Canada Day Weekend: Three Days to See

1 Open my eyes, that I may see
 glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
 place in my hands the wonderful key
 that shall unclasp and set me free.
  Silently now I wait for thee,
  ready, my God, thy will to see.
  Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

The Atlantic magazine publishes archived articles from time to time reaching back through the publication's long history from the mid-19th century. Recently it was a moving piece by Helen Keller from 1933 -- yes, blind and deaf Helen Keller of Miracle Worker movie fame.



It's called Three Days to See but she reflects on the gift of the senses and our tendency to take them for granted despite living in a world of remarkable beauty. She notes that we act as though we assume our senses are a convenience when they add fullness to life. What if we were blind and given three days to see? What might our priorities be? Here is an excerpt about sight:

Now and then I have tested my seeing friends to discover what they see. Recently I was visited by a very good friend who had just returned from a long walk in the woods, and I asked her what she had observed. "Nothing in particular," she replied. I might have been incredulous had I not been accustomed to such responses, for long ago I be­came convinced that the seeing see little.

How was it possible, I asked myself, to walk for an hour through the woods and see nothing worthy of note? I who cannot see find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch. I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf. I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch, or the shaggy rough bark of a pine. In spring I touch the branch­es of trees hopefully in search of a bud, the first sign of awakening Nature after her win­ter's sleep.

 

I feel the delightful, velvety texture of a flower, and discover its remarkable convolutions; and something of the miracle of Nature is revealed to me. Occasionally, if I am fortunate, I place my hand gently on a small tree and feel the happy quiver of a bird in full song. I am delighted to have the cool waters of a brook rush through my open fingers. To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug. To me the pageant of seasons is a thrilling and unend­ing drama, the action of which streams through my fingertips.

 

 

The article is lengthy and is now more than 80 years old. There is both a poignancy and timeliness about it which is striking in our time when we fail to see and hear what is about us, and we bombarded by noise. The majority of us have been blessed by both the senses which Keller did not possess yet she is a prophet about both, and a savant regarding touch.

 

Our prayer this three-day Canada Day weekend can be that God will open our eyes that we may see. We can taste and touch and listen and smell and give praise and thanksgiving for all.

 

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1933/01/three-days-to-see/371679/

 

 2 Open my ears, that I may hear
 voices of truth thou sendest clear;
 and while the wavenotes fall on my ear,
 everything false will disappear.
  Silently now I wait for thee,
  ready, my God, thy will to see.
  Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!

 

 

 

God's Light Show

Through the decades I've found that "church without a roof", the templum of the natural world is where I've experienced some of my most profound holy and even ecstatic moments. Some of them are anticipated, many are not. A pod of porpoises swimming beneath kayaks or a loon or snapping turtle under a canoe cannot be planned. Last year we descended into what is the largest hollow volcano on the planet in the Azores, only hearing that it existed when we got there,  and it was truly a sunken cathedral. We once sat on a balcony and watched a spectacular "dry lightning" storm atop Mesa Verde in Colorado.

An article in the excellent Hakai magazine about marine fluorescence brought to mind another fleeting "epiphany" when we were in Costa Rica. Fluorescence is the glow in seas and oceans from reefs and fish and plants and other creatures. Scientists are attempting to understand what the purpose of this mysterious light show is. https://www.hakaimagazine.com/videos-visuals/the-secret-light-show-below/


My experience was of phosphorescence which is related to fluorescence. I was standing on a beach in Costa Rica in the near dark when a bird called a Skimmer did what its name describes, skimming along the surface in search of food. Phosphorescent creatures in the water were stimulated by this disturbance and suddenly there was a lengthy, glowing streak in the water. I was alone when I saw it and it was wondrous, a "burning bush" moment. This was 15 years ago yet I can recall it vividly.

The science of fluorescence and phosphorescence is fascinating but the actual visceral experience takes one out of oneself, at least for me. This is God's wondrous light show and I am grateful.



