Pastor's Messages from Prints of Peace
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There are 68 Messages in 9 pages and your are on page number 6

O Christ the Same

As irony would have it, I participated in a BC Hydro survey about the corporation’s response to power outages just a week before the fall storms hit. Since none of us are superstitious no one will blame my participation in the survey for having had their power knocked out, right?!
When the first storm hit we personally were not affected, though many were. Our boys were a little disappointed their schools continued to have power. Two snow days and being sent home because the power was knocked out would have been too good to be true.
I admit, I never knowingly had experienced a power outage before, at least not for more than a minute or two. I suppose I can consider myself lucky, - i.e. blessed.
When the second storm hit, our power was out. At first it was quite novel: no computer, no tv, no video games. Not bad, I thought. I could live this way. Of course, it was dark in the house (as well as in the neighbourhood). But we had candles. Romantic, isn’t it? Then I thought of the food in fridge and freezer. We told our children not to open the fridge to survey it, but to open it only if they had to and if they already knew what they were going to get. Minimize fridge openings, preserve food. I also realized that the furnace fan wouldn’t come on since I hadn’t hooked my bicycle to the generator yet... So I turned off the heat all together and began to hope that the power would come back on soon and that in the meantime the candles would throw enough heat. I also remembered that we did have good sleeping bags. Before you think that I suffered for long I must tell you that on this Monday evening I had a meeting at the church. And the church had power. So I did leave my family in the cold and headed to the church. (Actually, I offered them to come along and find shelter at the church. However, they declined). When I came home power had been restored, the house was warm, and no food had spoilt. All in all the power had only been out for five hours.
What I did realize was how dependent we are on modern conveniences our ancestors knew nothing about. I realized how sheltered from the forces of nature (i.e. winter, darkness) our life has become. At the same time I realized how vulnerable we are when all of a sudden we don’t have these things. All of our modern conveniences and our technology give us a sense of control, of being in charge. Being in charge is good, we don’t want to be at the mercy of the forces of nature or of others, for that matter.
But all it takes is a little wind to show us our limitations, to remind us that we cannot live against this planet but that we’re part of it, that it is in our nature to be vulnerable, to be dependent.
I learnt that in this life and in this world being vulnerable is normal, being sheltered is not. I do not wish us any more power outages, or anything of that nature. But I do hope that we may live this new year aware of our vulnerability, so we may seek shelter and security where alone we can find it: in Christ. So that we may sing:

O Christ the same, through all our story’s pages -
our loves and hopes, our failings and our fears;
eternal Lord, the king of all the ages,
unchanging still amid the passing years:
O living Word, the source of all creation,
who spread the skies and set the stars ablaze;
O Christ the same, who wrought our whole salvation,
we bring our thanks for all our yesterdays.

O Christ the same, secure within whose keeping
our lives and loves, our days and years remain;
our work and rest, our waking an our sleeping,
our calm and storm, our pleasure and our pain;
O Lord of love, for all our joys and sorrows,
for all our hopes when earth shall fade and flee;
O Christ the same, beyond our brief tomorrows,
we bring our thanks for all that is to be.

Tune: Londonderry Air, Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Tuesday, January 02, 2007 at 12:31

Identity – God’s, and Ours
Theologian John Shea tells the following story:

“The Ganges was calm. Peace was upon the waters as the young girl walked the banks of the river. Her thoughts were the thoughts of youth. Who would she marry? What would she do? How many children would she have? Would she be rich and have servants? Ahead of her she noticed an old woman. She was dressed in a beautiful sari and her face was radiant. Next to her the Ganges appeared a troubled river.
As the young woman approached her, the old woman suddenly bent over some branches that had washed into shore. Her hand moved among the branches; then she quickly pulled it out. When the young woman was close enough, she saw what was happening. A spider had impaled itself on a thorn and the woman was trying to free it. But every time she attempted to lift the spider off, he bit her. She would remove her hand, suck the poisonous blood from her finger, and try again.
The young woman watched for a while and spoke. “Old woman, what foolishness is this? Leave the spider to its fate. Every time you try to help it, it repays you with a bite.”
The old woman smiled. “The spider’s nature is to bite. Mine is to save. Will I lose myself on the banks of this sacred river?”(1)

