The Rainbow Promise

A word doodle/picture (Wordle) of Genesis 9:8-17. Kinda neat! The words that are repeated the most are the largest. This scripture passage is coming up for February 26.

Deciding what our church should do...

Richard Bott has some good questions to consider when we are thinking of starting or revitalizing a ministry at our church.
Check it out.

The Story of Stuff and Annie Leonard

Annie Leonard is my new hero! I haven't listened to all of the interview yet but the first half was awesome. I particularly love the quotes, "collaborative consumption - or as it used to be called - sharing! Can I talk about sharing for a bit?" and "I'm a garbage wonk"

For more on the Story of Stuff visit storyofstuff.org It'll blow your mind but ignorance is not really bliss.

Questions anyone?

I received some unsolicited mail today requesting donations to a TV and web program called, "Context with Lorna Dueck - Life Beyond the Headlines" The show apparently deals with news events with a faith lens. What caught my eye was the bold and underlined statement 64% of Canadians feel religion creates more questions than answers

I thought, "Wow! That's great!"

Apparently that wasn't the right response.

Harperland

Normally I try to stay non partisan in places where people might think that I am speaking on behalf of the church. Let me then add this disclaimer **THESE THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN**

This news article got my blood to boiling. It seems that the Conservatives are urging and ordering the civil service to use the term "Harper government" instead of the more neutral terms of "Government of Canada" "Industry Canada" etc. My umbrage springs from the idea that the civil service is supposed to serve the citizens--not the elected officials--of Canada (hence "civil" service) The government is supposed to be stewards of the civil service--to direct it so that the citizens of Canada will receive the best and fairest treatment.

As a Christian when I think of stewardship I think of humanity's stewardship of God's resources. Humanity has been given control over God's creation, but the earth is still God's. Renaming Earth as "Homosapienville" does not change the fact that none of us created the earth, it will outlast humanity and it is God's property that we should not mess with.

Frankly humankind has not been doing a good job of stewardship of the planet, but that's no excuse to pollute the civil service.

Oh and the Conservatives shouldn't lie either. Just saying.

Bureaucrats told to 'harperize' government message - Canada - CBC News: Industry Canada's emails and edited releases from autumn 2010 make a mockery of Conservative government denials offered when The Canadian Press first published reports of the name-change orders last March.

Non violent protest

The Internet has been abuzz lately with Photoshop photos of the campus polics officer at the University of California at Davis who pepper-sprayed protestors sitting down at the Occupy Davis site. It has become a meme, a theme that many have picked up and and created their own Photoshopped photos of. The reason that this photo has become so popular is because of the casual body language of the campus police officer which does not indicate the violence of his action. Google pepper spray cop and you will find many images of this meme. The reason that this has been picked up and noticed by so many is because of the aburdity of the violence, particularly when done casually. From a Christian's viewpoint it isn't hard to draw comparisons to the crucifixion. Jesus' death on a cross for the crime of teaching love and compassion points out the absurdity and emptiness of violence in general and the system of domination within which he lived (and I would argue we live in as well). It is easy for non violent protests to point out that the emperor has no clothes, since the powerful are threatened by opposition--even opposition that has much less power or that offers no tangible threat. I mean really! The threat of a bunch of kids camping on a lawn? What backyard has not been "terrorized" in a similar fashion!

The Season of Creaton: Forest

The Season of Creation is a relatively new innovation in mainline worship. We use the month of September in the church season "After Pentecost" to look at the interconnections between God, the environment and us. The first Sunday is a focus on forests. Next Sunday the focus is land.