Thursday, January 29, 2009
Great work being done in the City
I am continually reminded of the many people here in the city of Hamilton who are doing great work, and are leaders in this community to which the church should follow (if not partner with and help promote their work!). As I try to keep up with some of the papers and websites like "Raise the Hammer" I get glimpses of sound and honest work being done for the good of the environment, the poor, the city as a whole - JUSTICE issues that need attention. (Side-Bar reminder and encouragement to check out the 'cool websites and blogs' section of this blog that highlights some great things happening that we in the Hammer should be aware of)! I am in the midst of some planning for the Truecity conference coming up in February which reminded me of the efforts being done to address poverty in our city. There are some great stories by churches on their involvment in this area. As well, as I sit around the table of local community members and agencies at our CrownPoint Community meetings, I get excited about the interest and desire by folks to look out for each other, like addressing the increasing rat infestation in homes occuring as a result of the Centre Mall deconstruction, or the support of grandparents in our midst who are raising their grandchildren (ROCK). I love this city, and love that people from all walks of life are investing in it and each other, because we should.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The necessity of conflict in congregations
I would be the last to say that I thought there could be a necessity in conflict - I tend to avoid conflict as much as possible (and I know I'm not alone). However, I'm learning that there is room for healthy conflict, "because congregations without conflict are dead or dying". On the flip side, "a byproduct of conflict is energy and passion" - and New Hopers have demonstrated these two attributes many times specifically over the past year. We are heading into a new year, but also a time to take stalk of where we are, how we got here and where we are going as a community of hope in the east end of Hamilton. We have had, over the past months, some different perspectives of ministry within our body. We need to continue to dialogue about these perspectives or it will drain the passion and energy of the body. But I am expectant and hopeful for this coming year. We have acknowledged and named this tension and are working towards taking ownership of where we individually contributed to the tension, and we are moving forward together, to see how God is shaping us and calling us into our community in this coming year.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Christmas Eve
We had a wonderful Christmas eve dinner together. We had ample amounts of leftovers, some great Christmas carol singing (with a few extra diddies like Elvis), and an opportunity to share and reflect on Christmas. We talked about hope, and what living in that hope would look like for this New Hope community. Peter shared about being "in-tune" with God and demonstrating this with his hand to his head like a satelite dish on his head (either way - the image is now stuck in your head too!). We all agreed, hope in this community and living lives of hope would create a safe place of acceptance, forgiveness and anticipation. So, let's see what 2009 brings! The evening was certainly a highlight of 2008 for many of us, but we cannot fail to see and acknowledge the many ways God has answered prayer and blessed us this entire year. Our motley crew of a family has grown together, struggled together, and can already anticipate some hard work ahead of us. But God loves us, forgives us and gives us GRACE. I look forward to recognizing and tasting this GRACE so much more this coming year - and desiring to share that freedom and grace with my community.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Fiona
A great read and a book that is putting words to some of my thoughts and feelings, is "Tangible Kingdom" by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay. The church is the bride of Christ, and sometimes the bride can look like Fiona from Shrek, but God still loves his bride, and wants to work in and through it. I need to be reminded of that, and certainly as New Hope revisits its call in this community and reflects both on the past year, as well as some inevitable shifts in the future, we will need to be reminded of that.
Friday, October 17, 2008
From CCG Mobile Justice
August, 2008
TO THE CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA
As the Church of the Lord in what is known as the "Southern" part of the world, moved by the Holy Spirit to fight for the abundant life that Jesus Christ offers, we address our Christian family in North America, a Church of the same covenant, faith and love. Grace and Peace to all of our brothers and sisters.
We know your works of love; these works have allowed millions of human beings for many generations in our countries in the South to receive the gospel, the Grace of Jesus Christ and the power of His Salvation. The North American church's untiring missionary effort planted in our lands Hope in Him who came to reconcile EVERYTHING.
Nevertheless, the political, social and economic situation in the places where this hope has been announced is increasingly distressing. Millions of people in the global South are dying of hunger, violence and injustice. These situations of poverty and pain are not simply the product of the internal functions of our countries; rather they are the results of the international policies of the governments that wield global power.
Therefore, we have this against you, brothers and sisters, that along with this powerful announcing of the Gospel, the Church from North America has not also raised its voice in protest against the injustices that powerful governments and institutions are inflicting on the global South—injustices that afflict the lives and ecosystems of millions of people who, centuries after the proclamation of the Gospel, still have not seen the sweat of their brow turned into bread.
The worsening inequality and poverty in the South is alarming. Seven years since Canada, the United States and 191 other nations publicly promised to cut extreme global poverty in half by the year 2015 through the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), your countries have made only a little progress towards fulfilling their commitments.
The MDGs should stir us to action because they echo the calls of the biblical prophets for justice and equity. Further, they are achievable and measurable markers on the roadmap to end extreme global poverty.
And so we ask you as sisters and brothers, citizens of the wealthiest, most powerful nations on earth, to publicly challenge your candidates and political leaders—now and after your elections are over—to lead the world in the struggle to cut global poverty in half by 2015. If you who know the Truth will not speak for us who will?
