I was inspired by reading Lamentations and a book called "Prophetic Lament: A Call For Justice in Troubled Times" by Soong-Chan Rah. From his book, I learned about the style and art of poetry used by the writers of Lamentations and thought I would give a version of it a try. Here it is below. Jesse's Acrostic Poem
As the sun rises in the East, I am thankful for the gift of a new day. Bright rays of Alberta light reveal the wonder of creation. Creatures stir from their slumber; humans rise from their rest. Darkness has gone, but not completely for all. Everywhere I turn, I see signs of brokenness. Fear manifests itself as violence. Greed and power are the governing principles of our economy and culture. How long, creator God, will we extract and consume? Is our connection to Genesis too far gone? Justice and mercy are not available to all. Kindness and grace are conditional; not sacrificial. Love of the Father seems distorted, withdrawn or lost. Many of your children do not know about your love. Neighbours are strangers, when they should be Samaritans. Our connection to Shalom is only a thin strand of silk. Prepare our hearts with the gentle call of the Spirit. Quiet our minds and souls, to be able to receive and hear from you. Restore peace to a world that needs to learn to live in solidarity. Save us from the ways we hurt ourselves and others. Turn our feet to follow the path of Christ. Use us to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Visit us in the mysterious and liminal spaces. Watch over us when we fall down into the valley of dry bones. Xerosis is only a temporary affliction and condition. You will breathe new life into us again, making all things new. Zeal for the great commission invites us to co-labor in the coming of your kindom.
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Have you ever had one of those moments when you wake up in the middle of the night and find your mind active, your senses alert and your body unable to fall back to rest? My mom taught me that it is a time when God is calling for your attention or asking you to do something. She told me that if you find yourself in that situation, take time to be still and listen, to pray and receive. I had that happen to me recently, stirred awake at two in the morning unable to get back to sleep until four. I got out of bed, started to pray and listen as God was filling my mind and heart with words. I tried just thinking and meditating on them at first but could not move past them until I had written them down. Later I wondered if this could be how some of the letter writers experienced their process of putting down the words inspired by God. Were the words of Joel, Micah, Haggai, Timothy, Peter or John the result of hours of reflection; days of study, or were they the stirring of the Spirit, speaking to them in the still quiet hours and places? We do not know the answers to those questions, and I do not even minutely want to compare my words to those of the inspired Biblical authors, but I do find some comfort in the comparison. Just to think that God spoke to them in ways that He can still speak to us now. Not to write a new Bible, not to add to what is perfectly revealed and preserved, but to contextualize how our Creator has been made known to us through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ. So in that light and in these uncertain times of global pandemic, I offer you this letter... Dear friend (and/or neighbor), I’m sorry that I've never invited you to church. I’m sorry if church is a trigger word for you. For me, it only partially means a physical place or a building because in reality, it is way more than that and I’m sorry society has let it be reduced to that in many cases. But in the midst of a global pandemic, we are faced with the new reality of social distancing and caring for each other from two meters apart. We are also being asked to act (or more importantly not to, in many ways), in order to be mindful and compassionate towards the vulnerable populations among us. And isn’t that what God has been asking us to do all along? You may know a little about me, or have seen me around here and there, but I have not given enough energy and intention to get to know you. When we fail to get to know each other, we fall back on assumptions of what we see on the surface. Someone with a big house, a loud truck... two dogs, loving spouse... kids running crazy, always on the go... expensive vacations, dinners out... among other ways that I see you and you see me. This will not tell the whole story of the values you hold and the things that you care about for yourself and your loved ones. I wonder what is on your heart and mind at this time, what stresses are you facing and how is that affecting your connection to others? I am imperfectly trying to follow the teaching of Jesus, to love my neighbors, to do it literally not metaphorically. I hope, knowing me the little bit that you do, that receiving this letter is not being too pushy. That is the beauty of a letter. You can read it; or not, you can delete it or even pass it on. Until this season of personal distancing is over; If you want, you can write back. Hopefully one day soon, we can get together in personal again and get to know each other better. My hope is that when we can all be connected to creation and each other again, we will be able to explore our connection to a spirituality that gives us life and restoration, future possibility of re-creation. Rebirth and restoration await, I look forward to following a path that allows us to be in relationships that give life, hope and peace. Hard times can be reminders that we have to stick together, care for each other, trust in the promises of God and be “the church” our creator intended us to be. #somethingattheend #somenewbegging
It is winter, but only a 12-hour drive from Edmonton, there are still fires burning in B.C. The news of the summer told us about physical fires burning up forest and threatening towns and residences, but the news of today speaks of a different threat. The fires burning today are that of struggle and resistance by the Wet’suwet’en Peoples. It is a struggle that I am learning more about, as many other Canadians are, but have largely been ignorant of for almost a decade now.
