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| Waterloo North Reflections
Editorial Committee: Erica J., Sam S., Arnold N.-F. |
Table of Contents
Welcome from the Editors
This Church is Beautiful
Christian Peacemaker Team
How I Integrate Faith and
Work
Profile: Laverne
& Elizabeth Martin
School in Kampala
Gifts Given and Received
Waterloo North MYF
The Growing Edges of the Church
The gestation period is over, and we (modestly) present to you the firstborn issue of Waterloo North Reflections. We welcome your counsel, your affirmations, and your volunteer efforts for future issues. Many thanks to those who suggested names for our paper (we chose a slightly modified version of Bernie B.'s submission), and to the contributors for this issue. We also thank Henry P. for prodding us to get started on this effort.
When we began planning for Waterloo North Reflections we set a number of goals: to keep the WNMC community informed on issues through a regular column by Ministry Team members, to highlight "workplace and faith" articles, to keep members living at a distance in touch with the local WNMC fellowship, to help to know one another better through feature profiles, and giving children and youth their own opportunity to express themselves to the larger church community.
We may highlight special congregational events, and offer a "chat" page on special issues from time to time.
We plan to publish quarterly, With your continued support we can do it.
-Erica J, Arnold NF, Sam S, Editorial Committee
THIS CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL' I first said it as I drove away from our building
after dark one night, following a poetry reading in the sanctuary. Light
streamed through our tall Windows, shedding a warm glow as I left the parking
lot.
THIS CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL. I've repeated those words many times these past six
months as I stopped singing for a verse or two and just listened
... as I popped my head into Let's Play on a Monday morning
... as I visited care groups where people shared real stuff
... as I participated in committee meetings where we struggled to find our way
... as I prayed with persons in the prayer room or my study or at home or in
hospital
... as we received new members and renewed our covenant
... as we brought a Thanksgiving procession of food for the Food Bank....
THIS CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL, and six months in, I continue to be awed and pleased to be part of you. I continue to believe I am called to this place. And I don't think I'm just suffering from a serious case of newcomer's glow.
THIS CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL because the living, moving Spirit of God has called us together in celebration AND in struggle. I enjoy our times of celebration and calm here. But I don't expect celebration and calm to be our only modes of being. I don't expect our way ahead to always be smooth. I don't expect we can know God's future for Waterloo North except by careful but honest talk in which we all name our hopes and dreams ...then invite God's Spirit to reshape and re-form us into what we yet may be. This sort of discernment is the church at its most beautiful.
And so, I look forward to the next months and years here. Echoing the Apostle Paul in the book of Philippians, I give thanks for you. And I share Paul's confidence that "the One who began a good work in you Will bring it to completion!" Paul's prayer for the Philippians is also my prayer for us:
that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight
so that you may be able to discern what is best...
(and) produce a harvest of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ --
to the praise and glory of God.
THIS CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL as we sing, pray, refocus our mission, and find our way
together. THIS CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL as we struggle to find ways of caring for
each other conducive to our new size. THIS CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL as we search for
ways to preserve what is the essence of "us" in a changing
environment. THIS CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL as we invite the living, moving Spirit of
God to also shape us into something new.
THIS CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL-and I'm glad I'm here.
-Sue Steiner, Lead Minister
I discovered Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) through their newsletter Signs of the Times. This group of Christians who put their faith in Jesus' way of nonviolence into action intrigued me. It was something I thought I could never do. Six months later I joined the CPT Ontario training--an active response to the strong calling I felt.
The CPT staff welcomed me to the team and asked where I saw myself doing CPT work. I told them I was excited about First Nations issues in Ontario but after learning more about the situation in the West Bank, felt pulled in the direction of Hebron. "Great, we need people in August."
As a team member in Hebron my day typically began around eight with an e-mail
check before team worship, a focal point for our day. We read from the Gospel of
Mark, the corresponding commentary from Ched Meyer's book, Say to
this Mountain, and shared personal prayer requests. A team meeting
followed and covered the day's ever-changing schedule.
I will always remember one particular day. It started with my "shower"
of cold water poured from a bucket (only every third day, due to the water
shortage!), followed by a morning of article writing. Mark and Dianne left for
Arabic lessons in Bethlehem; Jake and I remained in Hebron.
Abdel-Hay, a friend of CPT's, picked Jake and me up to meet Mark and Dianne for pizza in Bethlehem. We were late but his yellow license plates, an Israeli privilege withheld from many Palestinians, allowed us to use bypass roads-bypassing the Palestinian villages.