Terceira, Azores

National Canoe Day & the Soul-Boat

Yesterday was National Canoe Day and we had no opportunity to get out on the water. Our vehicle is on the DL due to an accident and rentals don't have roof racks. Frustrating! We tend to kayak more than canoe these days but canoeing has taken us to some wondrous places through the decades. We canoe-tripped with our kids in Lake Superior and Killarney Provincial Parks and we've explored a hundred wild nooks and crannies in several provinces and states.



Canada's rivers were the first highways for Indigenous peoples and explorers and missionaries, so not surprisingly canoeing has inspired everything from humour to beer to legends. The Flying Canoe or La Chasse Galerie is the story of lumbermen in the deep woods who sell their souls to Satan for a trip to Montreal, and the Prince of Darkness guides their way in the bow.

There are more ancient motifs of the soul-boat in many aboriginal cultures, carrying the dead to the afterlife.



I also think of Canadian canoeing icon Bill Mason whose film Waterwalker includes a song of the same name by Bruce Cockburn and lots of Mason's Christian musings to go along with his explorations of Lake Superior country. You can now watch the film online and I'd recommend it, just to witness the most beautiful solo paddle stroke of any human. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq7CqhbzPUs

I would also encourage you to visit the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough. The last time I did it was with two great old guys from Bridge St UC, one a 90-something who had paddled from the time he was a boy. My great regret is that in his last days Ruth and I were going to take him for a last canoe outing but a cautious family member overruled his enthusiasm. His daughter (also a Bridge St member) figured that if he died in the canoe it would actually be fitting. Wouldn't that have been a soul-boat?

Thank God for canoes. Didn't Jesus' disciples fish from one?



Bill Mason

Back to the Future with Mickey Dee's

Back when I was a child...it's so weird when I write about this antediluvian era...back when I was a child there were church picnics around this time of year. There were plenty of kids and lots of activities for them. I can recall participating in three-legged and potato sack races -- yikes!

At the conclusion of the meal, eaten on paper plates, we'd have ice cream which was in small, round paper cups with a cardboard lid. We used a little wooden paddle as a spoon which was oddly fun to chew once the ice cream was finished. What was the theological significance of these events? Who knows? They were "fun and fellowship" and that was
enough.
 

Well, it's fascinating to read that MacDonald's, the fast-food giant, is going all "church picnic" as a "back to the future" Green initiative. I'll let them tell you about it:

TORONTO, June 19, 2019 /CNW/ - McDonald's Canada is on a journey to make its packaging more sustainable as part of its goal to reduce its environmental footprint and source 100 per cent of guest packaging from renewable and/or recycled materials.
To help get there, McDonald's will unveil two "Green Concept Restaurants" in London, Ontario and Vancouver, BC. These restaurants will act as incubator locations to test new packaging options and recycling initiatives.

The Green Concept Restaurants will continue using much of the current McDonald's packaging but will also test items with the potential to be rolled out more widely in the future. The first innovations will begin testing in the coming months and include:

A fully re-pulpable cup for cold beverages – a Canadian QSR first

• The cup uses an aqueous coating that is acceptable in recycling streams

New fibre lids – a Canadian QSR first

• Product is made from 100% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood fibre and is recyclable 
• The lid will also help reduce straw use, as guests can sip from it directly
• Lids will be tested on all three cold cup sizes
• Wooden cutlery
• Wooden stir sticks
• Paper straws

I haven't visited MacDonald's very often since they refused to put coffee in my refillable thermal travel mug, but I have to give credit where it is due. I hope many other companies will follow suit and that MacDonald's continues the roll-out. I might show up to see how they're doing, without the burlap sack.

Cathedral of the Trees in Algonquin

Jocelyn Mundy-Bourden

Last Summer I participated in the Algonquin Park summer ministry and it might have been a "last hurrah" as the United Church reorganized its structure. There were fewer Sundays and weeks covered last year, small congregations at the Park theatre, and no clear path forward. Happily, five of the participating clergy Providentially sought each other out and we have been working through the Winter and Spring to secure funding. organize the schedule (now full for July and August), purchase a new trailer as Summer home base, and create a presence in the Park, including signage.



