BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

INDIGENOUS SUNDAY / CELEBRATING FATHERS

June 21, 2020

[The video of this service can be found here]

Gathering Music Celebration Song – offered by Esther & Marlon Stewart

Acknowledgement of Aboriginal Territory Rev. Kim Vidal

Friends, the drum does not beat alone, nor does the heart, in the circle of life.
We begin our worship service by acknowledging the territory where most of us gather and where I am located. We acknowledge that we are gathered on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe First Nation. We pay respect to the elders past and present and honour all indigenous people’s reverence of this land throughout the ages. May we live in peace and friendship to sustain the earth and all its people.

Welcome & Announcements

Mino Kigijebawan! I just greeted you “good morning” in the language of the Algonquin people. On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you wherever you are in the name of the Great Spirit as we celebrate Indigenous Sunday and Celebrating Fathers. Today we join with our Indigenous brothers and sisters as they celebrate their heritage, their roots and their traditions that formed them as a people. May we with open hearts and minds, stand in solidarity with them as they continue to seek healing, truth and reconciliation. Special thanks to Esther and Marlon Stewart for their participation in today’s service. Migwech. Thank you.

Today we also pay tribute and honour the fathers, past and present, in our family, in our community and in the world. We give thanks for their contributions to the human community, for their love, their dedication, their faith, their courage, their strength and their gifts of time, talents and resources. Let us be reminded that "A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way." (Author Unknown) Happy Father’s Day!

I would like to highlight some announcements:

We welcome Victoria Ogden as our Christian Education Program Summer Student. Victoria has been an active member of BCUC particularly her involvement with UP Youth and Camp Awesome. Welcome Vicky!

David’s Flowers are back drive-through style and they are available every Saturday from 11:30 to 12:30 pm. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to remain in their car, bring exact change or prepared cheque for donations, and follow instructions of volunteers. Thank you for your support!

And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11 am. Link will be emailed to you or call the office for more information.

Friends, I now invite you to centre yourself in the presence of the Great Spirit, Creator God who calls us to worship in spirit and in truth.

Prayers to the Four Directions Esther Stewart & Lorrie Lowes

First Candle: Let us turn to the direction of the East, the place of the rising sun.

Great Spirit of Light, you come from the East with the power of the rising sun. Let there be light in our words, let there be light on the path that we walk. Let us remember always that you give the gift of a new day. And never let us be burdened with sorrow by not starting over again.

Second Candle: Let us face the direction of the South, the place of warm sun and new growth.

Great Spirit of creation, send us the warm and soothing winds from the South. Comfort us and caress us when we are tired and cold. Unfold us like the gentle breezes that unfold the leaves on the trees. As you give to all the earth your warm, moving wind, give to us, so that we may grow close to you in warmth.

Third Candle: Let us turn to face the direction of the West, the place of ripening growth.

Great Life-Giving Spirit, we face the West, the direction of sundown. Let us remember, every day, that the moment will come when the sun will go down. Never let us forget that we must fade into you. Give us a beautiful colour; give us a great sky for setting, so that when it is our time to meet you, we can come in glory.

Fourth Candle: Let us face the direction of the North. This is the place of cold winter winds and the rich wisdom of fruitful living.

Great Spirit of Love, come to us with the power of the North. Make us courageous when the cold wind falls upon us. Give us strength and endurance for everything that is harsh, everything that hurts, and everything that makes us squint. Let us move through life ready to take what comes from the North.

Reader 2 (Lorrie): The circle of life is a powerful image. The Earth is round, the wind in its greatest power whirls. The sun and the moon come forth and go down in a circle. Even the seasons come back to where they began. As the candles move outward, they gather us into this great circle, as separate as the four directions and as one as life itself. May we grow in light and love; may the colours of creation paint beautiful memories, and may the warmth of the creator’s Spirit inspire us to tread gently on the web of life. Amen

Peace Song – offered by Esther Stewart

Prayer of Approach: Neil Lowes

Gracious God, in the course of our life-journey, we do not only move from place to place. We also move from thought to thought, from task to task, from feeling to feeling. We move between solitude and relationship, between growth and stagnation, faith and confusion. In gathering to worship, we give thanks for all fathers whom you bless as we celebrate their presence and contributions to the human family. We offer praise to you, Father God, parent to us all, to the living Christ and to the sustaining Spirit. Be with us, care for us, comfort us with your love and grace. Through Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Hymn: “River” More Voices #3

1 River, rush-a-down to the ocean blue,
River from a mountain high.
River, as you do what rivers do,
River, draw the Spirit nigh.

