We are in the process of creating a new website for our organization in North America, and if you google The Christian Community, websites for other congregations around the world will come up. Some of these have wonderful pictures, both inside and out of our churches.
The newer ones, which were built specifically for The Christian Community are very distinct in colour, form and orientation. From orthodox standards, they are, to put it mildly, very plain from the outside, like a brown paper wrapper. Now, I have been a member of our congregation for decades, but only recently have I learned to ask the all-important question, WHY? In terms of understanding what our church is all about, I am barely starting to get a glimmer here and there. So I asked myself, why are our churches built like this?
For one thing, the form is intended to be organic, to be a reflection of its natural surroundings, to be in harmony, so to speak, with its environment.
As to the colour, this, I think, is done for a very specific reason, and underlines one of the basic philosophies of our church. There is a saying, "Never judge a book by its cover." The exterior is in fact a specific challenge to all who look at it - Seek and you will Find. Come in and discover for yourself what lies within. Like a parcel wrapped in plain brown paper, you know something wonderful is waiting to be opened. It may be surprising, unexpected, maybe a little bit mysterious or unfathomable, layers upon layers of "tissue paper" waiting to be peeled back, or bubble wrap, or little styrofoam balls. In other words, it is a Gift. A gift from our community, through the working of the Holy Spirit, to YOU!
Happy birthday, Rev. Susan Locey.
Sparky
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa's name was much in the news this week, thanks to a controversial video by a popular singing artist.
She was one of the shining lights of the 20th century, the like of which, we possibly have not seen since St. Francis of Assisi.
Here is one of her most famous quotations:
Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragrance (essence) everywhere we go. Flood our souls with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through us and be so in us that every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us but only Jesus. Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from you. None of it will be ours. It will be you shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best by shining on those around us. Let us preach you without preaching: not by words, but by our example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we do, the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.
Amen.
Sparky
She was one of the shining lights of the 20th century, the like of which, we possibly have not seen since St. Francis of Assisi.
Here is one of her most famous quotations:
Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragrance (essence) everywhere we go. Flood our souls with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through us and be so in us that every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us but only Jesus. Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from you. None of it will be ours. It will be you shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best by shining on those around us. Let us preach you without preaching: not by words, but by our example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we do, the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.
Amen.
Sparky
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Sneeze
They walked in tandem, each of the 92 students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing and traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt. Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears. This class would NOT pray during commencement, not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families. The speeches were nice, but they were routine until the final speech received a standing ovation. A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then it happened.
All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!
The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said,
GOD BLESS YOU!
And he walked off stage.
The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.
Pass this on to all of your friends, and
GOD BLESS YOU!
This is a true story. It happened at Eastern Shore District High School in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Cheers,
Sparky
All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!
The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said,
GOD BLESS YOU!
And he walked off stage.
The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.
Pass this on to all of your friends, and
GOD BLESS YOU!
This is a true story. It happened at Eastern Shore District High School in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Cheers,
Sparky
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Chemistry, Love, Marriage and Everything
"Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon." My grandmother remarried when she was 77 years old. We all looked on in amazement as these two "oldsters" were transformed into "youngsters". Such is the transformative power of love. They had 10 very happy years together. We were very happy for them and grateful that they had been given this joy in their old age.
My son, the erstwhile baker, is also taking chemistry in high school. I wonder if he knows how closely chemistry and baking really are? You cannot bake a cake or bread without a chemical reaction. I bet even the beginning of creation is actually chemistry rather than physics - after all, the basic molecules, protons, neutrons, are really descriptions of chemistry at work. If you have ever baked cookies with children, you know how this goes. You end up with flour all over the place, and huge smiles on their faces!
Science is changing so fast today, that teachers can't keep up. Instead, they have come up with a very sensible solution - they teach the kids How to Learn. Where to look for the answers, and how to figure things out. Our church is like that, too. We do not take things on blind faith. We are encouraged to look for deeper meaning behind even the simplest of words. If we come to a priest with a question, we are almost never given a direct answer. We are guided where to look, and to find the answer ourselves. Everyone learns differently, and looking at the same thing, will get a different answer.