The Church in North America has the opportunity today to be faithful to the Hope that it preaches. We urge you to remember that the Hope to which you were called as a messenger demands that you seek first the Kingdom of God and God?s justice.
Out of love for us, the global Church, in holiness, use your citizenship responsibly for the benefit of the entire world; it is for this very reason that the Lord poured out His life on the Cross.
All who have ears, let them hear what the Lord says to His Church.
TO THE CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA
As the Church of the Lord in what is known as the "Southern" part of the world, moved by the Holy Spirit to fight for the abundant life that Jesus Christ offers, we address our Christian family in North America, a Church of the same covenant, faith and love. Grace and Peace to all of our brothers and sisters.
We know your works of love; these works have allowed millions of human beings for many generations in our countries in the South to receive the gospel, the Grace of Jesus Christ and the power of His Salvation. The North American church's untiring missionary effort planted in our lands Hope in Him who came to reconcile EVERYTHING.
Nevertheless, the political, social and economic situation in the places where this hope has been announced is increasingly distressing. Millions of people in the global South are dying of hunger, violence and injustice. These situations of poverty and pain are not simply the product of the internal functions of our countries; rather they are the results of the international policies of the governments that wield global power.
Therefore, we have this against you, brothers and sisters, that along with this powerful announcing of the Gospel, the Church from North America has not also raised its voice in protest against the injustices that powerful governments and institutions are inflicting on the global South—injustices that afflict the lives and ecosystems of millions of people who, centuries after the proclamation of the Gospel, still have not seen the sweat of their brow turned into bread.
The worsening inequality and poverty in the South is alarming. Seven years since Canada, the United States and 191 other nations publicly promised to cut extreme global poverty in half by the year 2015 through the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), your countries have made only a little progress towards fulfilling their commitments.
The MDGs should stir us to action because they echo the calls of the biblical prophets for justice and equity. Further, they are achievable and measurable markers on the roadmap to end extreme global poverty.
And so we ask you as sisters and brothers, citizens of the wealthiest, most powerful nations on earth, to publicly challenge your candidates and political leaders—now and after your elections are over—to lead the world in the struggle to cut global poverty in half by 2015. If you who know the Truth will not speak for us who will?
The Church in North America has the opportunity today to be faithful to the Hope that it preaches. We urge you to remember that the Hope to which you were called as a messenger demands that you seek first the Kingdom of God and God?s justice.
Out of love for us, the global Church, in holiness, use your citizenship responsibly for the benefit of the entire world; it is for this very reason that the Lord poured out His life on the Cross.
All who have ears, let them hear what the Lord says to His Church.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Poverty in Canada
As the election approaches, do you know what "our" political leaders plan to do in the area of poverty? Check out the videos on the links below.
Hello,
All the federal party leaders except Stephen Harper have gone "on the record <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0ABBhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> " answering questions on video about what they would do to tackle global, domestic and Aboriginal poverty.
Check out <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0AAhhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> what the leaders of the Bloc, Greens, Liberals and NDP would do about poverty if elected. And make sure to ask Stephen Harper what he would do <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0ABRhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> , because he won’t tell us.
In these short video clips <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0AAhhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> , Stéphane Dion, Gilles Duceppe, Jack Layton and Elizabeth May talk about their support for Make Poverty History goals and answer specific questions about reaching the target of giving point seven percent of our income for foreign aid, a national plan to end poverty in Canada and what they would do to narrow the living standards gap between Aboriginal people and the rest of Canada.
Once you have seen the videos, send a message to Stephen Harper <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0ABRhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> asking him to say what he will do to make poverty history. We believe that before Canadians go to the polls they should know what all the party leaders would do to end poverty so that they can make an informed decision about which party is best able to help make poverty history.
Maybe you can get Mr. Harper to go ‘on the record <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0ABRhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> ’ with his plans to fight poverty.
Many thanks,
Hello,
All the federal party leaders except Stephen Harper have gone "on the record <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0ABBhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> " answering questions on video about what they would do to tackle global, domestic and Aboriginal poverty.
Check out <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0AAhhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> what the leaders of the Bloc, Greens, Liberals and NDP would do about poverty if elected. And make sure to ask Stephen Harper what he would do <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0ABRhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> , because he won’t tell us.
In these short video clips <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0AAhhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> , Stéphane Dion, Gilles Duceppe, Jack Layton and Elizabeth May talk about their support for Make Poverty History goals and answer specific questions about reaching the target of giving point seven percent of our income for foreign aid, a national plan to end poverty in Canada and what they would do to narrow the living standards gap between Aboriginal people and the rest of Canada.
Once you have seen the videos, send a message to Stephen Harper <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0ABRhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> asking him to say what he will do to make poverty history. We believe that before Canadians go to the polls they should know what all the party leaders would do to end poverty so that they can make an informed decision about which party is best able to help make poverty history.
Maybe you can get Mr. Harper to go ‘on the record <http://list.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/lists/lt.php?id=KRpXVAFfDg0ABRhSAA5PB1dVBVUH> ’ with his plans to fight poverty.
Many thanks,
Monday, September 29, 2008
Poverty in Hamilton
Is the "Persistence" of Poverty something that we had better get used to? Why not read this blog http://poverty.thespec.com/ and share your thoughts and feelings on poverty.
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