As I have been following some of the discussions and fallout surrounding the election of a female Presiding Bishop by the Episcopal Church in the US I have had reason to reflect on some of these old feelings about what is "proper".
I was born in 1969, I grew up in what was largely a post-feminist world. Or so I always believed. I honestly never saw reason that women couldn't do what men could do and vice versa. (As a male who worked for years in a job that many considered a "woman's position" I know that the sexism sword cut both ways.) The first time I remember being confronted with overt sexism was when I was working in a restaurant kitchen. And that was mainly one person who was just generally boorish anyway.
But as I got older I started to realize how strongly some of these old biases hang on. I know that for some people gender makes all the difference in the world. And I know that there are some roles that will forever be typecast as male or female in some minds. What I don't understand is why?
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
National Aboriginal Day
Cross posted from Riverview Rolls On
Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. It is also National Aboriginal Day, a day when Aboriginal communities across the country will have special events. For the church it is a day to reflect on our relationships with Aboriginal peoples.
This relationship is difficult to say the least. Our Methodist and Presbyterian forebears came with the best of intentions and did some, by modern standards, damaging things. They came with a belief that they had the truth and that all other spiritualities were invalid. They came to bring people to God and later worked to assimilate people into mainline culture. Looking back, we now recognize that these things, while also bringing education and skills to live in new ways as the traditional ways were disappearing (largely due to European attitudes and actions) were acts of violence against a people and their culture.
20 years ago, in 1986, at a General Council Meeting in Sudbury the Moderator offered words of apology to the First Nations people. Since then we have tried to live out that apology. Over the last 20 years we have tried to come to grips with the reality of residential schools and tried to seek a way of helping to repair the damage done by that system. We have established a Healing Fund, monies set aside not for paying lawsuits but for funding projects to bring healing of wounded souls and spirits.
The United Church as a whole has put much effort into restoring Right Relationships with First nations people. As individuals some of us have done a lot and some still have trouble understanding why we keep apologizing for things that happened before we were born. But part of being the church is talking about our community responsibility. As a community we, unintentionally, were part of injury being done. As a community we will help to repair the damage.
Sometimes it is up to the children to pay for the sins of the parents.Other resources around the United Church and First Nations can be found here.
Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. It is also National Aboriginal Day, a day when Aboriginal communities across the country will have special events. For the church it is a day to reflect on our relationships with Aboriginal peoples.
This relationship is difficult to say the least. Our Methodist and Presbyterian forebears came with the best of intentions and did some, by modern standards, damaging things. They came with a belief that they had the truth and that all other spiritualities were invalid. They came to bring people to God and later worked to assimilate people into mainline culture. Looking back, we now recognize that these things, while also bringing education and skills to live in new ways as the traditional ways were disappearing (largely due to European attitudes and actions) were acts of violence against a people and their culture.
20 years ago, in 1986, at a General Council Meeting in Sudbury the Moderator offered words of apology to the First Nations people. Since then we have tried to live out that apology. Over the last 20 years we have tried to come to grips with the reality of residential schools and tried to seek a way of helping to repair the damage done by that system. We have established a Healing Fund, monies set aside not for paying lawsuits but for funding projects to bring healing of wounded souls and spirits.
The United Church as a whole has put much effort into restoring Right Relationships with First nations people. As individuals some of us have done a lot and some still have trouble understanding why we keep apologizing for things that happened before we were born. But part of being the church is talking about our community responsibility. As a community we, unintentionally, were part of injury being done. As a community we will help to repair the damage.
Sometimes it is up to the children to pay for the sins of the parents.Other resources around the United Church and First Nations can be found here.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
General Council Info
The General Council of the United Church has it's triennial meeting this summer. For information about the meeting, including a draft agenda and the workbook for commissioners, go here.
ONe of the interesting pieces is a major piece of work on clergy compensation and a proposal for some major changes in how that happens (this is pages 93-120 in the "Commissions" part of the workbook)
ONe of the interesting pieces is a major piece of work on clergy compensation and a proposal for some major changes in how that happens (this is pages 93-120 in the "Commissions" part of the workbook)
Monday, June 19, 2006
Suffering for Faith
Today I wrote my opening thoughts for Sunday's sermon. As I have mentioned before, I am challenging myself to preach on the Epistle readings this summer. SOme weeks the opening is obvious (next week is one) but this weeek, not so much. This weeks reading is 2 Corinthians 6:1-13. I spent a good portion of time this morning trying to work out what this passage had to say to us today. BUt then it struck me.
Maybe what this passage can do is remind us that faith isn't always easy. Maybe it can remind us that it isn't supposed to be easy. In a world where Patty and I are the youngest adults in the church on many Sundays and I still get into debates about why not saying the Lord's Prayer in school is the right thing we may need to be reminded that faith isn't about being part of the cultural center.
SOmetime in the next few months I need to raise issues of vision and mission. I need to point out that while we may have trouble meeting our budget, money isn't the problem (in fact I may well argue nex week that part of the problem is we aren't doing, and therefore aren't spending, enough). The problem is that we have trouble getting excited, or showing that the church excites us, or passing on the message that there is something here that is worth sacrificing for. Maybe talking about Paul's suffering and struggle can start that. Or maybe not. I really don't know yet.