It’s a story about nature and nurture, choice and identity. Who am I and who do I choose to be? Who do I want to be and who am I created to be? In this way the story is a story about people.
The story is also a story about God. God’s nature is affected by humanity, Jesus cried over his people, God is moved by our lives and actions. However, unlike us, God’s nature is not changed. God remains true to himself and in doing so God remains faithful to us, his children.
God’s faithfulness and steadfastness are assuring to us. These are also beckoning us to our true identity. Jesus calls on us in our actions not to be guided by what we can get but by what we can give.
In our existence and in our theology we know ourselves as capable to abandon our principles and values and capable of holding on to them and letting them guide us in our relationships with others - without the expectation of reciprocity. We know that if we abandon them we lose not only our neighbour but also ourselves. St. Francis said that it is in giving that we receive.
The truth about God surpasses our understanding but stories can help us grasp more than we otherwise might. Stories are representations of a larger reality.
We are quickly moving toward Christmas. In the story, Christmas is this: God remains God. It is God’s nature to save and that is why Jesus came. Being saved means to remember who made us and that our creatureliness connects us to the heart of God. God doesn’t stop with saving us. God wants us to take on his nature and be agents of his salvation.

(1) John Shea, An Experience Named Spirit, Chicago, Illinois 1983: The St. Thomas More Press, page 8
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Saturday, December 02, 2006 at 22:19

Faith & Responsibility

On our mailbox in Winnipeg we had a sign that read: “Save Our Trees - No Flyers Please”. We attached the sign to eliminate one small source of waste. It worked for us because the community newspapers most the flyers came in did not provide information that was not also reported by local broadcast media or by the Winnipeg Free Press.
Since we have been in Abbotsford we have been receiving flyers again and I am not sure how to stop them. They come in the local papers that are the only source of information about what’s going on in our city.
We did not receive flyers for about five years. We got used to it. It made organizing the recycling easier. It saved trees for better purposes. But mostly it kept us from wanting things we didn’t need. It hadn’t even been the reason for not wanting flyers but perhaps it was the best reason of all. Of course, because we didn’t read flyers we missed a lot of deals, but we saved more by not buying things we didn’t know about (and didn’t need).

Media outlets are reporting on a new study1 about the human impact on the environment, “The world’s natural ecosystems are being degraded at a rate unprecedented in human history.”2
It’s about sustainability: What we currently consume the earth cannot sustain. It is that simple. If we don’t change we will need two earths by 2050. This imposes a huge burden on our children and grandchildren. In fact, it is a threat to their future.

I wonder at times how we deal with news of ecological disaster. I can think of a few ways:
• since the greatest impact of the disasters is projected for the future we don’t make a connection to today
• we relativize the research, saying this is only one opinion
• we blame industry and politicians
• we hold on to the creed that science will find a solution, thereby ignoring the fact that the solution is our responsibility.

The first warnings about climate change caused by the human specie were voiced in the early 1970s.3 It is stunning how much time we have spent debating the merit of those studies and how little the warnings have impacted our behaviour. That’s approximately 30 years of denial.

The Gospels report that Jesus’ ministry was preceded by that of John the Baptist and that Jesus’ ministry followed seamlessly that of John (see Matthew 3:2 and Matthew 4:17). Both John and Jesus proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand and both make clear that the Kingdom of God requires of us fundamental change. The Bible calls it repentance. We turn from our old ways and in hope and faith we turn toward God’s ways, - knowing that God’s Spirit will make us new. Such re-creation allows us to see beyond ourselves and to live joyfully in service to God and others.

What do we do? Climate change is consumer (and voter) driven. We have more power and more responsibility than we think. We must think about how and what we consume, but the key lies in consuming less. We live too much as consumers and too little as disciples anyhow. Responding to climate change should not be anything new for Christians. After all, turning from our old ways to God’s ways is part of what our faith is all about. Besides, we have long known that material things do not grant us happiness but often distract us from God’s Kingdom. (“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Lk 12:34)
Because our faith assures us that God provides for us, Christians can lead the way in what it means to take up the challenge and consume smarter and to consume less.
Think of all that will be set free, in time, worry, resources!