Algonquin Park Pines

Most importantly, we have developed a theological and experiential framework for the services of the Summer, choosing to have a consistent theme of Cathedral of the Trees.

We are building on the ministry of the same name created by a clergy couple whose congregations are adjacent to Algonquin. In the website description of this ministry they offer:

 

In the Cathedral of the Trees, we attune ourselves to the Sacred    

through the earth and her creatures.
The more than human world is part of the gathered congregation.

Join us to listen deeply, explore creatively, and live gratefully.

Come and be transformed by intentional connection with the ancient
and sacred rhythms of the creation of which we are a part. 
Together we will read and study the book of Nature. 

                      The ancients say that to know nature is to know something of God.

https://riseabove470.wordpress.com/cathedral-of-the-trees/

 The United Church tends to be a herd of cats but we have agreed to focus on trees in scripture and to invite participants into awareness of their arboreal surroundings -- to experience "holy wonder in Creation."

Needless to say, we hope that you'll join us if you happen to be in Algonquin during July and August. Are you intrigued?

 

 

Algonquin Park Tom Thomson

 

Canuck Suck and Blow

suck and blow

(Canada, Britain, idiomatic)
To perform two incompatible actions; to hold views which are in contradiction.

The federal government has given the perfect example of "suck and blow" this week, declaring a climate emergency in the House of Commons on Monday, then approving a tarsands pipeline the following day. The incongruence is mind-boggling and it seems that everyone gets that it is, except the Libs.

Wait, there's more! Only a week ago former Liberal environment minister, David Anderson, urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet to reject the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, arguing there is no economic basis for the project. “There is no credible evidence to suggest that Asia is likely to be a reliable or a significant market for Alberta bitumen,” Anderson wrote in an open letter.



As a Christian I attempt to make my vote count in elections at every level, choosing to be non-partisan but committed to the highest good in different facets of life. I can't support the silliness and irresponsibility of this government and I hope the legal challenges to this decision will thwart its progress, once again...and there is a federal election in October.

Signs of the Times & a CBC Poll

Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.

Charles Dudley Warner (September 12, 1829 – October 20, 1900)

 Jesus also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens.  You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
 Luke 12:54-56 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Canadians seem to be finally waking up to the urgency of climate, which is resulting in climate chaos and global heating. An increasing number of faith communities are aware that this is a spiritual issue both practical in the day-to-day, an existential threat, and an affront to God, the Creator. How willing are we to alter our lifestyles though, to undergo the conversion which will make a difference for generations to come. Here are some of the results of a CBC poll of 4,500 Canadians. There is both encouragement and disappoint.

Where do you fit in all of this, and does your Christian faith influence your outlook?

Canadians are deeply concerned about climate change and are willing to make adjustments in their lives to fight it — but for many people, paying as much as even a monthly Netflix subscription in extra taxes is not one of them, a new poll suggests.
The survey results, the first in a series from a poll commissioned by CBC News and conducted by Public Square Research and Maru/Blue to capture a portrait of the country in this election year, found that while nearly two-thirds of Canadians see fighting climate change as a top priority, half of those surveyed would not shell out more than $100 per year in taxes to prevent climate change, the equivalent of less than $9 a month.
The findings point to a population that is both gravely concerned about the heating of the planet but largely unprepared to make significant sacrifices in order to stave off an environmental crisis.
The CBC News poll, which was conducted online between May 31 and June 10, interviewing 4,500 Canadians who are members of the Maru/Blue panel, found that 19 per cent of Canadians listed climate change as the issue they are most worried about — second only to the cost of living, which topped the list at 32 per cent.
That concern appears to be deeply felt by many Canadians — and particularly younger Canadians — as 38 per cent of respondents said that "our survival depends on addressing" climate change and 25 per cent said it is a top priority. Another 20 per cent said "it's important, but not a top priority," while 11 per cent said it wasn't a priority.

