Reflections

Vol. 1, No. 4 -- Summer 1999

Table of Contents

Refugee family arrives.....Tracey Appleton
Reflections from Ukraine.....Len Friesen
Editorial: The virtue of leisure.....Arnold Neufeld-Fast
Life and faith in the RUAH Community.....Martha Crealock
Waterloo North stars: field of dreamers.....Fred Martin       
Poetry: "Dandelions".....Esther Regehr
Humor: a selfless act?.....submitted by Dennis Lehto                                  
Going on a Pilgrimage.....Sue Steiner, Ministry Team
St. Louis: a bittersweet transition.....Sam Steiner
St. Louis: Reflecting by the river.....Miriam Frey
Poetry: "Constellations: a riddle".....Esther Regehr
From your church library

WNMC Sponsored Family Arrives from Kosovo Region

The United High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) turned to Canada and other countries last spring to help respond to the Kosovo crisis and organized an emergency evacuation of refugees from severely overcrowded conditions in the asylum countries of Macedonia and Albania. In mid-May approximately 5,000 Kosovars from camps in Macedonia were received by Red Cross officials at CFB Trenton (Ontario) and CFB Greenwood (Nova Scotia). At these sites the refugees were registered, assessed for health and post-traumatic stress needs, and given a period of days to rest before being transferred to sites that would house them for approximately six weeks. During this time refugees were offered some basic orientation to Canada and were matched with sponsoring groups from communities across the country. Kosovar refugees are supported under the Joint Assistance Program, whereby the Canadian Government provides financial support, while sponsoring groups such as churches provide personal support and orientation.

In May our congregation decided to respond to the Kosovar crisis by becoming a sponsorship group. An application for participation was submitted and a Kosovar Refugee Sponsorship Steering Committee was formed near the end of June. From there our involvement proceeded very quickly. WNMC was matched with the Berisha family in late June and told that they would arrive in Kitchener-Waterloo within two weeks. Armed only with the information that the family consisted of a mother and father, two daughters and two sons, the steering committee set about preparations, including finding an apartment (difficult in our current rental market) and preparing and stocking it with essentials such as furniture, linens, basic kitchen accessories, etc.

The Berisha family — Zeqir (father) and Habibe (mother), Aferdita (daughter, age 20), Fazile (daughter, age 16), Asllan (son, age 13), and Argon (son, age 10) — was met upon arrival in Kitchener. They were thrilled to discover that their accommodation was in the same building as three single men with whom they had established a strong relationship in CFB Trenton and who were sponsored by the River of Life Fellowship (Mennonite). The family’s first few days were a frenzy of activity as we assisted them in opening up a bank account, understanding their budget, grocery shopping and locating health care services.

On July 18^th an open house was held at the Berisha family’s new apartment where members of our congregation were invited to drop by and meet them. At this time many visitors brought with them gifts such as a television, a stereo receiver and speakers, furniture and kitchen equipment. These items were received with obvious gratitude. During the afternoon we discovered that, while the Berishas do not yet speak English, Zeqir does understand and speak German!

The adjustment to life in Canada has proven difficult for the Berishas, who bring with them many problems related to conditions in Kosovo for Albanians during the past 9 years as well as the trauma they sustained during the war and their flight from their home. Family members are experiencing a good deal of stress related to the many changes in their lives. Caring for and supporting the family during this period has presented many challenges for our steering committee. It is our hope that the Berishas will experience an increased sense of security and peace once their everyday life becomes established in new routines. This will likely be facilitated by increasing levels of orientation to community services and integration into school in September (the youngest three Berishas will attend public school while the adults will attend English classes).

Kosovar refugees are here in Canada on Minister’s Permits. This is a special measure that allows them to work and study in Canada and to apply for permanent resident status if they so desire. As a congregation, we have committed ourselves to assisting the Berisha family in adjustment to life in Canada for a period of 24 months or until they become self-supporting. Thus our responsibility to the family represents a long term commitment. We appreciate all the members of the congregation who have volunteered to assist the Steering Committee in this undertaking and look forward to contacting such individuals as the need arises

- Tracey Appleton, Kosovar Refugee Sponsorship Committee (which includes: Linda Hagan, Brian Irvine, Barbara Lehto, and John Peters)

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Reflections from Ukraine

The question came to me as I was sitting in a village cemetery near the pollution-filled megacity of Zaporozhe on Ukraine’s beautiful Dnieper river. It was an elderly woman who asked it, worn weary by her daily regime after a lifetime of useful labour, though her words were more a lament than anything.

