A Different Kind of Christmas

Unfortunately though, those two days didn’t turn out to be the celebration that we had planned, as even before we had figured out how to get out of our snowbound driveway, Gary’s older brother called to tell us, “the nurse just called to say that Mom passed away.”

It was not altogether unexpected since Mom had been in declining health for some time--declining more rapidly over the last couple of weeks, so we always seemed to be on alert whenever the phone would ring—yet death whenever it comes seems unexpected and brings with it sudden grief for those who are left behind. We had already been anticipating this first Christmas without Dad (since his passing on April 16 of this year), and now Mom is also no longer with us.

So in these days I especially appreciate the Christmas words of “comfort and joy” and hold on to the hope that we have of eternal life through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Dorothy Yamasaki, entrusted into the hands of God, December 25, 2008.
 

Dec 29, 2008 at 8:49 AM

Permalink

Comments (1)

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

There were many calls and prayers before finally deciding to go ahead with however many or few people might be able to be there.

It turned out to be a wonderful evening! There was hot apple cider, more than enough goodies to share, and a full banquet room of people enjoying good fellowship. There were many guests for worship—extended family members and friends, aboriginal guests from the community, people who are currently homeless, people from other churches whose Christmas Eve services were cancelled.

It was a very moving time of worship, maybe partly because I was aware of so many guests who had come to share the story of Jesus’ birth, and because of the effort people had made to come. As the story of Jesus’ birth was re-told in Scripture, singing, special music, artwork, and in the pageant set to the words of the Huron carol, I felt the wonder again of God with us in Jesus Christ.

As we brought the evening to a close, I invited everyone either to kneel along with those in the pageant or to stand for our closing prayer—it brought tears to my eyes to see several people kneel in the congregation as the rest of us stood in honour of the birth of Jesus. We prayed together with a single drumbeat in the background like a heart beat: Glory to God in the Highest!

Dec 29, 2008 at 8:48 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

Maxed out in ministry?

Incredibly, I’ve already been 15 years in ministry at Emmanuel, with 3 years before that teaching at Columbia Bible College, so at 18 years total, yes it’s true that I’ve maxed out in experience according to MC Canada. That might be true in dollars (and in the current economic climate, it would be difficult to ask for more!), but in terms of experience in ministry, the fact is I’m still learning and growing and expect to continue. . . . The day I start believing that I have nothing more to learn and nothing new to experience in ministry is the day after I should have moved on to something else.

For now, I think I'm still learning and experiencing a lot:  working more with sermon slides and a more visual approach to preaching; speaking with and without the pulpit; learning to minister in a growing congregation which has very different needs at 250+ members than at 150 when I first started; working with the diverse personalities and unique dynamics that come with a multiple staff and very gifted and active members--all of these are opportunities for new growth and learning even after 18 years!

Dec 20, 2008 at 8:53 AM

Permalink

Comments (1)

On (not) being at home in the Mennonite Church

“At Home in the Mennonite Church” was not actually my title, and what appears in the Canadian Mennonite is really part of a longer message that I had given at the Mennonite Church Canada/Mennonite Church USA Summit last July. Not long after that, editor Tim Miller Dyck said he’d like to reprint my personal story at some point, but I had forgotten about that until I actually saw it in print.

As a stand alone piece, that excerpt paints a rather rosy picture of my sense of being at home in the Mennonite Church. It’s all true, but it’s also not the whole story. In fact, later in the same message, I said, “I began tonight by sharing some of my own experience of discovering a sense of community and a sense of shared values with the Mennonite Church. It’s a wonderful part of my story that I’m delighted to share—but it’s only part of the story. Along the way, I’ve also discovered that sometimes community can be a very lonely place. For all the earnest talk and sincere efforts at becoming more multicultural, there is still a long way to go. There are times when I’ve felt more claustrophobia than community, times when I’ve realized with some dismay that not everyone shares quite the same values or lives them out in quite the same way.”

So although I do feel at home in many ways, I am also keenly aware that “home” can be disappointing, frustrating, painful, full of failure, a “home” where I am sometimes still treated like a stranger and outsider, where I feel I don’t quite belong and am not sure I really want to. That’s also part of my story, and I don’t think it’s at all unusual.