 

Only six per cent of respondents said they did not believe in climate change.
The poll also found 65 per cent of respondents agreeing with the statement "Canada is not doing enough to fight climate change," topping out at 76 per cent in Quebec.

Canadians say they are willing to do more

To help prevent climate change, three-quarters of Canadians polled said they were willing to make major (25 per cent) or some (50 per cent) changes in what they do in their daily lives. Only four per cent said they were not willing to do anything, while 15 per cent said they don't need to make changes as they already have a small carbon footprint.
 
The poll asked those respondents who said they were willing to make changes in their lives what they were willing to do or had already done.

Most Canadians are concerned about the impacts of climate change. One of those potential impacts is increased flooding in certain parts of the country. The  most popular options were buying local (75 per cent) and reducing the thermostat (66 per cent), while 55 per cent said they were willing to purchase fewer things in general. Just under half, or 47 per cent, said they would be willing to drive less, while 37 per cent would take public transit or use a bicycle more often.These options were the more convenient, less expensive and, in some cases, cost-saving ones when compared to the actions Canadians were less willing to take.Just 34 per cent said they would go without air conditioning, 30 per cent would purchase a vehicle with an energy-saving mode and 25 per cent would fly less frequently. Fewer than one in five respondents who were willing to make changes to their lives said they would purchase an electric car (20 per cent), move to a smaller house or apartment (19 per cent) or give up eating meat (17 per cent).Combined with the survey's findings of such a high level of concern about the cost of living — it ranked as both Canadians' biggest worry and their top election issue — the numbers suggest that while Canadians care about climate change, their financial concerns are more important.Still, only six per cent said they'd like to make changes in their lives to fight climate change but "can't afford it."

Trinity Uncontained

 

 

 

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
 Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
 holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,
 God in three persons, blessed Trinity!


With the Church through the ages,

we speak of God as one and triune:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We also speak of God as
   Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer
   God, Christ, and Spirit
   Mother, Friend, and Comforter
   Source of Life, Living Word, and Bond of Love,
   and in other ways that speak faithfully of
the One on whom our hearts rely,
the fully shared life at the heart of the universe.

Song of Faith -- United Church of Canada 2006

It's always a tough choice to ditch church but we have been hankering to get out on the water for a couple of weeks so headed to the Salmon River north of Napanee early in the day. Our put-in spot near Roblin gives access to a portion of the river where there are no buildings and often (today included) we see no other human beings. We were in our kayaks for 2 1/2 hours, taking some breaks to experience what was a deep solitude with very little “anthrophony" (sounds made by humans) and a lovely choir of  “biophony” (sounds made by any other living organisms).

The experience was deeply worshipful and at one point Ruth sang the opening verse of the traditional hymn Holy Holy Holy. She didn't know that this is Trinity Sunday but she intuitively got it right in this cathedral of water and trees and creatures great and small. The breath of the Spirit moved gently over the waters and in the treetops, we had a profound sense of the interrelationship of Creator and Creatures, and we celebrated God-with-Us in human experience through Christ -- all without actually articulating any Trinitarian creed or formula.

On our drive back to Belleville Ruth found the lyrics of the hymn and the final verse which proclaims:

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
 All thy works shall praise thy name in earth
  and sky and sea;
 holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,
 God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Amen!

Stemming the Tide of Plastic

Yesterday our plan was to paddle on the Salmon River but the strong breeze and wind gusts convinced us to visit Lodge Point in Sandbanks Provincial Park for a ramble instead. It certainly wasn't a hardship to go with Plan B. With wind there are waves, a spectacular gift of sight and sound. Sadly, the water level remains destructively high in Lake Ontario and one beach has all but disappeared. The high water mark is a jumble of litter, including a lot of plastic. We're told that plastic has become a terrible problem in our oceans but we saw, first hand, that the same is true for one of our Great Lakes.