The CPT cell phone rang just as we ordered pizza. Hearing Mark's end of the conversation, we headed for the car before he hung up. Bulldozers threatened the jabber's house and soldiers were beating the women. The tense half hour ride to the Bekaa Valley, just outside of Hebron, wasn't fast enough. The demolition was completed before we arrived.
After spending the afternoon offering what little comfort we could, Dianne, Jake and I returned to Hebron to participate in a children's peace march. Mark stayed with the Jabbers.
Fifteen minutes before leaving for the march, I dashed off a quick e-mail to my friends and family. It later became a CPTNet release.
That evening we returned home exhausted. Later I saw the new house the community was building for the jabber's. As I approached the tent, I heard four-month-old Rajeh crying. He had been my responsibility during our two day CPT presence.
Such peacemaking is not what I expected, but I am glad I had a part in it and continue to have one.
- Natasha K
I work at Family and Children's Services where I am employed as a Case Assistant. I assist parents with parenting skills, transport clients to appointments, monitor high risk families, and supervise access visits between children and their biological parents. Supervising access visits occupies most of my time and often necessitates court appearances.
The family situations I see are not pleasant. I feel that my work is separate from my involvement at Waterloo North because there is another world out there that most of us can live our whole life without seeing.
I know that God loves everyone equally. The question that arises for me is, "if God loves everyone, why do some of the children I encounter exist in such horrific situations?" I know that all the parents and children I encounter in my work are created in the image of God. I find it easy to see God's creative power in the children I see but have trouble sometimes understanding how parents can abuse the children that God has placed in their care.
The agency becomes involved with children after abuse has occurred. This abuse can be sexual, emotional, physical or neglectful. Sometimes I see God's hand in helping children survive in spite of their environment. Sometimes I wonder if God is present in these circumstances. Other times I wonder if the fostering situation we place these children into is really the best alternative.
I don't have any answers to these questions. I ask God daily for guidance, patience, peace, and objectivity in my work. I see my role as supporting families during a difficult transition time. Most families are angry, resentful and blame the agency for interfering with their lives. It is difficult to get beyond these feelings since I represent the agency to them. So my relationship with my clients is often only a one way relationship. It is rewarding for me when some level of trust breaks through and they are able to see that I truly care about their child.
It becomes difficult when I have been supervising access visits (sometimes over a year and as frequently as three times a week) and then we go to trial where we are on opposite sides. Sometimes the tenuous relationship I have built is destroyed during the trial. Other times the relationship remains intact. I invite God to help me testify truthfully and to remain objective.
I need to replenish myself. I play the piano for enjoyment and to connect with the spiritual realm of my existence. There I can regain the strength and conviction of my faith that God cares about me and that God also cares about the people I work with. I also enjoy relating to families and children whose relationships are intact. This gives me hope and encouragement.
-Ingried R
Laverne and Elizabeth M have contributed to the building of Waterloo North Mennonite Church--in a variety of ways. Though both of them were very actively and happily involved in the St. Jacob's Mennonite Church, they answered a call to join a group of people from surrounding churches and the conference to help establish a new congregation in the north part of Waterloo. Though they were still committed to things at St. Jacob's and could not actually join with the first group of charter members, their involvement here truly dates from the beginning.
Over the years they have both contributed their friendship and support in numerous ways. When asked why they would even consider leaving deep roots and attachments in one congregation to participate in the work and risks of beginning a new one, Laverne unhesitatingly said it was a "good exciting challenge" and an opportunity to expand. Though this move was probably more difficult for Elizabeth--she has fewer peers here and misses the good friends she still has there--they both expressed a deep commitment to this congregation and a great sense of pleasure in its growth.
They have helped in the "building" of this congregation in other ways. They provided office space for the church to use when their construction business no longer needed it. Laverne served on the Ministry Team during two of the early years. By the time the congregation finally had permission to build the Waterloo North building, Laverne Contractors Ltd. had ceased operations and Laverne was available for work as the building project's Construction Manager. He continues to "build" for the congregation-note the recent addition of the hand railings at the front of the sanctuary. Ask around and you will discover other signs of his craftsmanship.
Both Laverne and Elizabeth commented on the fact that their own formal education ended earlier than for many at Waterloo North. In a congregation where many of us take lots of years of formal schooling for granted it is good to, be reminded that education occurs in a lot of settings and by many means. Laverne and Elizabeth help to live this--by their participation, their many contributions, their willingness to try new things, even when staying with familiar things would have been simpler.
Elizabeth has had some difficult health issues to deal with in the last few years. Though she is recovering some of her health, she is not able to be as active as she used to be. When I visited she was putting the finishing touches on crocheted pumpkins to hand out to Halloween visitors. You can see samples of her crafts at the Saturday Waterloo Market at the Van Ee Ostrich Meat stand. Elizabeth loves small children (she is at the right church for that!). If her energy allows her she is interested in helping out occasionally in the nursery.
