Sunday Worship in Tough Times

Athabasca United Church has been busy this week with news of Covid-19 and community responses.  All doorknobs, railings, pews and phones were sterilized with bleach this week and will continue to be cleaned regularly.  We have placed sanitizers at the front door, and at tables in the Winding Trail Room and the Basement entrance.  Soap and water is still better at killing viruses.  We are already used to passing the peace in creative ways other than handshaking, whether it’s Namaste bows, Spock’s Vulcan greeting or the Peace sign with our fingers.  We continue to bless each other responsibly and this is a good reminder to think of our neighbors’ health before our own. We are also preparing at home worship kits for folks who are self-isolating.

In Singapore, church leaders worked to find a faithful moderation.  “The biggest lesson for me has been navigating the road between fear and wisdom,” said pastor Andre Tan of The City Church. “It is especially tough as fear often has a way to masquerade itself as wisdom. How many precautionary measures are actually sound judgment and how many are too much, such that they teeter over into irrational fear and anxiety?”

The guidance we've received from The United Church authorities is to respond in three ways:

Compassion

“Overwhelming statistics outlining the number of confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 make it easy to disassociate the numbers from the people and communities involved.

As a church, we seek a compassionate response that acknowledges the personhood attached to each statistic.
We know that the people affected include not only those infected by the COVID-19 virus but also their families, friends, co-workers, and community members. We mourn with people whose loved ones have died, who have lost community through self-isolation and limited travel, and who have lost a sense of security through fear of illness or racism.

We also offer our prayers of thanksgiving for the professionals who are providing leadership in the treatment and containment of the virus, and our prayers of concern for those who serve others, especially health professionals.”

Prevention

“We hope the most vulnerable people in our society will be able to rely on us—communities of faith—to do all that we can to prevent the spread of both the virus and of the fears surrounding it.  Our gathering places should promote good health practices, and when necessary, we can provide alternative programming for those who are most at risk or isolated.

We encourage communities of faith to

·       seek and share stories from those most affected by the virus, praying with our kin around the world

·       challenge, clarify and correct all comments about COVID-19 that are prejudiced or racist or promoting unnecessary fear

·       practise and model washing our hands often, coughing or sneezing into our sleeves, and avoiding touching our face or the faces of those who are most vulnerable

·       educate community members on how they can prevent the spread of viruses”

Prayer

“Our faithful response of compassion and prevention needs to be surrounded and guided by our continual prayer for the well-being of all people. May we continue to collaborate and learn from health care professionals as we seek ways to honor and respect all people at all times.”

“Mission & Service partners in China express their thanks for our prayers and support. Funds contributed by the United Church have helped provide much-needed medical supplies, disinfectant, protective clothing, and food items on the ground in Hubei Province.

Mission & Service partner the China Christian Council (CCC) recently wrote to the United Church:

“We would like to express our sincere thanks to all of our friends praying for and supporting China and Hubei. […] Now the epidemic is basically under control, but there are still many patients in hospital. The CCC is continuing to ship medical supplies for hospitals in Wuhan. […] We are very concerned about the situation in other countries and we call on all Christians in China to pray for the medical experts and patients of the world.”

Mission & Service partner the Amity Foundation has been actively working since January 2020 to help contain the COVID-19 outbreak, supporting hospitals and communities in fighting the virus. On March 4, they reported delivering more than 470 tons of disinfection supplies, two specially designed ambulances, 1,000 sets of respirators, 23 ventilators, 10,000 virus sampling test tubes, 8,400 packages of food and much more.

The supplies were delivered to more than 300 hospitals and medical centers in 14 cities in Hubei and Jiangsu Province.”

Back home in Athabasca United Church, unless you know you've contacted someone who is currently quarantined, OR you have a fever with cough or breathing troubles, OR you are in a high risk group, I encourage you to continue to participate in the life of the church in whichever way you see fit. Personally, I will be washing my hands more often prior to Sunday worship. We may change the way we serve communion, count the offering, have coffee time after church, and pass the peace. (with thanks to Rev. Murray Speer, Canmore United for some of this)

The scriptures tell that Jesus's care of lepers and the sick focused on the fear of illness, not the illness itself, and such fear was to be resisted.  The bible is full of commands to not be afraid, not even of death itself. In historical times of plague and outbreak, Christians and churches continued showing compassion with the most outcast and ill.

We are commanded to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  Only your personal faith can tell you whether staying home is the most loving thing for you to do, or whether continuing to boldly show hospitality in the face of human tragedy is the most loving response. We are also disciples of Jesus, and it is wise to take precautions against the spread of disease. But it is just as true that together we are the body of Christ called to serve those most in need in however we can. 