2. Spirit, come-a-down to the river-side,
Spirit, spark of wondrous thought.
Spirit, I am free for you to guide,
Spirit, pray that I be taught!

3. Water, let me drink of your healing pow’r,
Water, strength and life you give.
Water, as I travel with each hour.
Water, help my body live.

4. River, flow-a-down where you ran before, River, source of clearer view.
River, as I walk your rocky shore,
River, see my journey through.
See my journey through. (3x)

Storytime for the Young at Heart Lorrie Lowes

Good Morning!

Today is the day that, in the United Church of Canada, we celebrate the Aboriginal Day of Prayer. It’s an important one in our Canadian calendar, and this year, it coincides with our Aboriginal day in Canada, on June 21. Usually there are lots of powwows happening in the area and activities going on at the museums, places where we can learn a lot more about the cultures of the people that were first here on this land, people who lived here long before people from other countries in the world started coming here to settle in this beautiful, beautiful country.

Every year I look forward to getting ready for this service and the last few years it’s been really great to have Esther and Marlon Stewart and their family taking part in what we’ve been doing here at Bells Corners. They teach us so much about their culture and, because they come from a culture on the west coast of Canada, it’s very different from the Algonquin culture that we generally hear about in this area. You will have noticed this morning that the territory this church is on and the territory that all of us live on in this area belonged to the Algonquin people and it was never really ceded to the government of Canada. Zit still really belongs to the Algonquin tribes and we honour and respect that they took such good care of this land for many, many centuries.

Today we can’t have everybody in the sanctuary together but I hope you did enjoy the drumming and the Prayers to the Four Directions led by Esther this morning. I learn something new every time I do one of these services and so, I thought that today I would share something with you that I learned just last year – and that’s about the drum. You can see my drum hanging on the wall behind me here in my office. It’s a really important piece to me. What I learned about sacred drums is that they are a very sacred kind of item. They are used, not just in social things or dances that are recreational and fun. They are used in ceremonies, and so is the dancing. The drum is considered to be like the heartbeat of Mother Earth, so it is the heartbeat of the earth that they are thinking about when they are drumming, especially in their sacred ceremonies and singing and during prayer. Many of the cultures feel that the drum beat during prayer helps to send those prayers and messages to God. So the drum is a very important piece.

So, I want to show you my drum and share with you what I learned when I was creating it. As I said, I didn’t buy this drum; I created this drum. I’m being very careful not to say that I made this drum but that I created it. The way it was explained to me is that when you create a drum, you “birth” the drum. So, I gave birth to this drum. It started with just a big block of cedar and a huge deer hide and some other materials and we put them all together in a special way. If you look at the back of my drum, you can see that it’s made up of many, many parts. Each of the little angles that hold the pieces of cedar together represent the number of moons in the year. It can’t be just any size or shape but it needs to represent something that’s very important. The skin on the drum is an actual deer hide that has been carefully tanned and cured, and those of us in the class that were birthing our drums chose a part of the hide that “spoke” to us. We carefully traced out the shape we needed and soaked it overnight so that it was nice and pliable. We stretched it over the frame we had built the day before and then put it altogether with these cords. I think they would have traditionally used sinew but, in modern days, it’s happening with some more synthetic materials. Most of the materials in this drum are living materials and that’s part of what makes it special to me.

The drum and the drummer are considered to be sacred in our North American native cultures, and so when you hear someone drumming or singing, the respectful thing to do is to stand up. So, if that is happening at the front of our church, we should stand as a sign of respect – something I didn’t know last year – and when they are finished, you don’t clap, you sit down. That shows respect and keeps the feeling that this is a sacred moment.

The symbol on the drum is something that is important to you or to your culture. I chose the turtle because I’ve heard so many creation stories about the earth, and especially North America, being the turtle’s back. I chose the colours because I am very drawn to the west coast colours which tend to black, and red, and sometimes a bit of yellow.