Mind you, I am cheating a little and doing a bit of an introduction to Paul in the first part of the sermon. HE is after all arguably the most influential theologian of the CHristian Scripture and while we may assume that people knows who he is and why he wrote all these letters I am not sure that is true anymore. So many of us have become Biblically illiterate these days.
Maybe what this passage can do is remind us that faith isn't always easy. Maybe it can remind us that it isn't supposed to be easy. In a world where Patty and I are the youngest adults in the church on many Sundays and I still get into debates about why not saying the Lord's Prayer in school is the right thing we may need to be reminded that faith isn't about being part of the cultural center.
SOmetime in the next few months I need to raise issues of vision and mission. I need to point out that while we may have trouble meeting our budget, money isn't the problem (in fact I may well argue nex week that part of the problem is we aren't doing, and therefore aren't spending, enough). The problem is that we have trouble getting excited, or showing that the church excites us, or passing on the message that there is something here that is worth sacrificing for. Maybe talking about Paul's suffering and struggle can start that. Or maybe not. I really don't know yet.
Mind you, I am cheating a little and doing a bit of an introduction to Paul in the first part of the sermon. HE is after all arguably the most influential theologian of the CHristian Scripture and while we may assume that people knows who he is and why he wrote all these letters I am not sure that is true anymore. So many of us have become Biblically illiterate these days.
BLOGGER!
Help please!
I just put a post on the church blog and the whole blog has disappeared! As I was looking at settings and so on to try to find out what happened it appears that half the template code is gone. Suggestions? (No I didn't have the code saved anywhere as a back up--but am about to do so for this blog).
UPDATE:
I rebuilt the template--but now the spacing is screwy. More work ahead I suppose.
UPDATE #2
Got it! Ended up changing the base template but I got it. ANd Patty says it looks less like a wanted poster now.
I just put a post on the church blog and the whole blog has disappeared! As I was looking at settings and so on to try to find out what happened it appears that half the template code is gone. Suggestions? (No I didn't have the code saved anywhere as a back up--but am about to do so for this blog).
UPDATE:
I rebuilt the template--but now the spacing is screwy. More work ahead I suppose.
UPDATE #2
Got it! Ended up changing the base template but I got it. ANd Patty says it looks less like a wanted poster now.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
O WHat a Rogue And peasant SLave...no wait that isn't right.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Hmmmmmm,
Just got back from walking the dog. On the way we passed the owner of the local lawn care company applying weed-n-feed to a lawn. AS required for safety, he was wearing full coveralls and a resirator that pretty much covered his whole face. As I watched him spraying I couldn't help but think.
If the product is unsafe enough for humans that you need to wear that level of protection and put a warning sign on the lawn when finished -- what makes us think it is safe to put into the environment at all (much less intentionally)?
If the product is unsafe enough for humans that you need to wear that level of protection and put a warning sign on the lawn when finished -- what makes us think it is safe to put into the environment at all (much less intentionally)?
Good News!
Last year when I started this blog I talked about living in a town under siege. Well the Siege has (temporarily at least) been lifted:
Eventually the generating station will close. Eventually the mills in this area will close. Wouldn't we be better off to expand now so that we are better able to absorb those hits when they come? I know there are people in town who share that belief. Hopefully they will carry the day.
Medieval cities knew that even while you celebrated the besiegers packing up and going home, you had to get ready for the next attack. Some things remain the same. Celebrate yes, but keep strengthening for what may come in a few years.
Most certainly this is good news. But I hope that people won't lose focus now. Over the last year a LOT of effort has been put into finding ways to grow/broaden the town's economic base. My fear is that now citizens and government will say "whew, the crisis has passed" and stop working to make those new ideas come to fruition. That would be a shame.
Eventually the generating station will close. Eventually the mills in this area will close. Wouldn't we be better off to expand now so that we are better able to absorb those hits when they come? I know there are people in town who share that belief. Hopefully they will carry the day.
Medieval cities knew that even while you celebrated the besiegers packing up and going home, you had to get ready for the next attack. Some things remain the same. Celebrate yes, but keep strengthening for what may come in a few years.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Holiday Time
I am on holidays this week (minus the 2-hour teleconference this morning). SO how am I spending it?
- Lots of time reading blogs and playing computer games.
- extra time with the girls (we went swimming yesterday morning).
- cut the lawn yesterday -- on our lot that is a 2 hour job at least.
- as a result of bug bites doing #3 spent 2 hours waiting to see the Dr. on-call today. Last night whem Miriam woke to feed my lower arm and hand were in great pain. THe elbow area was fiery to the touch and somewhat swollen. It was better this morning but after feeding Miriam the weight on the elbow had everyting aching again so off to the Dr. Diagnosis is a strong reaction to a bug bite and treat symptoms with analgesics and anti-histamines (pretty much what I suspected but the pain/wekness in the hand were a little off-putting).
- a restful day tomorrow (minus another 2-hour meeting) and then off to my mother-in-law's for the Thurs-Sun. May even go to hear a fellow blogger preach on Sunday...
Hello, My Name is...
Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti
IT is high on my list of favourtie movies. But I must confess, my first try was Count Rugen.
Hat tip to Phantom Scribbler
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