last night we met again to share a meal and conversation at the Thomas family home.

It was good to be together and to meet new friends.  in the afternoon the group of us reading Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christianity had met to discuss the chapters on the future (eschatology) and how we relate to people of other faiths.

We each of us appreciated Brian's reflections on a participatory eschatology - the idea that we are invited to be creators with God in shaping the future.  That we might embody in our everyday lives the hope of a future where we care for one another and for God's earth.  Where we truly love our neighbour and our God.  Where the prophet Isaiah's view of a time where each one will sit under their own tree and nation will not be against nation and swords will be beaten into ploughshares might be the reality we have shaped. 

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Isaiah 2:4

We did wonder together though if this is indeed a vision that many share.  We acknowledged both our own places of hope and despair for humanity and creation.  Moreover we wonderd if the church as we know it really sees these as pressing issues.  Those of us gathered round to read certainly share this passion.  We reminded each other of people we know who too have held this hope.

Then today I found myself despairing for Chrisitianity.  There really is so much I cannot be apart of any longer and I understand the many who have not left God or Christ but have left the church.  I too in being part of soulspace have in my own way left.  Is this a good thing?  Where is the voice in the church that calls it to be who it is called to be in God.  A hopfilled community embodying Christlike love for everyone, caring for poor, feeding hungry, speaking out words of justice for the oppressed, reconciling enemies . . .  Living in the way of Jesus.  If to be a Christian is to follow in the way of Christ then why is it that we struggle to be anything close to this?  I know we are frail, real stumbling people and that perfection is not the call - but OMG (she says in a prayerful cry) could we not do better, could we stop speaking and acting hurtfully towards one another and our world, could we welcome the wisdom and truth in the faith of others?

Julian of Norwich says "and all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well" . . . so I return to hope & hang on today for dear life and in the name of the One who most fully embodies love & willingness to set aside all selfish ambition to give and suffer for all humankind.  May I too be willing to suffer for love.

peace to you this day and the love of God in Christ

Anne

I love the Psalms.  When I was 16 I spent a year just reading the Psalms one each day to the end and then I started over again.

They seem so raw and real ~ perhaps this appealed to my anquished teenage soul. . .When the psalmist is happy joy pours out in his words ~ when sad or oppressed he cries out with abandonnment to God.  For me it always seemed clear that wherever he was emotionally he had no doubt that God was accessible ~ there was no leaving of God for him nor did it seem that God would be able to leave him.

I love this psalm.  And my love for it deepened the first time I heard the U2 song "40".  It is to me the most exquisitely beautiful musical setting for such words of passion and longing for God. 

It calls out my own song "i will sing, sing a new song" (U2's interpretation of vs3). ~ "He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.' 

Fear here not as being afraid but rather awe, amazement, wonder. 

Yesterday the soulspace Book & Brew club met.  We are discussing and reading together Brian McLaren;s latest book "A New Kind of Christianity"  (for those who have read A New Kind of Christian - this is a new/different book).  I find myself thinking that God is giving a new song, new possibility, new hope for a new Christianity.  ~ You can read Brian yourself to discover more about how he speaks about his wonderings and hopes and questions ~

I want to sing a new song.  Not that the old song did not have a good purpose in it's time but now some of it's notes are distinctly stuck and out of tune.  They are hurtful and jarring, they are alienating many from being able to name themselves as Christians because the version of Christianity most prominent (in media at least) is one far far from being as Brian would say a faith formed by "Christlike love" - saturated in the Spirit. 

I am a God lover.  Like the psalmist I cannot escape the Divine.  God seeks me out whenever I try to run & I am captured in God's embrace . . .then as I release myself to this God  - God alludes me ~ is mystery again beyond my grasp.  I love and am driven crazy by this dance with the Divine.  This for me is what I hear in this Psalm.  The psalmist holds nothing back, is captured by the very essence of God, by God's desire for humanity, AND  he asks & cries out  "do not withhold your mercy", "deliver me", "keep me safe" "be my help & deliverer"  ~ God present, God beyond.

Or that is what I hear today as I read . . .

Anne

Sorry it has taken me this late in the week to post an entry for this week's scripture.

The pace here took a turn and has been too full for me.

I continue with you to read the scripture for the week.

Nothing to offer out loud about this particular passage right now ~ trying to formulate my thoughts around it . . .

maybe enough to say I am asking what it looks like in my life to "think about these things" vs 8 . . . what is true, what is honourable, what is just, what is pure, what is pleasing, what is commendable, anything of excellence, anything of praise

anne

Sunday we gathered to share a BBQ meal.  That morning I tried unsuccessfully to post a lengthier blog entry than the one posted below, extending invitation to join us. To say that I felt frustrated would be an understatement.  I had spent a good hour blogging and when posting erased the blog - sigh. I re-wrote the blog and again lost my entry.  I had enjoyed writing & was anticipating hearing back from those who visit our blog. Today I try again for 2 reasons ~ Ali reminded me that it was important to not let what was hoped for go unsaid, she thought perhaps I might discover something new that needed to be part of the blog ~ AND this past few months I've been  reading Seth Godin's blog who posted these words on the weekend "the only possible response . . . . isn't". (A blog worth visiting) I hear in Seth's words the reminder to enter in, to choose ~ even if my response is small ~ to respond.  Indeed this is why I gave in to the encouragement of my husband Dave and soulspace friend John to begin blogging at all. 

For me meals & bbqs speak to the desire of our soulspace community to be present with each other, to share out of abundance, extend hospitality, participate in communion with each other .  In communion we say to one another as Christ did "my body broken for you"  not words of heresy but truly invitation to be willing to be broken for each other, to laugh, cry, celebrate with, enter fully into each other's lives, to meet & be with each other as we are ~ without pretense.  I know only too well that this is not easy, nor are these easy words to speak ~ I often hide who I am and shy away from the story of the other BUT I believe this is the invitation of communion to see and be Christ for the other - friend, stranger, family, enemy.

The other wonderful thing for me about common meal is the opportunity to support others in my own community who are choosing to "respond" in their way.  I love my visits with The Butcher, The Baker in Stratford ~ where butchers Martin & Rick and the guys take time to talk about preparing meats, offering me advice, celebrating my experiments in trying new things.  I love Robin the baker, always willing to bake buns for me to match their wonderful sausage or all meat hot dogs. 

I am grateful for Ruth Klassen at Monforte Dairy & Sunday Slow Food Market at her dairy (10am-2 pm)~ I am glad to be a subscriber of her CSA dairy.  One thing I love about Ruth is the way she seeks out and supports others trying to live sustainably, caring for creation - like the chocolate she has at the store from Toronto ~ folk who create their product with pedal - power(yup bikes!), using fair trade cocoa. 

I am grateful for our friend Warren Ham and crew at August's Harvest for their CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) venture & the bin of produce that we receive each week which encourages me to eat produce in season - we've tried a whole new variety of veggies this summer!  I know living where we do opens doors others might not have & life's journey is complex. But I do want to respond as I am able . . .not to brag but to share with you the little stories in my place of the world where those asking new questions about how we connect in community, live with each other & creation, challenge me - to live the bibilical call to justice on the earth.  I wonder what are your stories, your places of communion & connection with those inviting you to movement, growth . . . to respond

Listening, Anne

hope you can join us tonight at 6 at our house to BBQ 185 Hibernia St. Stratford

peace

Anne