Being Thankful...

What better way to start than with a grace:

For food in a world where many walk in hunger,
for friends in a world where many walk alone,

for faith in a world where many walk in fear,

we give you thanks O God.

(#552 in Voices United, original German words by Manfred Wester, 1984)

And that pretty much sums it up. I coud be more specific in a list but that pretty much says it all. There are of course family (a wonderful partner and 3 beautiful daughters) and health and safety. There is the sunny day we had today (actually got the van washed and waxed--as for a sermon...)

For all these things I say thanks O God.

Next?

Friday Five on Voting

It's that season of the year when lawn signs are sprouting as surely as flowers in the spring; elections are just around the corner. And so today we bring you a Civic Duty Friday Five.

1) How old were you when you voted for the first time? Technically speaking the first time I voted would have been at the end of Grade 6 when we were electing a class representative to Student COuncil for the following year so I would have been 12. In "real" elections I would have voted the first election after turning 18.
2) What was the contest at the top of the ballot? See above. As for the first post-18 ballot I am not sure. Since federal and provincial elections in Canada don't follow a set schedule I can't remember what the next one was after March of '87 (well I think the next Federal was in fall '88 so that may well have been it)
3) Can you walk to your polling place? Depends on the election and how energetic I am at the time (seriously, you can walk anywhere in a town this size).
4) Have you ever run for public office? Nope. It was suggested 3 years ago, but I paid no serious attention to the idea.
5) Have you run for office in a club or school or on a board? Not really. I have served in positions that were theoretically electable but were often acclamations.

COnfession/Assurance and Blessing

I will be out of town until Thursday next week and so have already done next week's bulletin. With the extra lead time I actually wrote some of the stuff and thought I'd share them. They go with a sermon titled "The Word Lives -- and Cuts"

PRAYER OF CONFESSION/ASSURANCE OF PARDON
God who spoke at the beginning, your Word continues to live and inspire.
But sometimes we crowd it out with words of our own.
And yet you continue to speak a Word that calls us to New Life.
But we pretend not to hear, we are comfortable in the old.
And so sometimes you offer a Word that cuts us to the core with challenge or rebuke.
Leaving us to choose whether to respond or to walk away.
Gracious God, Living Word, open our ears to hear you again.
Living Word, forgive our deafness or inattention.
...time of reflection…
The Word of God does live with and among us. God is still speaking and will continue to speak. The Word brings not only challenge but blessing, not only rebuke but forgiveness.
We are a forgiven people. Thanks be to God! Amen

COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION
The Word lives in you as you go out from worship.
We go to share the Word of hope and promise with the world.
And may the Speaker, the Word, and the Spirit go with you in all your ways.
Amen.

ADD October 8:

Opening thoughts for this Sermon have now been posted at Riverview Rolls On.

WOrth Watching

The Dash

Both for the text and for the pictures this is worth watching.

For What are YOU Thankful?

This weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada. Later this week I may share some thoughts about why we are thankful (although I have already posted some early sermon thoughts at the church blog). But I thought I would make it more interactive.

One of the best traditions I have seen for Thanksgiving is when the gathered group goes all the way around the table and each person share what he/she is thankful for. (In many places the follow-up rule is that you can't repeat what another has said.)

SO here is the suggestion. Sometime between now and Monday let us know what you are thankful for, either here in the coments or on your own blog (if the latter please leave a note/link in the comments).

My list will come later--we have a show to attend tonight (John Berry and Diane Chase)

Might have to buy this one

In tonight's paper (front of section B) there was an article about this book. It looks like it would be worth a look.

The article talked about the author realizing how stressed out he was at the length of time it took him to dial on a rotary phone (remember those?) while on vacation and that was a wake up call for him.

Among his tips in the article (can't find it through Google thus far):

• slow down: Ask yourself, what's my hurry?
• Don't multi-task inefficiently: Give one task your full attention
• DO what matters to you most

The article also told of a woman whose company provided a BlackBerry so she could always be in touch--and how much more relaxed she became when she changed jobs to a place that didn't do so (after getting over the addiction to the constant communication).

Oh, yes, I think that will be part of my 2007 reading.

BAB II: Domestic Violence

I was having trouble deciding what to blog about for BAB so here is my other choice.

I remember the first time I saw it for real. I was at work and a mother came in with a bright purple eye/cheek.

I remember the child at camp who kept saying "I need to be hit".

I could go and look up the statistics about the number of people affected by violence in the home. But it doesn't change the fact that it tears the heart up.

THankfully we have moved past the time when Jackie GLeason regularly threatedned domestic violence on prime-time TV. But still do we take it seriously enough?

TOday someone is being wounded by a partner or parent or child. I can't understand it but I know it is out there.

WHat does our response need to be?

Blogging Across Boundaries: Politicians

I am not a politician, nor do I play one on television. And I am sufficiently politically aware and socially involved that I can point out where I disagree with and disapprove of decisions made by those in government (at any level).

But I also feel sorry for politicians. To misquote Rodney Dangerfield, "they don't get no respect".

One of the reasons I have no desire to run for office is that I have no desire to put up with the, to put it bluntly, crap that politicians get, particularly at the municipal level.

In a small community municipal leaders are, by and large, people who have offered to take a chunk of time out of their everyday lives to provide leadership and guidance to the whole community. And in exchange they get vilified at a regular basis for decisions that they make. These are our neighbours. They deserve respect. They deserve to be treated fairly.

I have never lived under a government whose decisions I always agreed with. I admit that I have spoken disparagingly of decisions and those who make them. But we owe them better. It is possible to think that the decision is wrong without calling the decision-maker names. Let's give it a try.

Sleep, BLessed Sleep!

Over the last week something has happpened. Baby has started to sleep all the way through the night!

My, isn't that nice (especially for mom who was up longer to feed her, I sort of woke up when the arose and then rolled over back to sleep).

Pass the Bread!

At one of the first family meals after we were married I called out "could someone toss me a bun?" and of course they did, literally (I don't think Patty realized I was expecting that to happen in her family--she thought I was being metaphorical for pass).

But isn't that the beauty of family meals, the freedom to pass the food down the table (or toss it as appropriate), the laughter and joking, the comfort of being welcomed.

TOday is Worldwide Communion Sunday. Today we sit around a giant table with our family. Today we break bread, metaphorically at least, with our brothers and sisters of all colours, denominations, sexual orientations, and places. Is this family table a place of ease and comfort? Or is it a place of stilted phrases and tension? MAy it be the former.

Oh and could someone please toss me the bread?