Wishing you peace, wisdom and strength,

Rev. Monica

Oh Creator God, you whose son embraced lepers, welcomed prostitutes and ate with tax collectors,
who healed with compassion,
be with us all in this time of fear.
Help us be still and know that You are our God.
Help us to discern wisdom to deal with these challenging times.
Help us to have the courage to face the news,
the compassion to care for others regardless of where they travel or live, and the faith to remember that
in life, in death, in life beyond death,
you are with us, we are not alone.
Thanks be to You oh Holy ground of all our being! Amen.

Be Brave

So I was going to a party last night and facing an age old dilemma.  When to show up?

Sure the invitation said that the party started at 5 pm, but we all know that 5 can often mean, “that’s when I hope to have all my work in the kitchen complete so I can take off the apron and socialize.” But there’s an unspoken code that one should never arrive right on time or even, heaven forbid, a little early.  “Fashionably late” was the catchphrase I remember hearing when I was growing up.  But how late is too late?  I had a friend who was so well-known for being late that we would tell everyone but her that the party started at 6, and tell her that it started at 5, thus guaranteeing she would arrive at 7 pm, slightly more than fashionably late but not too bad.  Tell her it was at 6 and she would arrive after the main course was cold, bringing an appetizer dish, and surprised to see people starting to leave. 

Which if you are highly anxious and slightly socially awkward is not a bad strategy.  Instead of a roaring party of thirty or 40, arriving unfashionably late instead means a quiet group of maybe 8-10 introspective folks pleasantly tired out from all the noise and bustle. 

Then there’s the perennial question when you go to a party of what to wear and what to bring.  When they say that you should bring yourself, do you believe that or do the socially appropriate bottle of wine only to find they have a palette for only French or Spanish and California just won’t cut it.  Blue jeans? Kilt? Sweatpants?  For some folks, this is nothing to lose sleep about, but for others, it is the source of much anxiety and stress.

Some people love hosting parties, planning menus, surrounding themselves with friends and family.  But they might be worried about which way the Dow Jones is going or getting an infection from some well-meaning person who has a cold. 

Some may have a fear of spiders or be nervous about large crowds or about being alone.  Some may studiously avoid all kinds of things because of their fears, and others might keep themselves so busy that they never have time to stop and think about what they are afraid of.

Some might be afraid of what others will think and do their best to be appropriate in all situations.  Others might not even be able to articulate what they are afraid of, but just know that they are afraid.  And many are really afraid of leadership.

So many times I have done a speech or made a presentation or given a sermon or read scripture and had people come up to me and say, “I could never do that, I’m too afraid.”

If only they knew.  You see, no one I’ve ever talked to who does what I do are doing it because we are totally brave and fearless.  No, the secret to doing brave, leaderlike things is to do it despite the fear.  If I had waited until I was fearless, I would still be a stay-at-home mom drinking hot chocolate and reading books.  Even Broadway actors say that the day they stop feeling the butterflies in their stomach, that’s the day they need to leave the stage because they have stopped respecting the audience.  Famous people, folks like Dame Maggie Smith are afraid to watch their movies and television shows because they are so critical of themselves, and so afraid of the reactions of others.

The only difference between people whom we think of as brave and people like us who are afraid is that the brave folks look their fear straight in the eye and say, “I’m going to do this anyway.  This is so important to me that I’m not going to let you stop me.”  It’s how we were inspired as a nation to block Hitler’s attempt to take over the world.  It’s how we stood up to people in this province who wanted to chisel away at public healthcare. 

We showed up on the steps of the legislature and pounded our drums to declare that humans had the right to be treated equally and with dignity.  We signed petitions and showed our support of the importance of human rights for all regardless of where they came from, what they looked like or who they fell in love with.  And we must continue to do so.

Christian leaders look at the big picture of what we are called by God to do.  We want to make the world a little more like heaven on earth for everyone.  We want to help people shine like the lights they are supposed to be.  We want to bring God’s dream of justice and peace for all to this world.

Christian leaders also look inside.  Am I doing what is in the best interests of others?  Where am I reacting out of fear and where am I acting from a God-centered place of calm and peace?  We are, like the Psalmist, constantly going back to our faith.  God is our light and our salvation, how can we be afraid?  When we look at our motivations and actions by the light of God, we can then make good healthy decisions for the whole of the community.  Jesus did not call religious experts, lawyers and politicians into following him, he called fishermen covered in slime with rope burns on their hands and dirt under their fingernails.  He called them into leadership roles, even though they did not know it at the time.  He called them into a new way of being community, a new way of living in the world.  It would have been scary, but they came and followed anyway.  What are you being called to do?  What kind of leader is God training you to be?  Know that when you wait for God, you will find courage, and see God’s goodness here on earth.  May it be so for us all!