Nor was she alone, for the virtual collapse of the Russian and Ukrainian economies has left almost everyone in a desperate way. Those young enough survive by cobbling together several jobs, and by hiding this income from the state. Those too old to manage have become beggars, and I saw more of them in three weeks than in all of my previous trips to Russia or Ukraine. So how does one respond?

I ended up spending an overnight in the Black Sea city of Kherson with Sergei, Lena, and their two children. My coming was unexpected, and their three room home on the outskirts of the city suggested that their means were limited. But their hospitality was not. Within minutes, a festive meal was prepared, and the blessing asked. We spoke of their children and daily routines. We spoke of Russian history, and how their particular past had led to this particular present. And we spoke of the new church that they were active in leading; a work that was only possible because of partnership with other Christians in Canada. It may have been small, and it may have met in a garage, but it filled them with hope. The in-breaking of God’s kingdom seemed everywhere that evening.

The final part of my three week trip were spent at a conference on Mennonite history in Zaporozhe. Scholars from a variety of backgrounds made presentations in Russian, English, Ukrainian, and German. There is, in fact, a considerable fascination within parts of Ukraine for this part of their history, especially as any mention of Mennonites was suppressed for decades. In that time, Mennonites themselves were exiled to distant places. How might North American Mennonites respond to this new opening? I hope it is not with those who stress "our" supposedly unblemished past. I would rather the whole picture be shown; one in which Mennonites were part of a larger society in which many peoples participated; one in which strengths and weaknesses were found on all sides.

For decades westerners told Soviets that their lives would be far better if only they abandoned communism. They did, and found themselves in a difficult state. We then said that we would lend them money, but only if they stopped spending money on the social sector. They did as they were told (they had little option), and now find themselves in a much poorer state than before. Hospitals lack medicine, heat, food; even surgical gloves are unavailable. And the situation in schools is no better. Meanwhile, organized crime operates openly, and is uncontrolled because there is little money to spend on police functions.

In short, we need to give our politicians another message when it comes to foreign assistance: without a sound state infrastructure, the people may yet perish. We expect no less in our own state. Why not in theirs?

"All is not lost"

Yet all is not lost. There is a generosity of spirit among Russians and Ukrainians that is second to none. Homes that open up at the drop of a hat; conversations that go late into the night; the almost mystical chant of an Orthodox church service; the courage of the tiny Zaporozhe Mennonite church seeking its own resurrection; or an evening stroll along Odessa’s chestnut lined boulevard on cliffs high overtop the Black Sea.

God is very much in this place, and I leave wondering what role we at Waterloo North might play with this larger world. In giving, how much might we yet receive?

- Len Friesen

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Editorial: The virtue of leisure

This summer Sheri and I enjoyed camping, hiking and swimming in a number of national and provincial parks, feeling in replenished in body and soul. Leisure is a virtue — a lesson I never learnt at home or church.

In our culture we tend to see recreation as non-work, a necessary change from the routine and compulsion to work, that is, as activity which is subordinate to work. But this has not always been the case. Greek philosophers were the first to formulate a leisure "ideal" — which did not stress material consumption, but the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment (schol‘), an opportunity for things to do. A common Greek word for work means the absence of leisure (a-scholia); leisure was primary and work derivative. In contrast we usually define leisure as the absence of work.

Some of us grew up with the view already expressed by St. Benedict, that "idleness (excluding contemplation) is the enemy of the soul." The sociologist Max Weber argued that Protestants in particular have seen work not only as necessary for survival, but as favourable to our well-being and self-justifying — an indication of God’s grace. For my parents, who were refugees and also pioneers in the Paraguayan Chaco ("the green hell"), the concept of leisure as a virtue — religious or otherwise — was unheard of. In Canada many of us have escaped those narrower views of leisure only to be succumbed by our society’s emphasis on materialist consumption — and demands for better jobs, more jobs, second jobs, etc.