Yours,

Pastor Christoph


1 World Wildlife Fund: Living Planet Report
2 The Globe and Mail, 24 October 2006
3 see: Spencer R. Weart in “The Public and Climate Change”. Dr Weart is Director of the Center for History of Physics of the American Institute of Physics (AIP).
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Monday, October 30, 2006 at 13:37

Dignity and Respect - Concerns about Body Worlds

Remember when in 1993 warlords in Mogadishu/Somalia dragged the body of an American marine behind a jeep through the streets of Mogadishu? We were outraged and could not believe our eyes. The hair on our necks was standing because just about everything we believed in had been violated.
Now schools are organizing field trips to see skinned human beings skateboarding, wearing silly hats, arranged in grotesque poses. To some it is art, to some it is science. It is true that the human anatomy can be observed well when a person’s skin is pulled back. But should it be just because it can? And should we go just because we can? To some this is reminiscent of skinned baby seals, to the chairperson of the Synagogue in Berlin/Germany it is reminiscent of the lampshades the Nazis fabricated from the skin of their victims.
The people whose bodies are on display supposedly gave their permission, although no one really knows (as National Public Radio in the US has reported). And even if they did, does that make the objectification of human beings right? We may say that it is “only the body”. But in the mystery of life have we ever encountered a human being without body? And doesn’t every society and culture treat the body of the deceased with respect to honour the person and in reverence of life? So when we turn human bodies into objects, don’t we justify the objectification of human beings, the exploitation of any kind?
Think about why we were outraged when the body of the Marine was dragged through Mogadishu. After all, he was already dead. And why do we think it is OK for school classes to visit such an exhibit? (In our death denying culture we’d probably object to a field trip to the local morgue or funeral home where the dead are treated with respect). Doesn’t anyone fear that our children learn more about life than about death, namely, that the body is only a machine, that when it’s over it’s over, and that therefore the values we all hold (as different as they may be) are all relative? If our values are all relative perhaps this means that we don’t only show too much respect for the dead but also for the living. Such seems the logical outcome (at least in the long run) of such misunderstood education.
Field trips of this nature are the result of an educational approach that confuses education with the infusion of information, and that strives to be value-neutral to the point that one wonders whether it stands for anything.
Don’t we fear for the result of such approach?

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Christoph


Statement of the Archdiocese of Vancouver (RC)

Of related interest is an article by Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl of the Beth Tzedec Synagogue in Toronto, giving a description of what you will see and a very sound theological analysis.


For background on Body Worlds:

- National Public Radio: "Origins of Exhibited Cadavers Questioned" and links to other articles on the subject by the same NPR author.

- The Guardian: "Von Hagens forced to return controversial corpses to China"

- The Philadelphia Inquirer: "Body Ethics, Body Aesthetics"

- Stop Body Worlds, a website presenting information and gathering opposition to the cadaver business. Includes an alternate Study Guide that asks important ethical questions. For teachers, educators, parents and anyone interested.
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Monday, October 02, 2006 at 09:45

Discipleship
and
The Glue That Holds Our Society Together

In early September I heard a discussion on CBC radio about the children of visible minorities in the UK and extremism. The background for the discussion was a book on the subject. The reality it described was that these children were more likely to become extremists than their parents. In fact, their parents worked hard to blend in, accepting discrimination, and often working jobs well below their qualifications. Much of this they did to provide a better future with more opportunities for their children. At least that what I can gather from what I heard.
In the discussion the panelists made the following statements: a) We need to differentiate between rhetoric and action. People may say one thing but do another.
b) the people we need to be most mindful of are those (fundamentalists) who have disavowed materialism and consumerism. That made me listen up, after all, this is also what Jesus teaches: He calls the poor blessed (Luke 6), tells the Rich Young Ruler to sell all he has (Mark 9), and when he sends out the seventy (Luke 10) he tells them to take with them no purse, bag or sandals. So when I heard the statement I thought, ‘Hmmm, are we suspicious too?’ But then I was comforted by the fact that despite all attempts, I have not managed to separate myself from my possessions. So maybe I’m OK (at least in the eyes of the authorities...). The last thing I remember from the show is the comment about the glue that holds our pluralistic society together. It is not common values, not common faith, it is not laws, apparently it is consumerism. Consumerism is not only what keeps the economy going but also what creates a sense of common interest and pursuit in our Western societies. I thought, two things: 1) ‘God have mercy on us when the next recession comes’, and 2) ‘What did Jesus say about wealth in the Sermon on the Mount?’ “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24)
I know, and I have been preaching it for some time: The Christian Faith is counter-cultural, it is not an expression of being good, decent, and law-abiding (although, for the most part, I hope that we strive to be), it is a longing for the Kingdom of God, knowing that salvation comes to us from above, not through our own means; knowing that the things we naturally pursue aren’t necessarily the values of God’s Kingdom. Rather, where we hoard God gives away, where we seek revenge God wants to forgive, where we seek to be right God accepts, where we seek to be wise God shows that his foolishness is wiser than our wisdom (1 Cor 1:25), where we seek security in things God offers us security in Him.
So what does this mean to me? Maybe I’ll try to be less presumptuous about being a good disciple on the right path. Hopefully I will pray more and while I pray listen more to the voice of God’s Holy Spirit. In the Gospel of John Jesus says to the disciples: “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:8-11) I’ll try to listen more, so I can walk in his paths each day, so that His joy and my joy may be complete.