Whether your family has been part of the Mennonite Church for generations, or you’ve become a part of the church more recently; whether you’re in church leadership or on the margins of church life-- any of us may experience times when we feel at home and any of us may experience times when we feel very lonely. For our true home is not of this world at all—not in any human denomination or institution or relationship, but our true home is found in the heart of God.

Dec 13, 2008 at 4:11 PM

Permalink

Comments (1)

Rejoice!?

ask our new church secretary to find out why we’re short this time—we might not know until next week though since it’s Roberta’s very first day today!

Nov 28, 2008 at 6:48 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

Society of Biblical Literature

Walter Brueggeman whose work in Old Testament I greatly admire, or like New Testament scholar and bishop N.T. Wright who seems to be turning into the CS Lewis of this generation, biblical scholarship certainly undergirds the work I do as a pastor. It shapes my own reading and study of Scripture, is a resource for sermon preparation, and helps me think theologically about the rest of my ministry as well.
 

For me, highlights of this year’s SBL include:

(1) since the Academy of Homiletics (i.e., Preaching) was meeting at the same time this year, there were a number of sessions on preaching—too many to take in them all—but I was able to take part in several excellent sessions on collaborative forms of sermon preparation, preaching in the context of the congregation, biblical studies and preaching;

(2) an afternoon of papers focused on the Bible, ethics, and the environment—this session was standing room only, partly because of the topic and partly because of Terence Fretheim who is apparently well-known and well-respected although I had never heard his name before….his paper was excellent though, and I look forward to sharing his work sometime in an adult Sunday school class;

(3) many many other excellent sessions that will either directly find their way into my preaching and teaching in the coming year or will indirectly help shape my ministry;

(4) the chance to network with other scholars and pastors, including some of the professors from Canadian Mennonite University; Eastern Mennonite Seminary; Tabor College (a Mennonite Brethren school in Kansas); a Methodist pastor friend who has been working on a sermon-writing project with me over the last year;

(5) book displays of recent books and standards, all at 40%-50% off, so this was a great place to invest my book allowance—I’ve already started reading Prayers for a Privileged People by Walter Brueggeman and am looking forward to reading Marva Dawn’s new book How to be Well when You’re Ill. Both of these are written by scholars, but definitely not in the stereotype of the dry academic—they are also lively works of faith, very concrete and useful.

(6) as you can tell, I've returned with a lot of new ideas and energized for ministry--if you're interested in hearing more, please ask me!

Nov 28, 2008 at 6:42 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

Brain Surgery?

To find out, check out T & T Clark's publisher's blog at http://tandtclark.typepad.com/ttc/

Nov 20, 2008 at 3:22 PM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

More on "Encouraging One Another"

hugs, smiles, prayer (although I did actually mention that one!), greeting one another instead of walking by without saying anything, saying thank you, asking a question of interest, simply being present (which reminds me—I was told there were 70 people in the balcony on Sunday!). I hope we can think of many more ways to encourage one another!

Nov 17, 2008 at 5:06 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

Channeled and Challenged

I’ve been so blessed meeting with some in their homes, with all of them in an orientation at the church (which included a church tour for those that hadn’t ventured much beyond the church sanctuary!), and also meeting with our deacons.

At our meeting with the deacons, I asked each deacon and new member to introduce themselves with something they appreciate about the church. Some mentioned the sermons, others expressed appreciation for the music, the peace emphasis, the connection with the wider church, the style of ministry and leadership at Emmanuel. The comment that struck me the most though was one of our deacons who said that in this church she had found her faith “channeled and challenged”—that’s what I pray for all of us today, that our faith might be channeled in ministry and good works, and also challenged to grow deeper and more authentic.

Oct 31, 2008 at 9:26 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

E-Bulletins

see our Ministry and Service page for more information.  And in the meantime, for those of you missing consistent help in the church office, I'm definitely with you there, so please join me in prayer that our vacancy will be filled soon with someone who will understand the unique personality and needs of our congregation and join us in ministry.  Thanks for your prayers and your patience during this time!

Oct 26, 2008 at 8:06 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post