When you play a drum, you need to heat it up first. It helps to make the skin more pliable. Remember, this was a living deer skin, so it’s important that we treat this material in a very different way than we would treat something that was made in a factory. To make the sound really good, we heat it up. I’m doing it with my hand. I’m thinking that my rubbing today isn’t going to make the sound really beautiful but this drum does have a gorgeous sound when it’s heated up properly. I hold it by the strings on the back so that it isn’t resting on anything and that helps the sound to echo through. I will play just a few little beats for you now – and, hopefully next year, I will be able to drum along with Marlon and Esther again!

Hymn: We Are One in the Spirit (They’ll Know We Are Christians by our Love)

1. We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

2. We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand;
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand;
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land.
And they'll know …

3. We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride
And they'll know …

Prayer for Illumination: Reader: Ian Howes

Creator of Life, through your Life-Giving Word, help us to face the truth about ourselves and humbly bring us to new life in you and with each other. Amen.

The Gospel Story: “Jesus Calms a Storm” Mark 4: 35-41 (NRSV)

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

May we find ourselves renewed in this gospel story!
Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “Crashing Storms: Calming Hearts” Rev. Kim Vidal

Have you ever felt like you were being swallowed in a stormy sea or the world crashing in on you? and no matter how hard you prayed, and how intently you called for help, no one just seem to be listening or responding? Do you sometimes ask questions like: Why? Why me? What did I do to deserve this? These questions and emotional sentiments, I’m sure were the feelings expressed by most of the survivors of the residential schools. Between 1831 and 1996, residential schools operated in Canada through collaborations between the Government of Canada and several Christian churches, the United Church included. This partnership came to an end when the federal government took over sole management of the schools, and then began transferring the control of First Nations education to Indian bands. The last known residential school, the Gordon Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, closed in 1996.

Two common objectives defined this period — the assimilation of indigenous children and convert them to being “civilized”. Thousands of indigenous children were taken forcibly from their homes, families and communities. They were stripped of their culture, language, religion, family roots and identity. Abuses in many forms were rampant. Relationships between children, their parents, their natural community, their form of worship, spirituality and cultural supports were violated. Fathers and mothers lose their capacity to nurture their children, to pass down their values and ways of life. The impact: an overwhelming failure that left the indigenous communities in anger, deep wounds, displacement, shame, and separation of families that were passed on from one generation to the next.

Listen to a survivor’s story shared by Karina Roman of CBC News[1]:

This is the story of Edmund Metatawabin, a Cree from Fort Albany First Nation and his was a success story. But when he was seven years old, he had no idea what was in store for him. In 1956, surrendering to pressure from Catholic priests, Edmund's father dropped him off at St. Anne's Residential School in Fort Albany. Edmund says students were hit, by hand or with objects, for the smallest of infractions, or for no reason at all. And it only got worse. Edmund was there for eight years. But his summers back at home, on the land with his father, were a respite he treasured. Edmund recalls: "And one of my father’s stories is that I would never be a trapper or a hunter. That my life would be with a pencil." His father was right. Edmund went to high school in Kirkland Lake, where despite being too afraid to speak in class, he succeeded because of athletics. "I learned to run. Long distance, cross country. Because I could beat the guys who were teasing me. So my body did the talking. That was my saving grace there." He went on to university and was working on his master’s degree when he was summoned back to Fort Albany to be chief where he served for 10 years. During those years as chief, he organized a conference for St. Anne's Residential School survivors in 1992. He saw the suffering of people in his community and thought it was time they told their stories. "All we want is justice," he said. "All we want is a movement that will make us feel it’s finally over…” But we know that it’s not over yet.