Elizabeth has been relaxing at Chesley Lake for 50 years. Laverne and Elizabeth have a trailer there that they visit whenever they can get away. Laverne's current work as Contractors Sales Rep with Beaver Lumber in Elmira makes that a little more difficult as has Elizabeth's health. Home looks good too.
Laverne and Elizabeth both grew up in this area. For many of the their 41 years of marriage they lived in a house they built in Benjamin Park. Several years ago they sold that property and moved to an attractive bungalow in Martin Grove Village. They have five children-Mark, Marlowe, Maureen, Marjorie and Melodee-and 7 grandchildren range in age from 4 to 20. At the moment Marjorie and Melodee are living with them.
Faith is a deep resource for Elizabeth and Laverne. They communicate a strong commitment of following Christ--in word and deed. They spoke of their faith being nurtured and strengthened, especially by adversity. In difficult and challenging times they spoke of having an especially strong sense of being in God's care, of having to turn things over to God and of Wing cared for in return.
Thank you Elizabeth and Laverne for your gifts; to the church.
-Gloria ME
Same of you may be wondering what school life is like for us here In Uganda, You, could say that it is not much different than school in Canada. However, Instead of waking up around 7:30, we have to get up at 6:00. Some days we would just like to stay in bed for the rest of our lives! It isn't so bad now because we got used to it.
Around 7:15 a minibus picks us up, as well as many others. It is too far to walk. On our way to school we listen to commercials for Coke, Pepsi and condoms. We hear them so many times that we can even sing along. On the road we see many bicycles carrying very heavy loads, such as huge bundles of bananas and long pieces of lumber. We also see sign boards advertising Fanta. There are many factories with tons of broken windows. It is interesting to see all of these things, but you get so used to them and think everyone else has this kind of stuff-that you don't even remember to mention it.
In school we basically do the same things as we did in Canada. One difference there are many teachers and students from all over the world.
We usually get out at around 3:00, but sometimes there are after-school activities. During the week people plan parties and outings for the weekend which are always full of drinking and joy-riding. Students who are only about 13 smoke and drink and even drive around at night. We are usually invited to the parties and we sometimes do go, but it is really hard for us to keep our values and not get tempted into doing something that is wrong. I guess it would help if we wouldn't go to them, but it is nice to be with the friends who don't do the bad things and it is also nice to get out and do something over the weekend. This we can't do with (Christian) youth groups because there are none.
All in all, I think life here is very interesting and I don't think I would like to be anywhere else. Sometimes I think that if I weren't here, then there would be so much that I would be missing. Although there are a lot of hard things about living here, the good things are what really count.
-Kara K
We had invited Bishop Ochola and his colleague, Rev. Nicholas to our house that evening for supper. I also wanted to talk to them about a few of the logistical details involved in our most recent food relief effort in Kitgum District. Interestingly, there was no time for that. The bishop kept us entertained that whole evening with one Acholi story rolling off his lips after the other. We were all entranced by the accompanying sound effects, hand gestures and facial expressions that went with each story.
MCC and the Diocese of Kitgum (Uganda) both see our relationship as "partners". But what does that mean? Are we talking about an equal relationship or one of equity, or both? What do we as MCC give and what do we receive? What are the benefits of the relationship to the diocese and what do they return to the relationship?
When there was a drought and famine resulting from insecurity and lack of
rain in Kitgum district, MCC responded to a request by the diocese that we work
with them in responding to this hunger through contributions of food relief. Our
western minds can quickly see that we are doing our part in the relationship
through food assistance worth a certain cash value. But what can be given in
return by a diocese whose unpaid staff are supported by a people who have
nothing-either because
they are very poor, or because their goods have been stolen or burned?
How do you measure friendship or stories? How do you put a value on
hospitality and welcome? How does one
measure the value of increased faith and a more powerful prayer life that
results after witnessing lives that are lived on the edge by the grace of God on
an hourly and daily basis?
These are all questions that Bishop Ochola and I want to talk about when we come in November. You people of Waterloo North Mennonite Church are partners in this relationship because of your support for and affiliation With MCC. Therefore, you should also know about and receive those benefits that are part of the relationship.
As they say in Uganda, "He who has no gift will not be given anything".
-Dave K, Uganda
This year's youth group got off to a great start! We had our first big event on October 25-the traditional hay ride and line dancing at the Eby farm. We are now busily preparing for our retreat at Silver Lake Mennonite Camp, November 13 to 15. Last year's retreat was great and we expect this one to be even better!
