From Fraser Macnaughton

Something different is happening and we need to be able to discern God’s presence and how God’s way can be seen as the Occupy protests grow everywhere: symbolic for now, but changing debate. It is perhaps ironic, given the nature of the bailouts and hundreds of thousands of repossessions triggered by the economic crisis, that resistance to it would at some stage become a battle over public space with the risk of mass evictions. In the last few weeks, as popular support for these mostly peaceful protests has grown, the struggle for the right to stage them at all has intensified. All across the world encampments have been raided or banned. But no sooner does the state tear one down than people set another one up, sometimes in unlikely places.

The breadth of appeal for this action against the political and financial elites, and the converging crises in our economies and democracies for which they are responsible, is unprecedented. The Occupy model can be replicated because in one sense Wall Street is everywhere. It has insinuated itself into the lives of every pensioner, student, parent, library user, bus passenger, public employee, and homeowner. It has become a global movement and needs no translation. The aim of occupations seems to be not to challenge the existing order directly but to highlight its inequalities and inequities in the hope that the public will be galvanised to transform it.

The Occupy movement is a place where those working against war and those working to protect environment, library services, legal aid, public healthcare, and public sector jobs (to mention just a few) have been able to find one another. Hope where there was cynicism; solidarity where there had been suspicion. The occupations are more effective as a launch pad than a destination. Nobody knows where this is going. But it is on the move.

Explore…Isaiah 40:1–11

• Given the political turmoil of Isaiah’s era, in what sense can you parallel his words of hope for that time to our contemporary situation?
• In what ways do you view the “signs of the times” in terms of the Occupy movement?
• Jesus said, “Those who are not against me are for me.” He didn’t mention that they had to be part of the Jesus movement. Where in your community do you discern non-church people following in God’s way?
• Jesus also railed against the political and economic systems of his day, siding with the ordinary people. What parallels do you see with the Occupy movement today?

Pray…
Rather than use a lot of words to pray why not simply repeat the word ‘Discern’ over and over again as you reflect on your discussion.

Read more…

• Article in the Guardian, November 16, 2011

From Ray McGinnis

The movie Margin Call is based on the news stories of the economic crisis of 2008. A financial investment firm, referred to in the movie as “The Firm,” resembles the early collapse of the Wall Street firm, Lehman Brothers. The film begins with layoffs and Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci) is taken to an office and advised he is one of the many on his floor who will be fired. Eric has twenty minutes to pack his personal things and leave. He has been working on some crucial data and on his way out Eric tosses a computer thumb drive to an entry level analyst named Peter, cautioning, “Be careful.” Peter, curious to learn what he’s been handed, discovers that the historic volatility index for the firm has been breached and that the firm is overleveraged in mortgage-backed securities.

Enter one of the bosses, sales head Sam Rogers (Kevin Spacey), summoned at 11 p.m. to assess the writing on the wall. This leads to a round of meetings that last through the night. Before dawn, the helicopter of CEO John Tuld (Jeremy Irons) arrives on the roof of the skyscraper. Tuld wants to know about the historical volatility index. But he isn’t good with numbers. “Speak to me as you would a small child, or a golden retriever,” he urges the young risk assessment analyst.

Type: Thriller
Director: J. C. Chandor
Film company: Roadside Attractions
Release date: November 4, 2011
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci
Rating: R
Focus: CEO John Tuld tells his employees they win in their industry by either being first or smarter, or by cheating. Tuld decides that in order for the firm to survive they will sell off the toxic stocks before anybody realizes they will soon be worthless. The choice to try to save the firm means traders for the company will be barred from ever getting a job in another firm. Traders are each offered a 1.2 million dollar bonus if they can off-load at least 93% of their portfolio before the trading day is over.

Explore…Isaiah 64:1–9

This reading from Isaiah is part of a much longer poem (63:7—64:12) which describes how a chasm has developed between the disillusioned people of Judah and the One who is their source.

• Who is the source of life according to Isaiah?
• Who or what is the source of life in Margin Call?
• Who or what trembles or quakes as a result of the activities of “The Firm”?
• For what might the key figures in the movie be longing? How does this contrast with the longings expressed in the reading from Isaiah?
• How are you receptive to God’s molding? To the molding of other forces in our world?

Prayer links… 

God who makes the mountains quake, the nations tremble, you call on us to wait for you. When we fail to see or hear you we ask you to deliver us again into your fashioning care. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Read more…

• Review by Peter Howell, Toronto Star, November 10, 2011
• Review by Clint O’Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer, November 3, 2011

From Ray McGinnis

The movie Puss in Boots bears no resemblance to the fairy tale from the late 17th century. Other characters in this movie, Jack and Jill, are no longer the fabled sister and brother; instead they are a married couple. While borrowing names from children’s literature, this animated movie has a plot all its own. It is the story of Puss in Boots, an orphan who becomes an outlaw and his friend and partner in crime, Humpty Dumpty, who is preoccupied with finding some magic beans. Jack and Jill have already stolen the magic beans. And so ensues one of the first obstacles in the pursuit of Humpty Dumpty’s object of desire: the golden goose and eggs at the end of the magic bean stalk.

Humpty Dumpty, recently escaped from jail, tries to recruit Puss to help rob Jack and Jill of the stolen magic beans. Puss is at first a little leery of his estranged childhood friend so Humpty recruits Kitty Softpaws, a feline with flirtatious powers to help purr-suade Puss that the adventure has a lot of upside. (Oh and there are a lot of puns in this very punny movie.) As Puss is trying to clear his name and robbing Jack and Jill of the magic beans becomes part of Puss’ strategy to seek redemption.

Type: Animation
Director: Woody Allen
Film company: Paramount
Release date: October 28, 2011
Starring: Voices of: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Billy Bob Thornton, Amy Sedaris, Zach Galifianakas
Rating: PG
Focus: Humpty Dumpty and Puss in Boots were once orphans in the same orphanage, the best of friends and partners in crime. Puss accidentally does something that makes him a local hero, driving a wedge between the friends. Humpty becomes jealous of Puss and betrays him. Humpty dupes Puss into assisting with a robbery that quickly goes wrong. This leaves Humpty going to prison and Puss a wanted criminal. Now Humpty is back seeking forgiveness, as well as Puss’ involvement in a plot to get the beans and find the treasure.