Edmund’s story is one of a kind – a success story for sure, for he rose against the storms of victimization and oppression. He did not succumb to anguish and depression and held on to what his father dreamt of what he will be – a life with a pencil! Thanks to his father’s wisdom and guidance, Edmund saw success in life. His story is just one story among thousands of survivor’s stories. What about those who did not make it in life? What about those who are still suffering from the scars of abuse and humiliation? those who are still living the brunt of racism and labelling? The legacy of racism and colonialism put upon to the indigenous communities resulted to family dysfunction, cultural uprootedness, not to mention, increased rates of chronic and infectious diseases, mental illnesess, substance abuse and suicidal behaviours, particularly among the young people. And add to that the plight of the families of the missing aboriginal women. As a community of faith, how do we respond to this complicated issue? Some of us might feel that it is not our business to solve the problem – after all, we were not there when the residential schools were put in place. But we know that doing nothing or being silent to this issue makes us complicit to the systemic abuse that permeates the indigenous communities to these days. We need to do something to heal the brokenness and be a part of the solution.

Come and step in the boat with me and perhaps an invitation for truth telling, for reconciliation, for mutual respect and for healing awaits us. Jesus was tired. He had been teaching and healing and socializing. He needed rest. The disciples took him to a boat and headed to "the other side." The other side indicates not only the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. The other side was the location of an enemy zone! The boat carrying Jesus and his disciples turns from a familiar Jewish territory and heads across the water for unfamiliar regions, remote, unwelcoming, foreign – reminiscent of the uprooting of indigenous children from a safe, welcoming, happy place to an unknown ground where fear, pain, abuse and loneliness loomed large. As familiar land receded into the background, the skies darkened, the winds began to howl and the waves began to rise. Storm was on the way!

The storm evoked fear from the disciples – fear that could be easily interpreted as lack of faith. But was it really lack of faith? or was it just pure and simple fear in the face of a death-threatening storm? Would we not react the same way as the disciples did if we encounter the same? Sharon Salzberg writes: “Faith doesn’t mean the absence of fear. It means having the energy to go ahead, right alongside the fear.”[2] When Jesus awakes from sleep in response to his disciples’ cry for help, he didn’t chastise them for their display of fear. Instead, he invites them to examine why they were afraid—why they have let the storm rule their reality—and invites them to go back to their faith in God’s power that will accompany them amid their fears. Mark says that Jesus quiets the storm, and then quiets the disciples’ hearts. He calls on the wind and waves to be still, and then calls on them to have trust. Mark’s community who has heard this story equates the storm with the persecution they experienced from the imperial powers of Rome. Mark’s community shared this story to profess that God’s power is stronger than any storm; stronger than any imperial, oppressive powers on earth.

Storms are all around us. Storms of war are still raging in many parts of the world. Storms of poverty and famine flourish in developing countries. The COVID-19 storm still rages that affects many countries in devastating proportions. What about those who struggle through the storms of death, or illness or despair? We hear of those who are in stormy relationships and those who have not survived the storms of natural calamities. Storms of racial injustice and discrimination of all sorts are still alive that kills rather than heals. The George Floyd story is still fresh in our minds that calls for the world’s attention to stand in solidarity with the black community. Systemic racism is very much alive in this part of the world like a crashing storm that diminishes human lives particularly those of the indigenous communities.

This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that drafted 94 “calls to action”. We need to review these calls to action particularly those that are addressed to faith communities like ours and do our part in promoting understanding and developing meaningful, respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. As the Body of Christ, we are asked not to ignore the storms around us, but to walk into a storm supporting each another, hand in hand, in faith and in love. And some of us will continue through life without having heard about the residential schools and their continuing impact on First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people in our country. Some of us will continue to judge, to discriminate against, and to put down indigenous people. It is our responsibility to spread the word about residential schools including its demeaning impact and to keep us informed of what’s happening. The healing and reconciliation that we are seeking for all people will be hampered as we continue in our conflict and division. The winds will still rage. The waves will fill our boat with water until we sink and die. And the boat will rock until we can stand it no more. I don’t know what the next steps are but what I know is that there is no quick fix to this issue. Not even apologies that two of our United Church moderators have expressed will mend the scars right away. We will for sure be in for a long haul and God knows how many more storms we will meet on the way until this issue will be put to rest. Jesus spoke a word of peace and the storm calmed down.

Perhaps, like Jesus, we need to offer a word of peace. And to do this, we need to change the way we treat others. When we look at an indigenous person and treat him or her like a brother or a sister, that is a starting point. We can never move past our prejudices and biases until we see ourselves in the “other” particularly those who are different from us. May we listen attentively to their stories and their struggles, to acknowledge their past, to appreciate the beauty of their culture and spirituality and to stand with them as they advocate for the government to live out its responsibility. May we plant seeds of respect, honour and compassion and pray that God’s grace will bless those seeds until they grow and blossom into the reality of truth and reconciliation.