Our church was founded in the early 1920's, by a group of fairly young, radical free thinkers, who wanted to look at Christianity in a new way. We have no dogma. When one of our priests comes to give a talk, they almost always precede it by saying that this is simply something they are offering from their own point of view and experience and research. It is offered in the spirit of a free gift, for each of us to take from it what we wish, or what speaks to our hearts.
When you see two people on a movie screen, sometimes people say, they have good chemistry. Sometimes two people just seem to click for no special reason, like my friend Stephanie in California and I. It's a mystery. Love is the greatest and most ancient Mystery. In fact, our world as we know it today, could not exist without it. Nothing good can exist or endure without love. Love in its highest form is sacrifice. You have to give up something, usually ego, but sometimes it can be your very life. Women face this fact every time they prepare to give birth. The greatest act of love is to give up your own life or self, for that of your fellow man. There is no fiercer animal on the face of the planet than that of a mother fighting to protect her young.
If you look up love in a comprehensive dictionary, you come up with something interesting. As a suffix, it becomes, beloved. In Old English, Old German and Middle Dutch, it becomes, belief, believe and faith. Out of love comes faith and hope.
In a marriage, though, love is not enough. There must also be mutual respect, trust, support, etc. It has to be carefully nurtured. It will not survive abuse, being taken advantage of, neglect, or being taken for granted. These things come out of ego, as do desire and need. Again, it is about sacrifice. If you take the phrase, I want peace, for example, take out the I (individual), and want (need), you are left with peace.
Different tunes are always running through my head, so here's one I'd like to leave with you,
Don't know much about history,
Don't know much about biology,
Don't know much about my science book,
Don't know much about the French I took.
What I do know is that God loves you
And if you know that you love God, too
What a wonderful world this could be.
My son, the erstwhile baker, is also taking chemistry in high school. I wonder if he knows how closely chemistry and baking really are? You cannot bake a cake or bread without a chemical reaction. I bet even the beginning of creation is actually chemistry rather than physics - after all, the basic molecules, protons, neutrons, are really descriptions of chemistry at work. If you have ever baked cookies with children, you know how this goes. You end up with flour all over the place, and huge smiles on their faces!
Science is changing so fast today, that teachers can't keep up. Instead, they have come up with a very sensible solution - they teach the kids How to Learn. Where to look for the answers, and how to figure things out. Our church is like that, too. We do not take things on blind faith. We are encouraged to look for deeper meaning behind even the simplest of words. If we come to a priest with a question, we are almost never given a direct answer. We are guided where to look, and to find the answer ourselves. Everyone learns differently, and looking at the same thing, will get a different answer.
Our church was founded in the early 1920's, by a group of fairly young, radical free thinkers, who wanted to look at Christianity in a new way. We have no dogma. When one of our priests comes to give a talk, they almost always precede it by saying that this is simply something they are offering from their own point of view and experience and research. It is offered in the spirit of a free gift, for each of us to take from it what we wish, or what speaks to our hearts.
When you see two people on a movie screen, sometimes people say, they have good chemistry. Sometimes two people just seem to click for no special reason, like my friend Stephanie in California and I. It's a mystery. Love is the greatest and most ancient Mystery. In fact, our world as we know it today, could not exist without it. Nothing good can exist or endure without love. Love in its highest form is sacrifice. You have to give up something, usually ego, but sometimes it can be your very life. Women face this fact every time they prepare to give birth. The greatest act of love is to give up your own life or self, for that of your fellow man. There is no fiercer animal on the face of the planet than that of a mother fighting to protect her young.
If you look up love in a comprehensive dictionary, you come up with something interesting. As a suffix, it becomes, beloved. In Old English, Old German and Middle Dutch, it becomes, belief, believe and faith. Out of love comes faith and hope.