I was encouraged that the federal government in Canada announced a ban on single use plastics by 2021, which may be an unattainable goal, but a good one. The cynic in me wonders if this a response to proposals in the environmental plans of both the Green Party and the NDP. In some respects the motivation doesn't matter. It's the implementation which is important.



1963

We've talked a lot as a couple about the proliferation of plastics since our childhoods in the late 50's and 60's. We grew up in a world of paper bags and sandwiches in waxed paper and tiny wooden spoons and stir sticks. Oh, and actual cutlery and crockery. Still, the use of plastics was on the rise, And t

here's no point in insisting that was an ideal time -- Ruth commented recently about the disturbing amount of roadside litter when we were young and communities didn't organize Trash Bash clean-ups. Still, we have to do better and I'm pleased to see the feds making an effort. Let's also remember that parties such as the Greens have been "salt and light" in nudging us toward positive change. Hey, I had to work in a biblical metaphor!



Theo Moudakis Toronto Star

Faith for Creation in Downtown Toronto

Faith for Creation in Downtown TO

I heard Cheri De Novo on CBC radio this morning and realized that she was speaking as the Rev. Cheri rather than as an NDP politician in Ontario. She hasn't been an MPP for a couple of years, but I hope I can be forgiven for the challenge of keeping up with De Novo. What an active and varied life! In her early years she was a street person for several years, eventually ran a successful corporate head-hunting business, and eventually studied for the ministry. It was while she was in a ground-breaking ministry in Toronto that she decided to enter politics. She eventually left and returned to minister for the Trinity-St. Paul's Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts.  



Rev. Cheri De Novo

Today she was talking about the climate crisis and the planned rally/protest/awareness raiser involving a number of faith leaders in the heart of Toronto. Here is the notice for the event:

FAITH FOR CREATION: Declare a Climate Crisis

Monday, June 10, 2019 - 5:45pm to 6:15pm

Yonge & Dundas, Toronto
 

Faith Leaders and Extinction Rebellion Toronto call for action! 

Gather on the corners of Yonge & Dundas at 5:45 p.m.
At 6:00 p.m. sharp, we will occupy the intersection for 15 minutes.

Mike Layton, City Councillor for University-Rosedale
Rabbi Aviva Goldberg, Congregation Shir Libeynu
Imam El-Farouk Khaki, Masjid el-Tawhid - Toronto - Unity Mosque
Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo, Trinity-St Paul's United Church & Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts

Extinction Rebellion Toronto  with Indigenous Land Acknowledgement

 

 I appreciated that De Novo talked openly in the interview about how the climate crisis is a spiritual issue with a strong biblical mandate. It is essential that faith leaders step forward to take a role in this pivotal time and while this will take different forms, including within our worship life, we must act.

 

I'm not expecting that this demonstration will usurp Raptor fever, but at least they'll be in the right part of  the city!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oceans of Life

Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha'olam sheh-a-sah et ha-yam ha-gadol.

Blessed are you, Eternal our God, Ruler of the Universe, who made the great sea.

Jewish Prayer

Our plan is to spend time this Summer/Fall by the ocean, which we do virtually every year. There is something extraordinary about being alongside and on saltwater. For us it is a spiritual experience, a connection with Creator and Creation unlike anything else. Being by the ocean is a powerful sensory experience as well, and the rhythm of the tides is both ordinary and mystical.



This is World Oceans Day and here are some facts, both astonishing and ugly.

Half of the planet’s oxygen comes from oceans
Oceans host 80% of life on Earth
Oceans are the planet’s largest carbon sink

Nearly 13,000,000 tonnes of plastic leaks into the oceans every year
 One million seabirds are killed every year by the plastic
At this rate, plastic will outweigh fish by 2050

We can all say a prayer for the mighty oceans of life.
https://www.greeningtheblue.org/event/world-oceans-day



 Children at the seaside --Willem Boshoff