Parts of this current struggle date back to 2010 and there have been two elections since then, where the federal government has promised better relations and conditions for Indigenous Peoples. In the meantime, the B.C. provincial government has supported UNDRIP on paper but we are not seeing how that is being lived out practically. In a time when government and organizations talk of reconciliation, it does not seem like the talk and words put on paper match the actions observed in real time and place on Unist’ot’en territory. It is a complicated situation and many factors and people are involved. I do not even pretend to know the full story or contribute much by way of direction or support for either side but I do know, the simple fact is, voices that do not hold the conventional power of our society need to be heard. So, I am watching the footage, reading the reports and considering what I can do to contribute to a level field of mutual honor and respect. I would encourage you to not just dismiss news about this under the pretense that it has nothing to do with us in Alberta. We are all connected and it is closer to “home” than we may think. To learn more, check out some of the stories and videos at this link... unistoten.camp and consider what you can do today and for the time to follow. Since the new year, I have been letting a book I got for Christmas guide some of my prayer times each day. It is a compilation of prayers by Walter Brueggemann called Prayers for a Privileged People and it speaks to many of our realities and my own context. This excerpt below struck me today when thinking and writing about the Wet’suwet’en People. I was blessed to attend a Capital Region Interfaith Housing Initiative event that focused on Pathways to Recovery. Recent emphasis and a growing awareness of mental health and addiction in our communities (including faith communities) made this a perfect learning event. I do not have a lot of knowledge and experience around this, so I am trying to expand my bubbles in both areas.
The dialogue was aimed at understanding two key elements; abstinence and harm reduction models of addictions relief and recovery. By definition abstinence is pretty straight forward, but I knew nothing about what harm reduction was or involved. My simplified explanation of harm reduction would be; an addiction care and recovery model that limits and controls the use of a substance, but does not expect to completely eliminate it (at least not at first). The speakers were very deliberate to make it clear that some models had elements of fluidity and one was not better than the other in all cases. In fact, they were careful to also say that each is not right or wrong, but that our society needs both. People are wired differently; some models work for certain people in different ways and there are many complicated contextual factors that need to be considered. Karen Bruno led a conversation about harm reduction that started with respecting where people are at, not judging them for what they have done. She talked about supportive housing staff understanding medical recovery models, understanding housing design and being trauma informed in regards to their policies, design and care. Staff went through safety training, self-care practices, possible trauma triggers and what they could offer for education, awareness and support for those facing addiction. Harm reduction acceptance takes a huge measure of empathy. A few of the elements that were stressed, seemed so reassuringly familiar, they could be posted in most church council rooms. Make space and time, share food, listen and let people share their stories. Sound familiar? One thing that may be different for some faith communities was that volunteers were encouraged to go into the community, be with the people where they are and not wait for them to come to the church doors. Peer support workers talked about some of the biggest supports being sponsors & mentors, community connection and spirituality. With these supports, those facing addiction could experience levels of healing in various parts of their life, especially if they were not directly battling the pain of withdrawal and the drive to find resources to use. The harm reduction model could give people a safe way to manage the addiction and tackle healing in a holistic way. It is a way of not being on the streets and maintaining some freedoms without being completely institutionalized. Harm reduction may also involve realistic budgeting that factors in money for drug/alcohol use in a safe way. There were a few things that evening that struck me. I was interested to learn that one step in harm reduction was called stabilization. Maybe that does not sound too novel to you, but they described it as a time of great importance, to key in on support and positive influences. At that moment, the person is in a vulnerable position of making further steps to growth or falling back down in relapse. During stabilization, they are at the point when emotional and spiritual feelings start coming back and can help them heal or make them vulnerable to further triggers. The other thing that came to light for me was that recovery is not an individual thing, it does affect generations. We hear about struggling families and, in turn, struggling children. Then the cycle continues. One person lamented that they repeatedly see parents teaching their kids to be on assistance, just by being stuck in the system. There is a stigma around mental health and addiction that keeps people in the shadows, without community, without support and it needs to be brought to light for things to change. Challenges that remain hurdles include facing stigma, negative messaging, judgment, living in silos, complex systems with complex paperwork, stains on records, work histories, trauma, waiting lists, transportation costs, intergenerational poverty, lack of support resources and more. I am grateful for the people who shared their own work, involvement and experience in these areas, including permanent supportive staff workers, peer support workers, transitional and recovery staff workers, and managers of supportive housing and managed alcohol programs. There were also people with the lived experience of past or ongoing addiction that were present and shared in small groups. Some of the agencies represented were the Salvation Army, Excel Society, Grand Manor, Balwin Place and Homeward Trust. I have also been hearing about a support program called Celebrate Recovery from some of the guys I am friends with through the reintegration program. In a heavy conversation, being faced with brokenness, I want to end with the promises of God who created and loves us all. In the hope that Jesus brings, for all things to be made new again, some of the ways we can get involved in areas of support are one on one, group therapy, work support, education, programming, life skills learning and almost anything that gives meaning and purpose to life. For those facing addiction, even benign things like government issued I.D., leisure access and bus passes can be great supports. Relationship building and time are huge factors and people who genuinely want to help cannot expect changes overnight. There are root causes and complex back stories to much of the brokenness and it will take significant time and resources to care and love each other. Check out some of the agencies mentioned, websites below or contact me to explore further. Jesse – yournadc@gmail.com interfaithhousinginitiative.wordpress.com www.celebraterecovery.ca www.edmontonarc.org Here is a quick preview of the report you will see for Classis in March 2020... if you are a delegate to the meetings or simply just interested in checking out diaconal matters, take a look.