Explore…Matthew 25:31–46

• According to this scripture, what difference does our action or inaction make in this world?
• In what actions do Puss in Boots and Humpty Dumpty get involved? In what way are their actions of benefit to themselves? Others?
• What difference does the intention behind an action make? What are some acts of service that have inspired you?

Prayer links…
God of compassion, you call us to compassionate action and a life of service. Help us discern where our actions can bear fruit for the wellbeing of others. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Read more…

• Jennie Punterin the Globe and Mail, October 28, 2011
• Barbara Vancheriin the Pittsburg Post-Gazette, October 28, 2011

From Bruce Grindlay

Young people in a congregation in Adelaide, South Australia recently participated in a creative fundraising project which encouraged them to see ways they could take part in faithful service. While the Children’s/Junior Youth Ministry group received funds from the church budget for Sunday morning programs, the funding of a weekday children’s program was more challenging. Most of the participants in the Sunday morning program are children, grand-children, and great grand-children of church members. On the other hand most of the children who attend the weekday program are from families who are on the margins of the life of the church.

After some discussion, those attending the weekday outreach program were invited to participate in a creative way to raise money for resources, as a way of affirming the congregation’s support for the project. Each child as given $5 and invited to “go and grow” this sum. This project caused some consternation, but the Children’s Worker stated, “Such is the practice and trust of faith.”

Several of the children/families did nothing but return the money at the end of the time period. But the rest made many times over the money they had received. Some had obtained permission from the Church Council to set up a Saturday morning market stall in front of the church building, which is situated on a busy main street. Here they sold handmade crafts and food they had prepared with the assistance of a parent or elder sibling. Others sold these items at school or to family members. Two children, from whom perhaps least was expected, raised $100 and nearly $130 each. It was a wonderful experience for the whole congregation. As the children reflected on the experience they told of the joy of having such trust placed in them.

In other countries children and young people participate in raising funds and acts of service by investing themselves in ministries of outreach. In the United States many take part in a “day of service” in January each year to commemorate the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. In Canada, some young people in the Anglican Church and other denominations participate in work projects in Central America during their school holidays. One particular project was funded entirely by the teenage participants, who spent several years building up their travel fund with proceeds from sales, drives, and special collections. The mother of one of the teenagers, who had joined the group for  project in Nicaragua, reflected in a blog: “We have done good work here and there was a lot of progress made on the school. But we have made friendships with the children and the parents and the teachers and it is hard to say goodbye. It is likely that we will never see them again and we can only hope that we have planted some seeds of hope for them.”

Explore…Matthew 25:14–30

• To what faithful and extravagant service are you being called as you ponder this parable in the light of these stories?
• In what ways does your church encourage investment in God’s reign and the abundant possibilities for justice and compassion?

Prayer links…
Give thanks for the abundant possibilities of God’s grace and compassion. Pray for discernment about how you might use God’s gifts in faithful and extravagant service.

Read more…

• Article and video link from the Anglican Church of Canada
• Videos about MLK “day of service” experiences

In Australia The Uniting Church is choosing a path of active waiting – of being agents of compassion – while waiting for the country to make a decision regarding the asylum seekers held in the Christmas Island Detention Centre. As the solution regarding where and how to process asylum seekers is delayed, the Uniting churches are being called to participate in a “ministry of pastoral care and spiritual support” for the detainees and staff at the Centre.

An appeal for this support was issued in a recent report posted on The Transit Lounge, an online publication sponsored by the Uniting Church for young people who care about faith. In this appeal Rev. Alistair Macrae, the President of the Uniting Church in Australia, said, “The Uniting Church has been consistent in its advocacy for a more humane approach to asylum seekers. While we both oppose offshore detention, and recognising continued excision of Christmas Island from our migration zone, we need to match our advocacy with a demonstration of pastoral care and spiritual support of those detained or working in these dreadful places.”

While the debate over asylum seekers continues to polarise Australian politics and society, sometimes up to a thousand people wait in limbo in detention on Christmas Island, in facilities which were built to accommodate 400. This prolonged waiting time takes its toll on the mental and physical health of those waiting to hear if they can pursue a new life in Australia or if they must go back to “where they came from.”

The Uniting Church and the Anglican Diocese of Perth are planning to send a Chaplain to Christmas Island to provide pastoral support for detainees. Through this spiritual support will shine the light of Christ’s compassionate love.

In another story from a congregation in South Australia, which echoes the theme of “shining the light,” an elderly woman requested that the song “Shine, Jesus, Shine” be sung at her funeral, quoting the first two lines of the first verses: “Lord, the light of your love is shining, in the midst of the darkness, shining…”

At the end of our lives, in what ways might people sing about the light of Christ’s compassionate love shining in and through our lives?

Explore…Matthew 25:1–13

• The “tending of the light” outlined in Jesus’ parable reminds us of the call to be intentional about nourishing faith and hope. What is the “oil” that enables God’s love, mercy, and compassion to shine forth in your life, and in the life of your church?
• The parable also includes the call to an “alertness of spirit.” In what ways is the Uniting Church being alert to the needs of the detainees and the staff?
• In what ways are we ready to shine as agents of God’s love?

Prayer links…
Pray that the light of Christ and of Christ’s compassionate love will shine forth in our lives. Pray that we will always be ready to shine, nourished by hope and faith. Amen.

Read more…

• Article by Amy Goodhew, on “The Transit Lounge”

From Sandra Rooney

Over the last several weeks, U.S. media have been giving increased attention to demonstrations called “Occupy Wall Street.” It all began September 17 when several hundred protestors began camping out in Zuccoti Park in Lower Manhattan. Their concerns focus on what they see as intolerable financial institution and corporate power and corruption and growing income inequality – the rich getting richer and corporations making profits and their executives being richly rewarded. At the same time, they see the rest of the people increasingly worse off. Thomas Friedman, columnist for the New York Times, described Occupy Wall Street as, “like the kid in the fairy story saying what everyone knows but is afraid to say: the emperor has no clothes.” 