Empowered leadership

Did you know that the baptism of Jesus is one of the few power stories that are in all four of the Gospels?  Matthew has the longest version, Mark, Luke and even that wild gospel John has it.  To put this into context, Matthew is the only gospel with the Magi bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, Luke is the only gospel with the manger and shepherds, Mark and John skip Bethlehem altogether but all four have an account of this meeting of Jesus and John.  The gospel of Matthew has John asking the question that has stumped many theologians ever since, why did Jesus come to be baptised by John?  John recognized that Jesus was able to do more than he could.  John baptised with water, Jesus would baptise with the Spirit.

Two great men, two great passionate believers in God’s mission and God’s message.  Two powerful speakers who knew how to talk so people would listen, and even more importantly, so that people would act.  That lives would be changed not just in little ways, but in ways that would have everyone believing that the Community of God was at hand, and that this meeting could and did change the course of history.

What was powerful in this encounter between these two strong leaders is the gentleness and graciousness in which they met each other.  As Robbie and Marilyn showed us, they chose humbleness, and even more than humbleness, they recognized each other’s leadership, and get this!  They refused to take the other’s leadership away from them.

John said in fact, wait a minute, Jesus, you are my leader.  And Jesus said, we lead together as God sees appropriate.

Wow.  Can you imagine if the President of the United States and the President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, sat down with a similar attitude?  Well, we lead our countries together and I respect your leadership.  Wouldn’t that be a world-changing event?  Certainly it was here. 

How can we become more like them?  I have said that my goal these next few months leading up to my sabbatical is to creatively empower God-centred leaders.  That is easy to say, but not so easy to do of course.  Leadership is not just for the person who wears the robes and it doesn’t happen just in the pulpit.  It happens in your homes, at the curling league or the classroom, the hockey rink and the knitting group.  It happens at Rotary club or Lions or Toastmasters or at the Whispering Hills Country jam session.  It happens at the library, the swimming pool, PVL, the community band and Heartwood concerts.

It happens every time we encounter another human being and choose to recognize and respect their leadership.  You see, John could have responded to Jesus in one of two very typical ways.  He could have said, “Push off, You!  Find yourself another River!  Find yourself another ritual than water.  Go get people to have a dust bath or enter a monastery or fast in the wilderness.  I don’t care what you do, just do it elsewhere!  This is my turf and who do you think you are, muscling in on my act!  I’m the boss here, what I say goes, and you just need to either be one of my followers or get out of my hair.”  Such arrogance can lead to isolation and loneliness.

Psychologists like Terry Real call this aggrandization.  It’s when someone is sure they are better than everyone else, and they will tell them this too.  They don’t care who they step on or how they hurt others.  We all know leaders who are accused of this, and we all like to point fingers at people who we think are aggrandized, “oh look at them swaggering around, who do they think they are, they are no better than the rest of us”.  And boy do we like it when they fall from grace.  Politicians know that when they run for the highest role, president or prime minister, they won’t last as the head of their party for long if they lose.

The other response John could have had when he saw Jesus, is he could have gotten firmly stuck in the ‘I’m not worthy to untie his sandals’ bit.  “Oh me, I’m not good enough, I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead, I’m a terrible person, yada yada yada.”  What Terry Real calls shame.  It can lead to depression, addictions and worse.

A third response to someone’s leadership is to flip flop between grandiosity, ‘you’re not good enough’ and shame ‘I’m not good enough’.  The faster and the harder we flip between these two extremes, the more damage we can do to relationships and our own mental health.

One word that sums this up is contempt.  Having Contempt for others leads to grandiosity.  Having contempt for ourselves leads to shame.  Contempt is not a healthy approach and does not lead to a changed world.  Jesus and John model a different approach, one that pulls away from the flip flop of emotional reaction, and nurtures healthy leadership.  That approach is respect.  John deeply respects the call Jesus has, and Jesus respects John’s role in calling people to account for their actions.

If we struggle with grandiosity, it’s time to look for things we can respect in the people around us.  If we struggle with shame, we need to remember things we can respect about ourselves.  Make a list.  Record what you notice.  And remember, it’s always about love.  Love yourself, love others, love God.  Loving God breaks us out of our flip-flops, our defensiveness, and our arrogance.  When we practise loving ourselves and one another, God sends down a dove and says, ‘these are my beloved children with whom I am well pleased.  Love is what empowers our leadership and our lives.  God’s love for us, and our love for God and each other.  May it be so for us all!