Yours,
Pastor Christoph
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Monday, October 02, 2006 at 09:38

Unreserved Praise

When Jackie and I were first married we lived in Germany. We lived on the old embankment of the city of Göttingen, next to the house to which Otto von Bismarck had been banished for drunken and disorderly behaviour during his fraternity days (Bismarck was chancellor of Germany in the late 19th century). Being on the edge of the old city meant that we were close not only to a great florist but also to the farmer’s market which was held three times a week. We were newly weds and I bought Jackie flowers at least once a week. I have to admit that it wasn’t just being newly weds, I have always liked having flowers around, even though I am not a gardener. There is something life affirming in flowers, and even the smallest and most delicate flowers proclaim the greatness of God without fear or reservation.

And so I will admit that I have never understood when obituaries read ‘in lieu of flowers’. In fact, I have told my family that at my funeral I don’t want any of this ‘in lieu of flowers’ business. I want lots of flowers, overflowing and abundant. (Besides, I hope that people don’t need my death to make them give to the church and other ministries). Of course, I know that I have little influence over whether there will be flowers at my funeral. But I hope that there will be lots, because to me they are more important than a good eulogy. For me flowers proclaim the love of God , - for how could there be anything so beautiful without a loving creator! And if the flowers proclaim the love of God then they also proclaim God’s mercy, which I need now, but will also need when I will stand before the throne of God. And if flowers proclaim the mercy of God then they also proclaim the life that God gave me when I was born and the one into which God called me when I was baptized. And so to me, flowers, readings, songs, proclamation, and love for one another all work together in harmony to the praise of God.

We are blessed to live in a part of the country where the growing season is abundant as well as long. Many of us have beautiful gardens that proclaim the goodness of God. In our church we have a large chancel area, perfect to place flowers to proclaim to us the love and mercy of God and to join in our praise.

At times there may be minor logistical problems as to there being enough vases or buckets, or occasionally someone will want to bring flowers to celebrate an anniversary or in memory of a loved one (which we mention in the bulletin). Yet I still believe that the more flowers adorn our church the better. Not only because there is a big space at the front of the church but because no amount of praise can be too much. It is in the concert of voices that God finds the greatest joy.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Christoph
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 at 10:35

Talking Ourselves Into Being Christian

I recently came across a book by the title: Testimony - Talking Ourselves Into Being Christian (by Thomas G. Long, Jossey-Bass 2004 [San Francisco]). I bought it because I was intrigued by the subtitle.

What does it mean to talk yourself into being Christian? Is it like talking your parents into buying you a new toy, persuading your spouse to move, to persuade someone to do something they don’t really want to do? Well, I didn’t think that it would mean that.

The title did raise the question of what it is that makes me Christian. Is it my baptism many years ago? Perhaps my confirmation? Certain things I do or convictions I hold?

At the very least, the title suggests that, like the persistence needed to talk someone into something, being Christian is an ongoing and persistent effort, with a progressive learning curve.