Four weeks after the initial actions of Occupy Wall Street, the number of communities where people were joining in solidarity was some 1500 and expected to grow.

The global struggle for positive change is being defined by groups as diverse as the revolutionaries in Tunisia, Egypt and across the Arab world; the strikers in Greece (“Erase the debt and let the rich pay”); the indignados in Spain, a movement born May 15 in Madrid to peacefully protest against the tough austerity measurers enacted in an effort to save the country’s ailing economy; and those occupying Wall Street in the United States and the “occupy” movements in hundreds of other communities in North America and around the world. Where these movements are headed is still an open question, but the hopes and dreams as well as the anger and frustration are real.

Explore…Joshua 3:7–17

• What lessons for these days do you take from this biblical story?
• Without a leader like Joshua, what motivates people to take the kind of bold steps represented by this crossing of the Jordan?
• As a person of faith, how would you describe the events of the Arab Spring or what some are calling the American Autumn, Occupy Wall Street?
• How does what the Israelites sought differ from that which is sought by people across the Arab world today or those participating in Occupy Wall Street?
• What is the vision you hold most dear? What will it take to achieve it?

Prayer links…

Ever present God, enable us to feel your presence in our trials, frustrations, and even anger with the way things are. Help us to see the way forward to the fulfillment of our hopes and dreams of a better life for all. Amen  

Read more…

• Thomas Friedman’s October 11 column in the New York Times
• “A News Story is Growing…” October 12, the New York Times    
• Mark Bittman, “Finally Making Sense on Wall Street” in the Opinionator
• Protest march in France of Los indignados

From Sandra Rooney

Two weeks ago, as the world celebrated the announcement of three African women named to share the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to receive the prize in 2004, was honoured with a state funeral. Professor Maathai died on September 25 after a long battle with ovarian cancer. A bamboo-framed casket made out of water hyacinth and papyrus reeds and draped in the Kenyan flag carried Maathai on her final journey through the streets of Nairobi, in fulfillment of her final wish not to be buried in a wooden coffin. At one time, Maathai had even proposed a ban on wooden coffins arguing that their continued use was a danger to the already endangered forests.

As part of the October 8 service honouring and remembering Wangari Maathai, family members planted an Olea Africana, an African Olive tree, a highly valued indigenous tree which thrives in different climatic conditions. Some 5,000 trees are expected to be planted across the nation in Maathai’s honor.

In her 2004 Novel Prize acceptance speech, Wangari Maathai said she was inspired by her childhood experiences in rural Kenya, where she witnessed forests being cleared and replaced by commercial plantations, which destroyed biodiversity and the capacity of forests to conserve water. She had a vision of trees being planted where the earth was barren. To carry out that vision she found the Green Belt Movement, and for 30 years she mobilized poor women to plant some 30 million trees.

For Maathai the tree also became a symbol of the democratic struggle in Kenya. Although the Green Belt Movement’s tree planting campaign did not initially address the issues of peace and democracy, Maathai said it became clear over time that the success of environmental efforts was not possible without democracy. She helped mobilize citizens, men and women, to challenge widespread abuses of power, corruption and environmental mismanagement. She will be remembered for her courage and tenacity in seeking social justice, conservation and democracy, and for fighting corruption in government.

Professor Maathai had also prepared for a smooth transition at her beloved Green Belt Movement, leading the organization in approving a new constitution, which would expand the membership of the board and set in motion the process of bringing in a new chairperson.

Explore…Deuteronomy 34:1–12

• What do you find significant about this biblical passage?
• Who are those who are articulating a vision of new life today, in your community and in the wider world?
• Where do you see the work inspired by one person’s vision being carried out by others today?
• In what ways are you carrying on the work of someone whose vision inspired you?

Prayer links…
Oh, God, may we recognize and catch the vision of those who have clear eyes to see approaching danger and the new life that is possible. Then give us the courage to follow where they lead. Amen.

Read more…

• Article in the Sydney Morning Herald
• Article in the Daily Nation
• Video link in the Daily Nation

From Fraser Macnaughton

Relationships between groups of people in many of the Middle Eastern countries experiencing elements of the “Arab Spring” are always very fluid. In these extraordinary times all sorts of alliances and deals are set up and some mysterious bedfellows emerge, none more so perhaps in Egypt, which was the catalyst for political change in the region.

“The people and the army are one hand,” had been the chant which resounded around Egypt’s squares as euphoric Egyptians embraced soldiers in the early post-Mubarak days. At that time it was not only the people’s revolution, but the army’s too. Had the army not sided with the protesters in Tahrir Square, the story of Egypt’s revolution might have resembled the stories coming out of Syria, Yemen, and Libya.

However, since that time, relationships have changed. In an article in The Guardian on September 26, 2011, Soumayer Ghannoushi reflects on recent events in Egypt. No longer does the army perceive itself as a partner and ally in the revolution. During the seven months that followed that initial experience, almost 12,000 civilians were tried in military tribunals, a number far greater than Mubarak managed in his 30 years of dictatorship. Torture by police and military personnel remains widespread, with hundreds of reports of beatings, electrocution, and even sexual assault.

Within days of assuming power, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces took a tough stand, outlawing strikes and picketing, and imposing prison sentences on those who defied this ban and took “action that disrupts the country’s security.” The army has since gone even further, introducing curfews and a ban on public protest. However, the continuing demonstrations in Tahrir Square bear witness to the determination of the activists.  

Rather than the day-to-day running of the country, the army is more interested in controlling some key issues: strategic national decisions, budgetary allocations, and, especially, making sure that the military itself is free from public scrutiny. In a telling statement, Major General Mamdouh Shaheen, a council member, declared: “We want a model similar to that found in Turkey…Egypt, as a country, needs to protect democracy from the Islamists, because we know that these people do not think democratically.” This is the same justification used for decades by Arab dictators, as they try to legitimise despotism and cripple any attempts at creating a democratic political life.