The 1970s predictions that we would be moving towards a leisure society did not come true; a study recently published in the Globe and Mail indicated that we are as busy as ever. Can the church present an alternative "ideal" of leisure that does not stress material consumption, but as with the ancient Greeks, promotes spiritual enlightenment (schol‘)? We don’t need to read Plato to learn this; Yahweh God rested on the seventh day and called it good. Honouring rest can be a radical theological virtue — think of the Sabbath commandment! In a world which increasingly seeks wholeness through work or material consumption, practicing the virtue of leisure breaks the cycle of the work week and work year, allowing us to glimpse our personal and corporate natures more truly, that is, in our being as together-with-God in God’s future. This future can’t be built, only anticipated. This anticipation teaches us to cultivate the virtues of rest, play, leisure and patience, clarifying for the Christian what really is urgent and what really has no future.

The theme of this summer issue of Waterloo North Reflections is "Faith and Leisure". If this issue is shorter and later than normal, it’s only because we took our theme to heart. Thanks again to our contributors for their summer musings on journeys and dandelions, communal life and on helping refugees find rest in our community.

- Arnold Neufeldt-Fast

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Life and faith in the RUAH (({9) Community

For the past two years, I have been living at RUAH, or "The Young Street House". I live with Angie Koch, Natasha Krahn, Chris Allen and Margaret, Nolan and Zoe Andres from our congregation. The rest of my community mates are Chris Buhler, Jason Hildebrand, Tim Corlis, Sara Fretz and Matthew Bailey-Dick. I have lived at RUAH since September 1997, when nine young adults moved into the large house they had bought at 29 Young Street. Our diverse group totalled twelve in the second year. We buy our food together and eat together. Every week we have a house supper and meet to discuss issues, relay information and make decisions by consensus. We live out of a covenant statement that describes how we want to live together in love. Living at RUAH is a lifestyle and faith choice for me.

Our suppers are a symbol of our life together. Once a week it is my turn to cook for everyone. From our various lives, school or work, we gather around the table and sing grace: "For food in a world where many live in hunger, for friends in a world where many walk alone, for faith in a world where many live in fear, we give you thanks, O God". "Amen," little Zoe concludes. This simple song recognizes the blessedness and expresses the gratitude, that is a common experience for me at RUAH. Then we eat our meal together, enjoying food from our garden. There is a lot of laughter and catching up on each other’s day. After supper we crank the stereo and pile into the kitchen for the dishwashing brigade. Somehow these daily activities are linked to our spiritual life in community.

The name of our community, RUAH (({9), is a feminine Hebrew word for spirit or wind. RUAH, breath of God within us. I find God in the air and in the space between my housemates and me. My time at RUAH charts a movement in my faith life from a talking, telling faith, to a breathing, taking in and giving back, lived faith. There is a positive feedback loop between my beliefs and my lifestyle. I live in community as a sign of hope and as a way of proclaiming that it is good to be together. Living together is going against the grain in our divided, individualistic, broken, lonely world. Living at L’Arche, I learned Henri Nouwen’s definition of sin. Sin is that which divides me from myself, others, or God. The devil, Le Diablo (*4’$@8@H), is the divider. I am joined with, I share a communion with, my housemates. Through my connection with others, I find my connection with God.

Living at RUAH is a significant choice about how I want to live and act out my faith.

- Martha Crealock

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Waterloo North Stars: Field of Dreamers

One of the more vibrant points of male support at Waterloo North happens weekly during the summer as anywhere from 8 to 15 men gather on the ball diamond. Waterloo North has had a presence in the Mennonite Men’s Slo-Pitch League for most of our congregation’s history. One constant player over the years has been the team’s pitcher Boyd Snider, whose longevity and high arching pitches are well renowned.

Success in slo-pitch is often defined by having enough able bodies to play, however the team has had some success in the win column. The 1996 season was a highwater mark, winning the "A" division. In the mid-90's we also won the "Howard Gimble" tournament in June for 3 consecutive years, and in 1997 we won the "B" Division crown.

Fans are always welcome to come out for the entertainment value the team provides — the mindless chatter and baseball cliche’s are worth the price of admission (free). This year’s team will be competing in the "A" Division in the playoff tournament with the final games on Saturday, September 11 in Bloomingdale.

You can also visit the Mennonite Men’s Slo-Pitch league website link by going to the following address: http://www.pwl.on.ca/.

-- Fred Martin

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Poetry: "Dandelions"

Here they come again!
The tomboy maidens of spring,
Taraxacum officinale:
small plush suns,
golden happyfaces,
bouncing on milky stems,
beaming at us saucily
and indiscriminately
from roadside fields and
primly-clipped lawns alike.
We have our reasons
for resenting
their audacity,
but just as we gather
our strength against them,
they swiftly don
their gossamer disguise
and hoisting their parasols,
conspire with the wind
to fly away.