The book focuses on the articulation of our faith. And while we may be used to hearing that speaking about our faith is a form of evangelism, this is not the point of the book. Rather, it argues that if the language of faith describes a relevant reality, describes life as it really is, then this language cannot be restricted to Sunday mornings. Sunday mornings are practice times for the rest of the week. But if the articulation of our faith is restricted to Sunday mornings then it is only the language of the religious ghetto.1

One of the teachers at our old school in Winnipeg had a small sheet with learning percentages posted on her door. It went something like this:
You remember
10% of what you hear
20% of what you read
40% of what you write
85% of what you explain to others
She had it posted as a way of explaining her teaching style: The more the students were actively involved in the learning process, the more they would learn!

If you have ever explained anything to anybody you know how in the process you have sometimes gained more insight, come to a deeper understanding, and come to believe something more deeply. When I studied at the Vancouver School of Theology it was emphasized that it is in the dialogue with other traditions we will understand our own tradition better.

In the book Thomas Long puts it this way: “Sometimes seminary students struggling to compose their first sermons will exclaim in frustration, ‘I know what I believe, I just can’t say it.’ This is understandable, but in some ways, just the reverse is true. Unless you say it, you don’t really believe it. .... When we talk about our faith, we are not merely expressing our beliefs, we are coming more fully and clearly to believe. In short, we are always talking ourselves into being Christian.”

Summer holidays are upon us. Time to travel, to relax, to spend time with family and friends, perhaps more than at other times of the year. As you spend your summer try to include your faith in your language and by doing so include your faith in all your days and all that you do.

Yours,
Pastor Christoph

1 The author is aware that talk can be cheap and that in an age where there is often too much talk - including religious talk - we must not sputter forth religious platitudes for the sake of sounding Christian.
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 09:54

He Comes to us as One Unknown
Some have said that hospitality is at the heart of the Gospel. That means that hospitality is not just societal convention, not just something you do, perhaps something everyone does or should do, but it is Christian. That does not mean that non-Christians aren’t good hosts and hostesses. There are many, but hospitality itself is Christian.

Why?
● Because we once were strangers. Welcoming a stranger is to be reminded of God’s welcome of us, to be reminded of the graceful nature of God’s relationship with you and me.
● Because we learn in the scriptures that God Himself comes to us in the person of the stranger. Because in welcoming the stranger some have entertained angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:8); in the three strangers at Mamre Abraham and Sarah hosted God (Genesis 18), those who do good unto others and especially the least of these, do this to Jesus himself (Matthew 25). How could we not long to do these things?
● Because welcoming a stranger means to share in the nature of God, it means to accept a person the way God accepts us: without condition and without expectation of repayment or reciprocity.

Are we always good hosts?
Probably not. But we keep on trying and we live by forgiveness.

What else can we do?
● Greet others (cross the room to do so), especially new faces or people who you find more difficult to accept or like (now I am going to wonder why you greet me ....).
● Share your hymn book with your neighbour and/or help your neighbour find their place in the liturgy. Make following the service easy for visitors, children, or people with disabilities.
● If someone needs to know where the nursery is, let them know, yet without sounding like they should be there instead of next to you.
● If a guest seems unsure about communion ask whether they would like to be part of it. If they ask whether they can, tell them that all who are baptized and desire to receive Christ are welcome, regardless of their denomination.
● Be scent-sensitive. Many people suffer from allergies. Strong perfumes or aftershaves can be problematic.
● On your way to the door: Speak with those in line with you, not just those you know. Introduce yourself, ask their name. Remember, that nowhere can one feel more lonely than in a crowd.
● When in the narthex or nave: never form a closed circle, always keep the circle open for others to join in the conversation. Ask those standing by themselves to join in.
● We have designated greeters but not to let the rest of us off the hook. We are all hosts.
If you are a greeter on a given Sunday: Do not stand in line to greet worship leaders, if you do so our visitors will beat you to the door. Exit during the last hymn to the narthex to greet visitors. Welcome to coffee and fellowship after the service is as important as welcome before the service.
● At potlucks or social events, sit with people you don’t know.

We give thanks to God for all who come in our midst and we pray that in and through us they would experience the love of God.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Christoph

Thanks to Dorothy C. for getting this started some time ago and for reminding us that our church is our home, therefore we welcome people at the church with the same joy and care as we would at our home.
Posted by Christoph Reiners on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 09:50

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