Explore…Exodus 33:12–23

Moses’ tenacity as he intercedes on behalf of the people is grounded in a profound relationship with God, which is both certain and mysterious.

• In what ways do relationships encompass both certainty and a sense of the mysterious?

Relationships between army and protestors in the early days of the Egyptian protest movement appeared to be willing and mutually supportive.

• In what situations have you noticed that political expediency triumphs over previously willing relationships?
• In what areas of religious life can alliances and relationships be used or abused to gain an advantage?

Prayer link…
The complexity of human relationships is such a minefield for us to negotiate. We yearn for the simplicity of knowing what is what. In what ways are we able to relax into a relationship with God that is one of being, rather than doing or manoeuvring…Amen.

Read more…

• Article in the Guardian: People’s revolution hijacked by army

From Fraser Macnaughton

The focus passage for this week examines the people of Israel in the wilderness as they search for their homeland. Centuries on, in this same part of the world, a different (but in many ways similar) people seek the same. In the Middle East land matters. That theme runs through the Bible too. Almost two-thirds of the member states of the United Nations – representing more than 75% of the world’s population – already formally recognise the Palestinian state in some form. The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, is in the process of formally requesting UN membership, despite attempts at a diplomatic compromise by many western states and a pledge from the United States to veto the membership bid. Raising Palestine to full statehood would need to pass the UN Security Council – where it is subject to veto – and then a vote at the General Assembly, comprising all 193 UN member states. This request for membership is in the face of President Obama angering the Palestinian leadership by defending the US threat to veto the bid for statehood while praising revolutions in other parts of the Arab world.

Now the Palestinian leadership is prepared to put statehood on the backburner at the UN Security Council in order to leave room for the revival of peace talks. Obama told the opening of the UN general assembly in New York that negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians, not a Security Council resolution, was the way to ensure a lasting peace. But Obama was challenged by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, who said US leadership on the issue had failed and called for a new initiative involving Europe and Arab states to create a Palestinian state within a year. Obama said that “the Palestinian people deserve a state of their own” and that vision had been delayed for too long. But he offered no new initiatives and, tellingly, did not repeat earlier calls – for which he has come under fire – for negotiations to be based on the borders at the time of the 1967 war, with agreed land swaps.

Sarkozy called for a fresh set of negotiations, with wider involvement of European and Arab nations, based on a timetable that would see the borders of a Palestinian state agreed within six months and a final deal within a year. “We should not look for the perfect solution. Choose the path of compromise,” said Sarkozy.

Explore…Exodus 32:1–14

Justice and equality matter to God.

• Where does that sit with your view of the Israel/Palestine situation?
• In which other global political situations is a “dance between firmness and flexibility” necessary?
• What do you think the stories from the Hebrew Scriptures can tell us by way of discerning the right steps of “the dance”?

Prayer links…
Often we overcomplicate our lives and our faith, seeking to micromanage everything. In doing so we sometimes miss what really matters to our community, to God, to ourselves. May the Spiritenlighten us to look afresh at Jesus commands…“to love God and love our neighbour as we love ourselves.” Amen.

Read more…

• September 21 article in the Guardian: Palestinian statehood
• September 18 article in the Guardian: Editorial, The Observer

From Bruce Grindlay

I was working with some young children in church school. It happened to be that the activity for the day was centred on the Ten Commandments. I could, I’m sure, do the necessary work to prepare a sermon for the day, but preparing an appropriate session for 3–6 year olds was quite another task. So I chose to focus on just one of the commandments, the one about honouring your father and mother.

I invited the children to talk about some of good things about mothers and fathers, about homes. We then spoke about God being like both a mother and father to all of us. We drew images about “honouring” parents and a “creative” drawing about “honouring” God, and our being loved by God. I then moved this honouring of God into a reflection on honouring each other.

The commandments offer a vision of the world that God promises to bring to fulfillment. In a recent posting at dailyheadspa.com, Paul Turley posed this question: What if the ten commandments are actually ten statements of hope? What if, “thou shalt” does not mean, “you must” but “one day, you will; it’s a promise.”One day you will not steal... To that we might add: one day all people will honor each other.

What might the world be like if we imagined the world of God’s promise? In 2004, John Lennon’s song Imagine was voted by Rolling Stone as the third greatest song of all time. For generations the song has inspired people to imagine, to hope, to have a vision of a world living in peace and harmony.

On August 29, 2011, the Herald Sun told of a young singer from Melbourne, Emmanuel Kelly, whose rendition of Imagine earned him a standing ovation from the judges and the audience on the auditioned television show, “The X Factor.”

Emmanuel and his brother Ahmed had been abandoned at an orphanage in Iraq, both suffering limb deficiencies as a result of chemical warfare. They were adopted and brought to Australia by the head of Children First Foundation, Moira Kelly.

Ronan Keating, one of the judges, was full of praise for Emmanuel. “I don't think I’ve ever been moved as I was by that performance,” he said.

Explore…Exodus 20:1–4, 7–9, 12–20

• What do you think stirs people’s emotion in John Lennon’s song Imagine?
• What might be some outcomes of imagining the world of God’s promise?
• Do you consider all the commandments equally important, or are some more important than others? Why?

Prayer links…
Pray for each other as we seek to honour God; then as we seek to live in peace and harmony with each other. Pray that our visioning, our imaginations, and our living will expand to encompass God’s promise for all creation.

Read more…

• Article and video clip in the Herald Sun (August 30, 2011)

From Bruce Grindlay

Although there are many who think otherwise, especially with the severe drought currently in East Africa, Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world. Adelaide, the city in which I live, is said to be the driest capital city of the driest state of the driest continent on Earth.