Something new in the youth group is an elected executive. We decided that it would be a good idea to have a small group of leaders work together to make sure that everything runs smoothly. The executive consists of Stephanie P as president, and Anna F and Rebekah B who work together as co-vice presidents. Rachel Y has taken on the position of treasurer. Sarah E is our faithful secretary and Heidi B works as our talented publicist.
We also have a group of great sponsors behind us. Cheryl and Ricardo FS, Chris J and Rosie S, and Paul F have graciously volunteered their time to help make our youth group a terrific one.
Despite our separated Sunday School classes, we have become a close group and look forward to a year full of fun, faith, and fellowship.
-Stephanie P
As strange as it sounds, I've never really liked potatoes--a staple in the
immigrant home of my parents. Yet I appreciate what Van Gogh does with them in The
Potato Eaters. In the painting a family crowded around a small
table eats a simple meal of potatoes and coffee under a dim, overhanging light.
The potatoes resemble small loaves of bread, passed from one person to the next.
It's a traditional, commonplace scene With subtle allusion to the Lord's Supper.
Van Gogh's figures are painted in the colours of a "very dusty, unpeeled
potato" to capture the infinite in the mundane acts of existence. The
painting is also modern: the awkward bizarre faces communicate our separation
and solitude as moderns. The figures are held together
by the dim but warm glow of the lamp, symbolic of the divine presence.
The tension between tradition and modernity in Van Gogh's work helps me reflect on my recent transfer to WNMC. I have now officially chosen to leave the very traditional church of my youth. The stories of this year's new members indicate that many are wrestling with the profound themes of faith and looking to speak the good news Without the traditional paradigms, eg., of guilt and forgiveness. How many of us are drawn here because we find the openness and support needed to explore expressions of the divine that are not wholly dependent upon traditional imagery?
Perhaps what ties together the modern and the traditional "Mennonite" experience is the "voluntary" act. joining a faith community is an act of volition, freely chosen without coercion or the constraints of having the decision made for us. But an undue emphasis on voluntarism makes the Believers Church tradition attractive to us moderns in unhealthy ways. Am I simply a consumer of religion? The jaded, disconnected figures in Van Gogh's Potato Eaters are victims of the modern myth that we are able and responsible to shape our environment and ultimately ourselves.
Van Gogh's painting almost foresees the separation and alienation of this century. Intellectually we have trouble affirming a universal horizon which can interpret reality for all peoples and nations. Simultaneously we are losing faith in the modern view of self as centre of truth and meaning. The church shares in this Western crisis of thought, and here too we are undergoing a fundamental paradigm shift from modernity to postmodernity. What are the needs of Christian seekers who realize they are neither traditional or modern?
The dominant metaphors for ministry (in which we all participate) in the modern era are "therapy" and "management". Can they be adjusted adequately to meet the challenge? Many have said No and have argued that the church's primary task in this new paradigm is to offer meaning to fragmented lives. Education will become crucial for our churches: we will need to train people and transmit the faith in ways that shape the church as an alternative society, to address issues, and to give an account to the host culture.
Yet I see faith more like a shattering of foundations and comfortable views of reality than as providing another "universal" framework of meaning or purpose. Frameworks tend to be "Violent" orderings, arbitrarily making some insiders and others outsiders; each has a place, but no one is really "whole". What other ways might fragments become whole? A silly example: an old hammer misplaced in the living room stands out and draws me to see and ponder the wooden floor and table anew, to consider the hands and world of the carpenter, etc. Outside of purpose I experience the floor and table in a new way. In postmodernity the church will need to learn to master (le., work hard) and speak (with mouth and hands) its language of faith in such an articulate and fresh manner, that in it God's future can arrive in surprising, disruptive ways - such that "objects" and "individuals" become "creatures", become new again.
Van Gogh was in the vanguard of such restorers. If there is anything "postmodern" in his paintings, it is that openness to permit symbols to be translucent in respect to the realm of "being" behind them (P. Tillich). After modernity, after universals and the reign of the self, the artist, poet and philosopher find a calling to use words and paint to "let beings be" (though my view of potatoes has not changed!). Faith hears and speaks a related word. In our common gathering as adults and children in worship, in our interactions over tea and potlucks, I hear words in which this future of God arrives, making whole, shattering "useful" but worn frameworks, engaging us, our environment, and our culture at their deepest levels - i.e., "letting be". Some early Anabaptists had a word that means precisely this: Gelassenheit. In going back to fresh beginnings and new words, perhaps we can "be" church, faithful and relevant, in a postmodern era.
- Arnold NF