In a marriage, though, love is not enough. There must also be mutual respect, trust, support, etc. It has to be carefully nurtured. It will not survive abuse, being taken advantage of, neglect, or being taken for granted. These things come out of ego, as do desire and need. Again, it is about sacrifice. If you take the phrase, I want peace, for example, take out the I (individual), and want (need), you are left with peace.
Different tunes are always running through my head, so here's one I'd like to leave with you,
Don't know much about history,
Don't know much about biology,
Don't know much about my science book,
Don't know much about the French I took.
What I do know is that God loves you
And if you know that you love God, too
What a wonderful world this could be.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Let's get cooking!
This past Sunday, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of our church building, had a wonderful visit by a member of our Future Initiatives Group, and a delicious pot luck lunch.
A few months ago, in our North American newsletter, it was announced that we were "expecting" company! This was very exciting. Then last Sunday, a messenger came saying that we could actually help to prepare for this company. Even more exciting!
I love having company. It galvanizes you into doing all the little things you can't seem to find time for on a day to day basis. It means washing windows, vacuuming, dusting, getting out the good china and crystal and polishing them up. It means planning the meal and putting out the welcome mat. And just maybe, changing a few small things around just to freshen things up - don't forget the fresh flowers, too!
We always love our potluck gatherings, because we never know exactly what people will bring. There is a variety of tastes and textures, and somehow it all comes together.
Today, the kitchen has replaced the living room in terms of where people want to gather and congregate. When you have company, everyone pitches in by bringing something for the meal or helping to prepare things. Although it is nice to be presented with a meal already prepared, it is even more satisfying when you have made some kind of contribution.
One of the things I love about our church is the space each individual is given to make their own decisions and exercise their own free will. No one is told exactly what they should do or say. We are each invited to explore our inner self and connection with the Divine.
We have reached a phase, though, where we can begin to find ways to bring outwardly what we have found inwardly. How can we do this?
Each contribution, or thought, adds to the "feast", and it becomes something more than the sum of its parts, in a very organic way.
My son is applying for a baking course at a local college, and on the application it asks, "Why do you want to take this course?" He answered, because I love to see the smile on someone's face when they taste something good.
Each Sunday, we come together to celebrate the sacrament of the Act of Consecration of Man. It is "feast", celebrating Life and Love. So this Sunday, bring your smiles, and help come celebrate, at a church where everyone's contribution is valued, respected and welcome!
Next blog: chemistry, love, marriage, and the whole ball of wax.
A few months ago, in our North American newsletter, it was announced that we were "expecting" company! This was very exciting. Then last Sunday, a messenger came saying that we could actually help to prepare for this company. Even more exciting!
I love having company. It galvanizes you into doing all the little things you can't seem to find time for on a day to day basis. It means washing windows, vacuuming, dusting, getting out the good china and crystal and polishing them up. It means planning the meal and putting out the welcome mat. And just maybe, changing a few small things around just to freshen things up - don't forget the fresh flowers, too!
We always love our potluck gatherings, because we never know exactly what people will bring. There is a variety of tastes and textures, and somehow it all comes together.
Today, the kitchen has replaced the living room in terms of where people want to gather and congregate. When you have company, everyone pitches in by bringing something for the meal or helping to prepare things. Although it is nice to be presented with a meal already prepared, it is even more satisfying when you have made some kind of contribution.
One of the things I love about our church is the space each individual is given to make their own decisions and exercise their own free will. No one is told exactly what they should do or say. We are each invited to explore our inner self and connection with the Divine.
We have reached a phase, though, where we can begin to find ways to bring outwardly what we have found inwardly. How can we do this?
Each contribution, or thought, adds to the "feast", and it becomes something more than the sum of its parts, in a very organic way.
My son is applying for a baking course at a local college, and on the application it asks, "Why do you want to take this course?" He answered, because I love to see the smile on someone's face when they taste something good.
Each Sunday, we come together to celebrate the sacrament of the Act of Consecration of Man. It is "feast", celebrating Life and Love. So this Sunday, bring your smiles, and help come celebrate, at a church where everyone's contribution is valued, respected and welcome!