The interior of the “great southland” has one of the lowest rainfalls in the world. About three quarters of the land mass of Australia is arid, causing most of its population to live along the eastern coastline. Australia regularly suffers the consequences of drought and the droughts not only affect inland Australia. All Australians are affected from having restricted household water use to significant increases in food prices due to the effects of drought in food growing areas.

In this unique setting, Australia’s rivers are crucial to the life of the continent and its peoples. Two rivers which are vital to the life of Australia are the Murray and the Darling Rivers. Together they form what is known as the “Murray Darling Basin,” Australia’s most important agriculture region.

Rivers in Australia are regularly under threat. Sometimes with the blessing of rain they become a veritable wonderland full of God’s creation in flora and fauna. When a drought breaks the whole nation rejoices! Whilst Australia is currently in a “pause” with respect to drought, national authorities are working feverishly to develop plans to deal with Australia’s water and drought situations for the future.

Meanwhile, across the globe, parts of Africa are suffering under a severe drought with tens of thousands of people affected and many deaths of the elderly and the young. The pictures of suffering and dying children break our hearts. The rains haven’t fallen for years and the rivers and creeks are dry. People are fighting each other over a small jug of the precious liquid.

Explore…Revelation 22:1–5

Biblical imagery often uses water and rivers as symbols of God’s blessing and refreshment.

• What images of rivers and blessing are offered in this text?
• Reflect on any rivers near where you live. In what ways are the rivers a source water or a place of recreation?
• Why is it important to care for our rivers?
• Reflect on times when you have been thirsty and experienced the wonder of a cool drink of water. When seeing others literally dying of thirst in what ways are you able to see your cup of water in a new way?

Prayer links…
Thank God for water: the water that falls from the heavens as rain, the water in our creeks and rivers, the water in our mighty oceans. Pray for those, especially in Africa, who must walk kilometres to fill a bucket with precious water for drinking and household use. And for those who find the well empty. May we as God’s people seek ways to both share and develop the infrastructure for the blessing of water to be available to all people.

Read more…

• Reuters article on drought in Ethiopia, July 12, 2011
• Al Jazeera article on drought, August 30, 2011
• Images of “A Thirsty Land”
• Images of the Murray Darling Basin

From Ray McGinnis

In the early 1960’s, in Jackson, Mississippi, Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone) is an ordinary white female in her twenties. Yet, the winds of change are blowing through her as she decides to challenge the status quo. She finds common cause with “the help,” the black African-American maids who serve their white employers, some of which are among the most racist households in Jackson. “The help” look after the children, cook, clean, and take care of the maintenance of their employers’ homes. The movie The Help is based on a best-selling novel of the same title, written by Kathryn Stockett, who based the character of Minny on a friend and her stories about being “the help.” The book and the movie tell a story of individuals who make a difference for positive social change. In addition, The Help is a story that illustrates the power of the pen being mightier than the sword (or fists or guns).

Type: Drama
Director: Tate Taylor
Film company: Buena Vista
Release date: August 9, 2011
Starring: Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Mike Vogel, Sissy Spacek, Viola Davis
Rating: PG

Focus: Skeeter moves back to Jackson after graduating from college and glimpses life through fresh eyes. She gets a position at the Jackson newspaper, writing a column giving cleaning tips for housewives. Needing input for the column, Skeeter seeks out Aibileen, the maid employed by one of her friends. In getting to know Aibileen, Skeeter is inspired to write a story that has gone unreported – the point of view of Aibileen and other “help” like her. Abileen is cautious about the project. “What if you don’t like what I say about white people?” she asks Skeeter. After several attempts Skeeter finally convinces Abileen and others who are “the help” to share their stories. The indignity of having to use separate washrooms due to a fear of disease among “the help” and other prejudices are addressed with courage and ensuing controversy.

Explore…Psalm 139:7–12

• What is the psalmist affirming? In times of trouble and adversity how might these words be a comfort?
• The Help addresses some of the social challenges for people living in the United States in the 1960s. What adversities do “the help” encounter?
• In what situations today might these words from Psalm 139 be a source of inspiration (for example, challenges to caring for the environment)?

Prayer links…
God of all peoples in all lands, help us live with one another. Help us to live in our towns, cities, and rural communities with dignity, and to see you in our midst. In Christ we pray, Amen.

Read more…

• Article by Ken Hanke in The Mountain Xpress, August 16, 2011
• Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brusat, in Spirituality and Practice, August 8, 2011
• Interview with author Kathryn Stockett

From Ray McGinnis

Since ancient times humans have felt the lure and healing power of the four elements of water, fire, earth and air, which make up our planet. Without these elements life would cease to exist. It is possible to take for granted breathing, drinking water, walking on the earth, or the warmth of the sun. However, a conscious encounter with any of these four elements can offer a healing and transformative experience of being in creation.

In August, over one hundred children, who had been diagnosed with autism, arrived on the scenic shores of Ocean City, Maryland, USA. There the children were given a chance to have a deep encounter with the power and beauty of the ocean. Professional surfers, who are members of an organization called Surfers Healing, accompany each autistic child on a surf board out into the waves.

Jacob Parker came all the way from Pennsylvania, with two of his siblings who are also autistic. It was their first experience of being in the ocean. Jacob’s mother said that her son got hooked after catching just one wave as he surfed to shore. “Even though he came in screaming, he loved it, and he wants to go back out,” she enthused.

Jacobs’ experience is replicated across the shoreline as other autistic children learn how to get on a surf board and ride a wave into shore. For the professional surfers the occasion is an opportunity for people to gain appreciation of autism. But aside from the media coverage and the ripples of awareness that the general public get from a news article or TV special feature, for Steve Tomari, a pro surfer from the Big Island of Hawaii, the purpose of the day is quite straightforward. “It put a smile on their faces, and that’s all that matters right now,” he said.

Explore…Acts 17:22–28

Paul speaks of God as the one who gives life and breath to mortals, the one in whom we live and move and have our being.

• What difference would it make if everyone was mindful of their life breath and movement coming from God?
• What are autistic children being offered by the professional surfers? In what ways might this be a gift of new life?
• What encounters have you had with the power of creation that have put a smile on your face or caused you to love creation more?