Since we met last fall: - As part of the past oral presentation to Classis, I mentioned my exploration of prison ministry opportunities. I have made contacts with The Mustard Seed prison reintegration chaplain, Prison Fellowship Canada, Crossroads Prison ministry and have done training with Corrections Services Canada. I am volunteering with a couple of community reintegration groups and hope to learn more about the ministry and encourage others to do so as well. -DOE 2019 happened the first Saturday of November and was a great day. Many moving stories were shared and positive feedback was received from the day. Speakers were well received and the participants enjoyed being together as a big group for the morning. Lewis Cardinal and Jennifer Henry both brought profound messages about hospitality from the two ends of Canada’s historical spectrum. It was well attended and featured special refugee guests from many churches, who shared their stories. -Later in the fall I also participated in helping Kairos plan a regional gathering in Edmonton that focused on themes of reconciliation and allyship. It was a nice ecumenical partnership with the Mennonite community and also went well with a Friday night film screening and Saturday workshop. Looking at 2020 so far and what’s to come: Author Dwight J. Friesen brings us a novel that allows the reader the chance to explore what a Christian walk and church community could look like through a networked kingdom lens. Our Western culture is often described by many, including Margaret Wheatley, as holding ideas of autonomy of the individual, the voluntary nature of community, a mechanical view of creation, life in society as a competitive struggle for existence, and belief in the inherent goodness of progress... to name just a few. BUT, if we hold to God's reconciling love, through Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, then it could be described as an ecological view, in a sense. That would recognize the fundamental interdependence, even synchronization, of all facets of life. It sees that we are all embedded in one another and dependent on one another as part of the divinely created order. (Leonard Sweet)
This book by Friesen is an interesting compilation of various disciplines such as leadership, theology, network theory, biblical studies and science. He walks through five main sections he calls clusters and explores topics of connectivity, networking, leadership, the church body and connective practices. I found it spoke favourably to the structure and benefits of being a part of a larger denomination with access to community, regional and even global partnerships. It had much to do with linking multiple nods that could turn our attention to focus on similar things and turn singular identity into "We" identity. Friesen says, "God's mission is more than the salvation of individuals; it is also the formation of a people who participate with God in the reconciliation of all and the re-creation of the world." There are many great metaphors to consider and great word picture illustrations as well. Friesen uses an example of "lighthouse Christianity" in comparison to "networked cities" that is particularly interesting to think about. I loved how it includes the calling and mission of diakonia in our churches, where the mission of life in God's networked Kingdom is to participate in the ending of suffering of all kinds. Kingdom connecters know that when one person suffers, we all suffer, and that to bless one has untold ripple effects. Friesen asks, what if I blessed, what if I sought reconciliation, what if I served? The connections we have are gifts to steward with wisdom, humility and openness. Friesen explores interesting concepts of the parable of Google, Kenosis, Christ-Commons and more. There is a lot of great stuff to think about as big picture practices and it was an easy book to read and relate to. I really liked how he says Churches exist to connect people with God, one another and with creation. The local church is an expression of the reality of God's networked kingdom, which I am sure others like Block, Brueggemann and McKnight would agree. Drop me a line if you would like to borrow the book and read it fully for yourself, I would be happy to lend it out. "Life begets life. Energy becomes energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich." Sarah Bernhardt yournadc@gmail.com Recently I spent the afternoon drinking coffee at McDonald’s in the warmest spot in the restaurant. It was my neighbour's choice and one of his regular outing locations; when meeting with other seniors his age from the community. Sure enough, we ran into a couple people he knew and quickly grabbed their favourite booth. We spent time talking about the weather, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and they gave each other updates on their friends (and their own) health concerns. In that moment, I felt the weight of many lives connecting, as well as the ministry of others coming together. In past months, with our local Diaconal Ministry Developer Lucinda, we have been talking about why and how deacons can be involved in senior care. I have also had the privilege of meeting with Kathy from The River Community CRC about her role as Parish Nurse (PN). It is in the intersection of these moments, with these people, that I sat considering how difficult, but important, a ministry of presence like this is in our society of speed, individualism and production. At past NADC meetings, in these senior care discussions, we have also spent time considering the different demographics of whom we call seniors and what kind of factors exist as they move through a wide range of age. We talked about deacons being a resource for the care and flourishing of people in this time of life but we also made note that their peers, their families and the congregation as a whole