-- Esther Regehr

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A selfless act?

A friend of mine, a distinguished explorer who spent a couple of years among the natives of the upper Amazon, once attempted a forced march through the jungle. The party made extraordinary speed for the first two days, but on the third morning, when it was time to start, my friend found all the natives sitting on their haunches, looking very solemn and making no preparations to leave.

"They are waiting," the chief explained to my friend."

"They cannot move farther until their souls have caught up with their bodies."

- B. Henderson, ed., Minutes of the Lead Pencil Club (Wainscott, NY: Pushcart Press, n.d), 96; submitted by Dennis Letho.

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Going on a Pilgrimage

Earlier this summer, I participated in a 2½ week journey to the British Isles. There were 12 of us in all — Mennonite pastors, educators, spiritual directors and health care workers, ranging in age from 47 to 58.

As we waited for ferries, registered at youth hostels, and hauled our luggage through driving rain, we were urged to think of ourselves not as tourists, but rather as pilgrims. The "goal" of our pilgrimage — we thought — was to visit a variety of monasteries and other sites with roots in the Celtic Christian movement, going back to the 6^th century. An auxiliary "goal" was to see how Celtic Christian thought influences peacemaking and community building efforts in the British Isles today.

Well, we reached our "goals" and I have indeed added the Isle of Iona and the bombed out ruins of the cathedral at Coventry to my personal constellation of holy places. But what took us by surprise was the intensity of the journey itself. Those who regularly record dreams couldn’t remember any, those who journal every day often didn’t, those who need personal quiet time to process what’s going on didn’t get enough, and those who need to talk to know what they’re thinking increasingly couldn’t find an audience. The journey itself took all our energy.

Finally, it dawned on us. Pilgrimage is astonishingly communal! Pilgrimage is as much the journey as the destination. Holy moments happen not only at "holy places" listed on an itinerary, but at times when we’re not paying attention. Pilgrimage implies a willingness to meet God as we interact with each other — even with the most irritating person on the trip.

Since I’ve returned to North America, I’ve thought a lot about how "pilgrimage" can describe our life together at Waterloo North. This fall, we’re embarking on a new phase of our congregational journey. The Growth Task Force will help us begin to look at some forks in the road up ahead. Some of us may be reluctant to begin this journey. Others of us might say, "Let’s identify a goal as quickly as possible and go for it."

My prayer is that this fall and winter we can be on pilgrimage together, letting God’s Spirit show us the pace ... paying attention to unexpected holy moments ... trusting that, when the time is right, God’s Spirit will make the destination clear to us. I hope we are open to meeting God as we respectfully listen to each other’s understandings about where we’ve been as a congregation — and where God wishes to lead us.

- Sue Steiner, Lead Minister

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St. Louis: a bittersweet transition

St. Louis ‘99 had some bittersweet moments for me as a "veteran" of denominational integration conversations over the years. Sometimes I’ve been called a conference "junkie" because I enjoy the delegate discussion and even the niceties of parliamentary procedure!

Sue and I have attended every Mennonite Church General Assemblies since the 1979 assembly that was held in Waterloo. These assemblies have combined "family reunion" feelings with friends from college days with mountaintop worship experiences, with sometimes difficult grappling with issues within Mennonite the family of faith. One worship experience I shall never forget was the anointing with oil that was part of a service at Philadelphia ‘93.

Since the mid-1980s I also had a chance to attend many annual sessions of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada. These were different — I met no relatives at these assemblies, there were only a few friends from seminary days, and the crowds were smaller. But I quickly felt these too were my people. We talked about some of the same thorny issues, there were memorable worship experiences, and my Canadian self-awareness was validated in a way that just didn’t happen at Mennonite Church assemblies. The memorable worship experience for me was the "God has called us by name" service at Stratford ‘98 in which we remembered those who had been born, died or been baptized in the previous year.

St. Louis ‘99 marked the end of my dual identity in some fashion. My faith roots are very deep in the Mennonite Church that was 90% American-based. When I talk to persons at a Mennonite Church assembly, many of them have very similar faith experiences to mine. And I already feel the loss of kibitzing with persons with whom I’ve worked on Mennonite Church committees. There is a personal loss for me in the realignment of the Mennonite Church into U.S. and Canadian bodies.