Prayer links…
Creator God, you sustain breath in us that we may live. Help us claim the miracle of this breath and this life. As we move, so may our awareness of you moving in us shape the way we see the world, as we give you thanks. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Read more…

• Article by Bryan Russo, WAMU Radio, Washington DC, August  20, 2011
• Surfers Healing organization

From Sandra Rooney

During these days when most of the news seems bad, we must seek out and share stories of hope to inspire and encourage others. At the General Synod of the United Church of Christ in the United States last month, delegates and visitors heard such a story, the story of a young boy who escaped the Killing Fields of Cambodia. 

Arn Chorn-Pond was only 9 years old in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge took over his country. He and hundreds of other children were sent to a Buddhist temple converted into a prison camp, where he survived by playing the flute to entertain the soldiers, and where, he says, he was “forced to do many terrible things.” His very survival depended on repressing his emotions and distancing himself from the horrors he was forced to witness.  In 1978 when the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia, Chorn-Pond, who was then 12 years old, was handed a gun and forced to fight. Children who refused were shot in the head. 

Eventually, Arn Chorn-Pond escaped into the jungle and survived by following the monkeys and eating what they ate. In 1980 he crossed the border into Thailand where he was found and taken to a refugee camp. There he met the Rev. Peter L. Pond, who would take him to New Hampshire and, in 1984, formally adopt him. 

Though Arn Chorn-Pond initially encountered difficulties with the language and culture in the US, and memories continued to haunt him, he graduated from high school and went on to attend college. After two years he withdrew from college to co-found “Children of War,” an organization dedicated to helping young people overcome the suffering of war. Chorn-Pond eventually returned to college and devoted his summers to teaching and assisting those still displaced by war. In 1992 he received a bachelor’s degree from Providence College, and in 2007 the school awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Humanitarian Service, just one of many awards Chorn-Pond has received from humanitarian and human rights groups. 

In addition to his various efforts to help children who have been traumatized by war and at-risk youth in Lowell, Massachusetts, Chorn-Pond founded the Cambodian Living Arts in 1996. This is a non-profit organization that works to revive the traditional performance arts in Cambodia by locating and supporting those few former masters or trained professional musicians who survived the Khmer Rouge and the years of famine that followed their reign of terror.

Chorn-Pond’s story is told in a moving documentary, “The Flute Player,” which aired on PBS in December 2010. 

Explore...Romans 12:9–21

• In what ways do Paul’s exhortations challenge you and your faith community?
• Where do you see evidence of individuals or communities engaging in spirit-led living in ways that demonstrate what Paul was talking about?

Prayer links...
In your mercy, Oh God, may we be lifted from despair and discouragement by the faithful witness of those who give of themselves for others. Then, as we put our faith into action, may our lives inspire and give hope to others. Amen.

Read more...

• See a trailer for The Flute Player
• Read what Evan Golder wrote about Arn Chorn-Pond’s General Synod presentation
• Brief biography of Arn Chorn-Pond 
• More details about Arn Chorn-Pond’s early life and continuing work

From Sandra Rooney

For weeks the American public, and the world at large, had watched a standoff as members of the US Congress postured and grandstanded, more concerned with the purity of their ideological positions than the good of the country. Weeks of negotiations over the debt ceiling brought out the worst in Washington as the partisan deadlock came close to causing what many thought would be a massive economic crisis. There was much vitriol, blaming, and finger pointing, but seemingly little willingness to engage in serious dialogue. 

Then, on the eve of a 12^th hour vote on August 1, a vote with which no one was happy, the mood in the House of Representatives was transformed, and for a brief moment at least, all shared in a remarkable moment of unity. With two minutes remaining on the voting clock, Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords appeared on the House floor to register her first vote since she was shot in the head seven months earlier. Political figures from both sides of the aisle embraced her and her fellow representatives gave her a prolonged ovation.

Americans will long remember how Gabby, as she is known to supporters, was shot as she was about to begin a gathering called “Congress on Your Corner” in the parking lot of a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. That she survived at all still seems a miracle and her remarkable recovery is a testament both to modern medicine and a spirit unwilling to be quenched.

Interrupting her rehabilitation in Houston to come to Washington for this vote underscored the vital importance of the legislation in question. It also provided an increasingly rare moment of unity in Washington and a reminder to her fellow members that their offices are solemn responsibilities with the welfare of the country at stake. 

In a statement in her own words, Rep. Giffords wrote, “I have closely followed the debate over our debt ceiling and have been deeply disappointed at what’s going on in Washington. After weeks of failed debate in Washington, I was pleased to see a solution to this crisis emerge. I strongly believe that crossing the aisle for the good of the American people is more important than party politics. I had to be here for this vote.”

An editorial in the Louisville Courier-Journal added this: “May her continuing example of true courage under fire, and after fire, inspire other Americans to find the best within themselves and in each other, too.”         

Explore…Romans 12:1–8

• What stands in the way of the kinds of transformation needed in today’s world?
• In what ways do you see conforming to the ways of the world harming communities?
• Where do you see transformation happening?
• Where might you have an opportunity to promote transformation?

Prayer links…

Oh God, we pray that we may be about the business of building relationships to serve your purposes. May we not be conformed to this world but find ways to use the gifts you have given each of us to transform the world. Amen.

Read More….

• Article in the Boston Globe: “A simple message of unity”
• Article in the Courier-Journal: “Gabrielle Giffords’ example” 

By Fraser Macnaughton

One wonders how much a lack of communication led to some of the breakdown in relationships in Joseph’s family. How did his brothers react to him being the “famous” one (coloured coat notwithstanding)? In the ongoing saga of the Michal Jackson story are we again seeing similar elements?
 