is part of the support network needed. As I sat with Kathy, learning about parish nursing, I appreciated how blessed a position like that would be as an additional piece to a care network. The benefit, along side caring for seniors, would be that a parish nurse would also be available at the other end of the age spectrum and anywhere in between. They walk along side people from birth to death. The role of the parish nurse is diverse, dependent upon the gifts of the individual, as well as the needs of the community in which they are present. Some foundational requirements do exist, such as being a registered nurse (RN), being part of a national oversight body, adhering to formal standards of practises and following certain codes of ethics. Within that structure, the nurse is also required to keep current with knowledge and training by keeping up with regular continuing education. On top of their medical training, a parish nurse will also be involved in a certificate program to explore a holistic approach to healing and care, looking at the vocation as a deeper calling, including spiritual practises within the ministry and being affirmed by a faith community. When I asked Kathy what a parish nurse does from day to day, she stressed that it was not always the same, it depended on the needs of the community as well as the assets on hand. She described visits to homes, appointments in her office space, appointments at the hospital with patients and practitioners. Another aspect of the role was being available and on call. She mentioned that sometimes people just need to be listened to, but at other times need someone they trust who can help navigate the health care system. Kathy described a scenario of care that would often look like as follows. An individual goes to the hospital or to their doctor for consultation about an issue and is overwhelmed with the information they are given as well as the emotion that it brings. When returning home, and after processing it for a time, people often need someone to debrief with, someone to listen, someone to help digest the information and potentially even explain some things that could not be processed in the moment of the appointment. A parish nurse can be this valuable resource to walk with people in this way. They have the benefit of being in deeper relationship, knowing more about their lives in a holistic way and even having the extended history of the networks and circumstances of the congregant members life. With their professional status, parish nurses can also help access medical files and explore medical options that many people would not know about on such an informed level. They are a huge resource for follow-up care that is so often needed. The other thing that is key to the parish nursing role, is the connection to being a part of the ministry team of a church. They can act as educator, health councillor, advocate and liaison to other professionals and ministry care team members. Kathy said she works along side the council members and pastors to be able to care for diverse needs of body, mind and spirit. When health and wellness counselling moves past the realms of their medical training, parish nurses can either partner or refer people to pastors and/or trained psychologists. It was so wonderful to be a part of these conversations and learn about the resources that parish nurses are. If you think your church has the resources to support a ministry like this, or you would like to speak more about it in person with someone, I would encourage you to reach out and I can help connect you further. To learn more about parish nursing check out the attached files to this story, look into options with the Parish Nursing Certificate Program at Taylor Seminary and go to this website, www.CAPNM.ca. I would be happy to connect you with Lucinda or Kathy upon request. yournadc@gmail.com Jesse
DEFINITION: The state of being confined in prison; imprisonment. With incarceration, the definition is pretty straight forward and the location is physically defined and rigid. With addiction, the definition is much the same but how it manifests itself and the locations of confinement are not as well defined. I have been taking some time to read and study some aspects of these two words and, like many areas of life, the complexity of them is great. Within our own humanity we struggle to define them, explore them and understand them but we are not exempt from their effects. As deacons and christians in general, we are faced with mental health issues in our communities, brokenness of relationships in our families and even tragic consequences of circumstances that trap those we love in addiction and incarceration. We do however have the hope in Jesus Christ and the promise of His saving grace, to lean into areas and times that may feel hopeless. Just listen to these words from ISAIAH 61:1-3: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour. In the words of Charles Colson, "The ground is level at the foot of the cross. We believe that Jesus offers hope, healing, and a new purpose for each life. He can make even the most broken people and situations whole again, replacing the cycle of crime (and addiction) with a cycle of renewal." For an in depth review of two foundational books on this topic, see the following attached files to this post. They are reviews I have written for "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts" by Gabor Mate and "The Expanding Prison" by David Cayley. Both are excellent books and worth while reading, especially if the reviews just wet the appetite for deeper exploration. Jesse Edgington - NADC consultant - yournadc@gmail.com
Register at www.regonline.ca/doeedmonton2019 Brochure as downloadable file below. Email me your name and I can register you to pay at the door... yournadc@gmail.com
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