Next blog: chemistry, love, marriage, and the whole ball of wax.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Gold as the theme for the July 2012 North-South Conference
Some of you may have noticed the large white paper hanging on the east wall downstairs in the Church. For those who don't know about it yet, Reverend Susan Locey had the idea to have a place where people could come up with phrases or words following the general theme of gold to develope the mood for the Conference. Whether they are quotations or your own thoughts it does not matter. There is construction paper, pens, scissors and tape on the counter by the clock to hang up individual wordings.
I will keep track of them and try to post all the new ones as they appear on the wall.
" A heart of GOLD "
" The golden fleece "
" Enlightenment through the Gold "
" The golden path... "
" A Golden oppurtunity "
" Sharing the Gold "
" GOLDEN STAR "
" Golden Sun "
" Golden Age "
" Good As Gold "
" Silence is golden "
" Gold Medal "
" the golden mean "
" the gold standard "
" Self knowledge - Golden Gift " (Christian Morgenstern)
" Gold treasure "
" The Golden Gate "
" Gold coin "
" The golden King "
" Silence is golden! "
" Chemical Symbol: Au
from Latin "Aurum"
meaning "Shining Dawn""
" HEARTS OF GOLD "
" Sands that shimmer like gold "
" Goldfish "
" Gold mine "
" Goldeneye (bird) "
" gold at home "
" Golden freedom "
" Golden west "
" Goldfever "
" Goldsmith "
" Goldfinch "" The mother-lode "
" Golden flower
Chinese herb"
" Faust I - Scene VIII
Last lines
Margarete:
" ... to Gold still tends,
On Gold depends
All, All! Alas, we poor!""
" The Earth as a New Sun
Freedom and love for all mankind on earth,
divine, evolutionary goals
will become possible only
Through awakened wills
And sun-filled souls
It is a fairy tale that begins to shine and live
When someone finds a pathon which he may rise and give
his ego to the spirit of truth.
Here his consciousness is led to the fact
That through the love bestowed on us
by the Son of Man and through the holy act
of His accomplished deed
at the turning point of time
the future will show
its consequence divine,
The now darkening earth will become
With Michael's help, and ours,
A NEW, LIVING AND GOLDEN SUN."
" El Amor Brilla "
" Gold-leaf "
" Not everything that glitters is gold "
" Gold bullion "
" golden idea "
" good as gold "
" sharing the wealth "
Sunday, January 31, 2010
The five senses as experienced in one of an infinite variety in the West Coast Biosphere
Very often after cleaning the Church yard I say to myself, " Yeah, nature is back!" It really is a good feeling to see a part of the natural world pretty much the way it should be. Sometimes I have memories of other places I have been in the past, including into my childhood. Much of the areas in Scandinavia and around the Alps I have visited really stand out but especially some of the outstanding environs in our part of the world.
These impressions are sort of a collection of scene memories from all over Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast.
Imagine it is summer and you are camped by the ocean somewhere up the coast at the edge of the rainforest.
*The feel of slightly moist sand while walking barefoot amongst the dunes in a small clearing just above the highest high tide line.
*The sight of the morning sun just breaking through a low fog bank over a calm tide.
*The aroma of dried driftwood, seaweed and the salt air mingling.
*The taste of of wild salal berries as you make your way along the edges of some bushes just inland from shore.
*The gentle sound of bees making their rounds amongst the honeysuckles and clovers.
These impressions are sort of a collection of scene memories from all over Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast.
Imagine it is summer and you are camped by the ocean somewhere up the coast at the edge of the rainforest.
*The feel of slightly moist sand while walking barefoot amongst the dunes in a small clearing just above the highest high tide line.
*The sight of the morning sun just breaking through a low fog bank over a calm tide.
*The aroma of dried driftwood, seaweed and the salt air mingling.
*The taste of of wild salal berries as you make your way along the edges of some bushes just inland from shore.
*The gentle sound of bees making their rounds amongst the honeysuckles and clovers.
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