New divisions appear to have opened in the family after two of the singer’s brothers criticised their mother’s announcement that a tribute concert will be held later this year in Wales. The show will take place at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 8 October, Katherine Jackson told a press conference on Monday, adding that it will be attended by “as many members of my family that are available.” However, Jermaine and Randy Jackson said in a statement that they believed the timing of the concert was “inappropriate” and “ill-timed” as it falls two weeks into the criminal trial of Conrad Murray, the doctor charged with involuntary manslaughter in relation to the star’s death two years ago.
 
Jackson’s sister La Toya has said there was a conspiracy to murder her brother. “People come into your life, wiggle their way in, control you, manipulate, control your funds, your finances, everything that you have,” she told Piers Morgan on CNN. She said her brother knew he was going to be killed, and claimed he told her shortly before his death: “La Toya, I’m going to be murdered for my music publishing catalogue and my estate.”
 
A previous tribute concert in Europe planned by Jermaine Jackson in the months after his brother’s death was scuttled after promoters ran into problems and some of the singers listed as performers said they had scheduling conflicts. At the July 26 press conference, Katherine Jackson said: “Michael gave his entire life to the world through his love, his music and his devotion to healing the planet. I am positive that this event will be an event great enough in scale, talent and imagination to form a worthy celebration of Michael’s life.”

However, his brothers retorted, “There will come a time and place for an amazing and deserving tribute to Michael. But we feel that the most important tribute we can give to our brother at this time is to seek justice in his name.”

Explore…
The news story speaks of the challenge and stress that can result when family members do not have a sense of common purpose. 

• In seeking reconciliation how important do you think it is to understand and discern the various agendas of the different parties?
• So often we make assumptions of each other. In families this can be exacerbated because we think we know each other so well. What might you say to Joseph and his brothers and to Jackson’s siblings about making assumptions?

Pray…
In all our dealings may we learn to see ourselves as others see us, that we might be always open to the possibility of reconciliation, and so be equipped to be God’s presence for others as they too seek reconciliation. Amen.

Read more…

• Article in the Guardian

By Fraser Macnaughton

In an extradition hearing it was stated that a British man from Bristol, accused of arranging for his wife to be murdered while they were on honeymoon in South Africa, would be considered unfit to stand trial if he was facing a British court. Westminster magistrates also heard a claim from the South African authorities who said that before getting married Shrien Dewani allegedly told an acquaintance that he needed to end the relationship but would be disowned by his family if he broke off the engagement.

South African lawyers want Dewani to be extradited to face trial for allegedly plotting to have his wife, Anni Hindocha, killed in a staged car-jacking in a township near Cape Town. However, Dewani has been diagnosed as suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder prompted by the death and his barrister, Clare Montgomery QC, argued that if he was facing domestic proceedings he would be “simply unfit to stand trial.” His legal team says that his human rights would be violated if he were sent into a prison system that did not protect him.

At the opening of the hearing, Hugo Keith QC, representing the South African authorities, said an unnamed witness claimed that Dewani had expressed concern about his relationship. “[Dewani] said although [Anni] was a nice, lovely girl, who he liked, he could not break out of the engagement because he would be disowned by his family. He [told] the witness he needed to find a way out of it.” Dewani’s friends and family, who maintain the marriage was not arranged and that the couple were genuinely in love, insist the marriage was a happy one and that Dewani had nothing to do with her death.

Dewani is wanted for offences of kidnapping, robbery with aggravated circumstances, conspiracy to commit murder, and obstructing the administration of justice. Keith alleged Dewani had hatched the plot to have his wife killed with the taxi driver who collected them at Cape Town airport. Next day as they drove through a township, the taxi was stopped by two gunmen. The taxi driver and Dewani were let out but Anni was driven away. Her body was found next day with a single gunshot wound to the neck.

Explore…

• How do you react to the news story? Do you feel yourself taking sides with one or other of the families or do you empathise with both?

Consider a time in your family history when all seemed lost.

• What resources were available, material and/or spiritual, to help you maintain or recover hope?

Consider families or individuals in your faith community who might be struggling with situations in which all seems lost.

• How might you could be God’s presence in these situations?

Pray…
May we continue to cultivate our awareness of the presence of God within us at all times, so that when things seem hopeless we can draw deeply from the well of love available to us through the Body of Christ. Amen

Read more…

• Article in the Guardian

By Fraser Macnaughton

The ongoing saga of the behaviour of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation with regard to news gathering may prompt some to suggest that the institution as a whole should enter a 12-step programme to acknowledge the people they have harmed in some way because of their behaviour and to be willing to make amends to each one. An example of this kind of journalism involved the son of former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, whose medical records regarding his cystic fibrosis condition were revealed in the Sun, Britain’s biggest selling newspaper.

In October 2006, the editor of the Sun at that time, Rebekah Brooks, contacted the Browns to tell them that they had obtained details from the medical file of their four-month-old son, Fraser, which revealed his cystic fibrosis. News International has denied accessing the medical records of Gordon Brown’s son, insisting the Sun newspaper discovered he had cystic fibrosis from a member of the public. It said the individual had come to the Sun voluntarily as he wished to highlight the plight of those with the disease, adding that he had provided “a written affidavit” confirming this.

Charlotte Harris, of the law firm Mishcon de Reya, said: “News International’s explanation to Gordon Brown and his family in respect of the allegations that Rebekah Brooks had obtained the medical records of his son for the purposes of an article in the Sun newspaper, seeks to justify a gross breach of privacy by blaming the victim. It claims such a breach of privacy was necessary in order to further the cause of cystic fibrosis sufferers. If it is the case that the Sun received this information from another parent it was, at the very least, hugely insensitive and callous to have contacted the Brown family and demanded confirmation in the manner that Mr Brown described.”

David Muir, one of Brown’s most senior advisers, said: “They were contacted by Rebekah Brooks, who told them that they had information that Fraser had cystic fibrosis, which was a matter that they, the family, were just getting their heads around at the time and dealing with. They didn’t know how Rebekah came across this information and now, what’s come to light, it was obtained by what appeared to be illegal methods.”

Explore…Genesis 32:22–31

As Jacob prepares to meet his twin brother Esau, he must face his past deceit in acquiring the birthright. Murdoch’s News Corporation is currently facing allegations that information was obtained deceitfully and illegally for its own gain.