There was also a bittersweet experience in watching the new Mennonite Church USA struggle to overcome its internal division on how to work with congregations that have been disciplined because of their views on homosexuality. I grieved as I watched the new church begin to fight almost as soon as the "marriage vows" had been affirmed.

But I’m also energized by the possibilities of the new Mennonite Church Canada. The stories of those who fled Russia in the 1920s or after World War II are also my stories. Our learning and growing with new language groups like the Laotians or Chinese are becoming part of my story. Now we can work cooperatively with Mennonite Church USA as brothers and sisters, not within the parent-child relationship we’ve sometimes felt. St. Louis ‘99 signals our coming of age. There was a sense of unity and purpose among the Canadian delegates. We were ready to "get on with it." I feel great potential for myself and for Waterloo North Mennonite Church as we work with our new "kin."

– Sam Steiner

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St. Louis: Reflecting by the river

I don’t suppose I am a typical Mennonite conference goer, since I don’t enjoy the crowds or the worship services. Instead, I usually prefer attending the business meetings and seminars.

I arrived in St. Louis not sure what to expect or what was expected of me. When I walked into the first joint business meeting (of the Mennonite Church, General Conference Mennonite Church and the Conference of Mennonites in Canada), I felt a sense of kinship — here were hundreds of Mennonites from across North America interested in the work of the church. As I scanned the crowd I recognized people I knew, but many more that I did not. It was humbling to realize that Waterloo North is a small part of a much larger church. There were 3 specific places where I was aware of God’s presence:

First, I attended a seminar called "Symbols and Rituals — Native American Philosophies" led by Steve Cheramie Risingsun. It was a blessing to hear a native pastor talk about how his congregation has integrated some of their cultural rituals into the life of their congregation. As Mennonites, we are blessed to have native congregations in our denomination who embrace their culture and Christianity without apology.

Second, listening to the discussion at business sessions gave me hope for the church: here were many people dedicated to serving the same God through service and prayer. I was impressed with the sense of co-operation and trust which was present at the sessions I attended.

Third, on Sunday afternoon I wandered over to the youth displays. Among all the noise and confusion of the children playing in the area there stood a house of prayer. It felt sacred when I entered. Inside the canvas walls was a very pleasing, reflective display. Without intending to stay, I found myself drawn to praying for the Mennonite church — may we slow down our lives enough to recognize those moments when God wants to speak.

I do have one concern. It made me feel old (and outnumbered) to wander among 5000 youth using the same halls and lunch tables as the 2000 adults. However, the Sunday morning worship service which was attended by about 7,300 youth and adults left me feeling more than old and outnumbered. The high-tech video screens and the constant clapping felt like we were being entertained at a concert. What are we teaching our youth at these conventions? The Christian faith journey is more than enthusiastic singing and charismatic preaching. In the hall I overhead two young girls lament that their home congregations were "dead and boring". I pray that the youth will not all find their congregations dead and boring, because they are the future of the Mennonite church.

- Miriam Frey

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Poetry: "Constellations: a riddle"

An antique with a bent handle,
up on a blue sill
where no one can touch,
decorated with a string
of wide-spaced lights.
Grandma remembers holding it,
tilting water into the old basin
used for washing grimy hands.
Now it’s always full to the brim,
always dipping blue, dipping blue;
always there for you.

-- Esther Regehr

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From your church library

Visit Our Church Library for Your Summer Reading Pleasure and Growth.
There are books for all ages and interests. Books can be signed out for three weeks.

Beatitudes for Booklovers

Blessed are those who feed the mind;
    the kingdom of knowledge is theirs.

Blessed are the well-read,
    for they shall be enriched.

Blessed are the educated;
    they shall inherit the world.

Blessed are those who invest in good books and literature,
    for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the disciplined
    for they shall find time to read.

Blessed are they that lend their books,
    for they shall be called true friends.

Blessed are they who return the books that are loaned,
    for they shall never be called "bookkeepers".

Blessed are they that persevere in good reading,
    for theirs is an enduring investment.

Blessed are you if,
    when elected to many committees
    and have many duties heaped upon you for the community’s sake,
    you still hold fast to your reading habits, for great will be your reward.

That is how the wise are separated from the foolish.

-- George Earle Owen (source unknown)

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