Dear friends,

This is not about services provided by M&S but rather a message of hope from a 10-year-old missionary for the fund. Her name is Faith Demchuk and she lives in Calgary, Alberta. On many occasions she visits her grandmother in Cayley—a hamlet 64 kilometres south of Calgary—and they come to our church, Wood Memorial United.

Faith is an excellent reader for her age and reads the Minute for Mission every Sunday she is there. Our church is 75 years old, very small, with a congregation that seldom exceeds 10. We are part of the Nanton-Cayley Pastoral Charge. Last March, Faith took the initiative on her own to go door to door in this hamlet of under 500 people, asking for donations to the Mission and Service Fund. Faith spread the word and collected a total of 43 dollars and 94 cents.

This is a shining example of interest and dedication to God’s work shown by one girl addressing the concerns we all have in our world today.
On behalf of The United Church of Canada, mission and service, the Rev. Karl Shin and the members of Wood Memorial we thank you, Faith, for your kindness, energy, support, and dedication. We are all very proud of you.

Respectfully submitted,


Don Ellston,


Treasurer, Wood Memorial United Church

Every gift to the church’s mission and service is used wisely and helps transform lives. Please continue to give generously.

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Philippines Struck by Super Typhoon

Emergency Response


8 November 2013
Updated 12 November, 2013

The United Church has issued a church-wide appeal for donations in response to the super typhoon that devastated much of the Philippines on November 8. Funds donated will be distributed to United Church partners in the Philippines and ACT Alliance for relief and reconstruction efforts. The Canadian government will match, dollar for dollar, donations to registered Canadian charities, including the United Church, made between November 9 and December 8.
According to the government , “For every eligible dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities in response to the impact of Typhoon Haiyan on the Philippines and other affected countries, the government will set aside one dollar for the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund. The government will use the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund to provide assistance through international and Canadian humanitarian organizations, employing established channels and procedures.”
Registered charities, including the United Church, will be able to apply to the government’s Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund to augment relief projects in the Philippines, although there is no guarantee that any project or charity will receive funding from the government’s fund.
To be eligible for matching, donations need to be received at the United Church’s General Council Office no later than December 8.

What You Can Do

Pray

  • Pray for our Filipino sisters and brothers who have lost loved ones, their homes, and their livelihoods.
  • Pray for the members of the ACT’s Philippines Forum who are working tirelessly to assess damage on the ground and organize an emergency response.
  • Pray for United Church partners in the Philippines—the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)—as they work diligently to attend to the needs of Filipinos affected by the disaster.
  • Pray for the Government of the Philippines, which is working with civil society organizations to ensure that relief needs are met as soon as possible.
  • Pray for the international community that is rushing to the aid of the people of the Philippines.

Donate Now

Please donate to Typhoon Haiyan Relief. Your donation will be applied directly to support the relief and reconstruction work of United Church partners in the Philippines and ACT Alliance. Here’s how you can donate:
  • Online via our secure donation page.
  • Phone 416-231-5931 or toll-free 1-800-268-3781 and use your Visa or MasterCard.
  • Send a cheque, money order, or Visa or MasterCard information with donation amount to:
    • The United Church of Canada
      Philanthropy Unit - Emergency Response
      3250 Bloor Street West, Suite 300
      Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4

      Please be sure to note "Emergency Response—Typhoon Haiyan Relief" on the face of your cheque.

What to Do for Your Donation to Be Matched by the Government

For United Church donations to qualify for Canadian government matching funds, certain conditions need to be met:
  • Donations need to be received at the United Church’s General Council Office no later than December 8, 2013.
  • Donations need to be received from individuals only, not companies or businesses.
To ensure that all money collected is seen as coming from individual donors, we ask that congregations
  • encourage members to give directly to The United Church of Canada.
  • Alternately, collect all personal cheques received and forward them to the United Church address above. Please include with the cheques a list of the names and addresses of individual donors and the amounts each has given.
Note: As part of the United Church’s Emergency Response Fund, 85 percent of your donation will go directly to emergency response in the Philippines. Fifteen percent will be used to respond to disasters throughout the world that do not receive media coverage and often go unnoticed. No administration fees will be deducted from your donation. Donations for Mission and Service enable the United Church to provide staffing and cover the administration costs of its emergency response work.
For more information contact:

Gary Kenny
Program Coordinator, Emergency Response and International Development
Tel: 416-231-5931 ext. 4051
Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781 ext. 4051
E-mail: gkenny@united-church.ca  

Patti Talbot
Team Leader, Church in Partnership/Asia Partnerships The United Church of Canada
Tel: 416-231-5931 ext. 4018
Toll-free:1-800-268-3781 ext. 4018
E-mail: ptalbot@united-church.ca




























Saturday 2 November 2013

General Secretary's Weekly Letter


October 31, 2013


Dear Friends,

I guess I asked for it when I said all those positive things about rain in last week’s message. Today is Hallowe’en and it’s raining. This morning, there were a lot of kids in soggy costumes heading to the school across the street from us, and getting ready to troop around the neighbourhood tonight. I hope the weather doesn’t spoil their fun.

On the other hand, maybe a gloomy day is just the thing for All Hallows’ Eve. It kind of goes with the gravestones and skeletons that some people in the neighbourhood are displaying in front of their houses.

All Hallows’ Eve is described as a Christianized feast derived from ancient Celtic harvest celebrations. But perhaps it is time to recognize that if that was the origin of Hallowe’en, it has moved well beyond either Celtic or Christian practice these days. Some who don’t take part may have faith-based reasons, but it seems safe to say that for the majority who do enjoy the costumes, trick-or-treating, the jack-o-lanterns, the ghoulish decorations, and the candy, it is simply fun. It’s not religious at all.

And in all the excitement about Hallowe’en, many of us overlook All Saints’ Day completely.

Maybe we think of saints as being more part of the Roman Catholic tradition. We are part of these traditions too. Methodists, one of our founding streams of faith, consider All Saints’ Day a time to remember Christians of every time and place. Congregations may also honour at that time all those who have died who were members of the local church congregation.

As we celebrate Hallowe’en and All Saints’ Day in whatever ways we do, let’s remember these words from our Song of Faith:

Our ancestors in faith
bequeath to us experiences of their faithful living;
upon their lives our lives are built.
Our living of the gospel makes us a part of this communion of saints,
experiencing the fulfillment of God’s reign
even as we actively anticipate a new heaven and a new earth

Peace be with you.

Nora