• What do you think drives the media to intrude on lives to the extent of the allegations against News Corporation?
• Where should the lines be drawn between what is “in the public interest” and what is “interesting to the public”?
• Where do you see a way through the relationship struggles that exist between the public, the news media and the political and celebrity elites?
• Where have you seen local examples in your neighbourhood media in which people have been harmed and reconciliation is called for?

Prayer links…

Often we feel so powerless in the face of such huge enterprises as the international media.
May the Spirit of Jesus, that guidesour living, be at the forefront of our respect for others. Amen.

Read more…

• News story in The Guardian

By Bruce Grindlay

For a number of weeks there have been protests in Syria by citizens seeking greater freedoms. The leadership of Syria, by means of security police and military, has come down hard upon the protestors. Yet the protestors persist in seeking reform and a change in society that would herald a better and more open future for all. Many protesters have fled, seeking sanctuary in neighbouring Turkey. Turkey has had good relations with Syria so when the protests for reform erupted in Syria, the Turkish Prime Minister sent his top officials to try and convince President Assad of Syria to introduce reforms. But his efforts were spurned. Now there is the anomalous situation of Turkey offering sanctuary to those who oppose a government with which it had, until just recently, the best of relations.

The Guardian reports that, “(following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s) re-election this month he vowed to reach out to the Middle East and beyond to promote ‘justice, the rule of law...freedom and democracy,’ distancing himself from the traditional stable friendships with Arab dictators.” Turkey and Syria are now challenged to persist in maintaining relationships while constitutional changes still need to be addressed.

Persistence for a new future, changes in relationships, and the altering of traditions are themes that were also echoed in recent conversations among young people in a church in South Australia. In a discussion about church life, and some of the traditions associated with it, one of the topics was marriage because a wedding conducted in the church had been featured in the TV program “Four Weddings.” The discussion focussed on how this wedding hadn’t been as “exotic” as the other three wedding ceremonies featured in the program. All agreed that marriage was foundational to our faith tradition, but...

There seem to be more “buts” these days. We know that “tradition” doesn’t necessarily make something right or a good idea, and that sometimes when we change traditions things turn out for the better. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t surprise us, and amaze us with new options for relating and finding love and grace with God and with each other. Tradition provides us with guidelines for our formation and living, but our God is a living God who invites that tradition to call us into the weaving of new futures.

Explore…Genesis 29:15–28

Persistence for a new future, changes in relationships, and the altering of traditions are themes in this week’s story of the relationships between Laban, Jacob, Leah, and Rachel.

These themes are also echoed in the news story of international relationships.

• Where and in what ways are traditions being challenged in the context of the long term relationship between Syria and Turkey?

So much in the tradition of our life of faith is good and strong, but God weaves a new and better future and calls us to see with new eyes, and move into that grace-filled future.

• When have you encountered tradition holding back God’s new future?
• What changes are being called for and how might you work with the people of God in weaving that new future?
• To what extent do you find the strength of God’s Spirit providing you with the courage and persistence you require?

Prayer links…
Pray for those who are working for God’s new future in our churches and communities.
Pray for those who are willing to sacrifice for the coming of God’s reign.
Pray for the strength of persistence to follow God, who is at work in amazing ways.

Read more…

• Article in The Guardian
• Video report in Euronews

From Bruce Grindlay

Uluru (Ayers Rock) is a large sandstone rock formation in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia. Both, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, came into being about 600 million years ago and are part of a subterranean rock formation. The gigantic “Island Mountain” has a length of 3.4 km/2 miles, a maximum width of 2 km/1.25 miles and measures more than 9 km/6.6 miles in circumference. The peak rises majestically to a height of over 350 metres/1200 feet above the surrounding plain. The red-rusty colour of the rock results from iron bearing minerals by the process of oxidation. A most wondrous experience is sunrise or sunset at Uluru. Depending on weather conditions and the incidence of light the huge rock can change its colour from a pale grey-red into a glowing orange or even fiery red.

We arrived just as a brief shower of rain appeared over the rock. The rain band was narrow and very dark. As we stood by the tourist bus watching, the rain seemed to climb as if on a huge ladder from the top of Uluru into the heavens. It was a spectacle beyond comparison and, for some of us, a most holy experience. Were we waiting from an invitation from God to ascend into the heavens? Was someone extraordinary about to descend from the heavens? Surely the Creator God was in this place.

We stood, quietly in this place of blessing. No-one spoke. We had all come to Uluru, Australians and tourists from many countries, to see this place sacred to the original Australians, the Aboriginal peoples. Whatever our background and circumstances, whatever our beliefs, not one person remained untouched by this awesome spectacle and moment.

In the Celtic tradition places such as Uluru, where we experience the wonder of God’s presence, are called “thin places.” There is a Celtic saying that heaven and earth are only three feet apart, but in the thin places that distance is even smaller. A thin place is where the veil that separates heaven and earth is lifted and one is able to glimpse the glory of God.

Explore…Genesis 28:10–19a

In a time of fear and vulnerability, God extends to Jacob a generous gift of hope and blessing.

• Where have you experienced “a place of blessing”?

Jacob says, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than…the gate of heaven.” The experiences of Jacob and of the tourists of Uluru could be described as thin places.

• What has been your experience of thin places?

Jacob may have felt that he was facing life’s challenges alone as he struggled with his past. In his dream-filled sleep a vision lifts “the veil separating heaven and earth,” and Jacob encounters God’s presence.

• When have your struggles brought you to a place of blessing, a thin place filled with the presence of God? What was the result of that encounter?

Prayer links…
Hold a flower petal or some other fragile gift of creation in your hand. Silently contemplate it. Try and see behind its fragility to the God who calls you to cease your running away and experience the blessing of God’s mighty, but soft and gentle love.

See and read more…

• An image of Uluru
• Images of Uluru in the rain
• Video link: what is a thin place
• Article about protecting sacred places in nature