We can also show our support through art and poetry. On June 16th, Patricia Heinzman, former mayor of Squamish, British Columbia was our guest participant at the lectionary group study. Patty, as we fondly call her, wrote a powerful poem in response to a young First Nations man who wrote and performed a spoken-word poem during a Bright New Day Reconciliation Circle that Patty attended. Patty’s poem is a reminder of the ongoing struggle of the Indigenous peoples and one that opens our heart to respond. Let me share her poem with you:

Truth. Reconciliation.
Is more than an apology and deprecation,
a prayer to remove a stain upon our nation,
a shame rooted in colonial aspiration.
This failure of Christianity, of humanity,
our arrogance and vanity,
is Canada’s unfortunate profanity.
Our era without sanity.
With complete disregard and without considerations,
deference and dignity, and with near surgical ablations,
we systematically cut the First Nations,
demoralized generations,
destroyed languages and cultures to the quick, realpolitik.
So it’s time to be introspective.
Not just to remember our history selective.
150 years we’ve been in denial
of this bias we must reconcile.
The art of the possible is what I choose,
It’s harmony that we should collectively infuse
to rectify this system of abuse.
A country’s consciousness to transfuse.
With prisms new and a sense of hope,
positive reflections viewed through a common kaleidoscope,
evolving patterns, transparent, rotating perspectives
engender a uniquely Canadian antidote.
We’re birds of a feather,
in the same canoe pulling together.
After all, humanism is Canada’s shared endeavour,
everyone’s welfare our promotion, our devotion…whatsoever
C’est notre raison d’être, it’s in our DNA.
And it’s why we’re here to celebrate Indigenous Day
We all need to hear what our first peoples have to say to usher in a bright new day. O’siem.

And finally, dear friends, let us offer our support through words of encouragement and inspiration. Let me offer this blessing of peace written by Jan Richardson to our indigenous brothers and sisters as we journey with them in their continuing struggle for truth and reconciliation:

I cannot claim/ to still the storm/ that has seized you, cannot calm/ the waves that wash through your soul, that break against your fierce and aching heart. But I will wade into these waters/ will stand with you in this storm, will say peace to you / in the waves, peace to you / in the winds, peace to you / in every moment that finds you still within the storm. In the name of the Great Spirit, Amen.

[1] St. Anne's Residential School: One survivor's story by Karina Roman, CBC News Posted: Dec 18, 2013.

[2] Sharon Salzberg, “Choosing Faith over Fear”, O Magazine, January 2002.

Moment of Remembrance: Esther Stewart (on recordings only)

The Great Spirit Prayer[3]: Lorrie Lowes, DM

Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes
ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made
and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand
the things you have taught my people.
Help me to remain calm and strong
in the face of all that comes towards me.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
Help me seek pure thoughts and act
with the intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother or my sister.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you without shame.

[3] Author unknown.

This is our prayer in the name of the Risen Christ who taught us the way to restorative justice through the Lord’s Prayer written for the First Nations People.

Great Spirit, whose long house is in the sky,
whose hunting ground is the earth,
mighty and fearful are you called,
Ruler over storm, over human, bird and beast,
over earthway, over skyway;
Find us this day our meat and bread,
that we may be strong and brave.
Put aside from us our wicked ways,
as we put aside bad works of them who wrong us.
Let us not be led into troubled roads
but keep us from all evil.
For yours is all that is: the earth, the sky, streams and hills,
the stars, the moon, the sun,
and all that live and breathe the wonderful shining mighty,
mighty Spirit. Amen

Invitation to Offer: Rev. Kim Vidal

I now invite you to offer your gifts of time, talents and resources as expressions of our gratitude to God’s blessings. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the slot by the kitchen door of the church or mail them to BCUC. You can also send in your support through e-transfer. Thank you for your continued love and support to BCUC.

* Offertory Prayer (together)

God, who is like a providing father to us, we give you thanks for your love and presence in our lives. With these gifts we now offer, help us to bring new life to our homes, to heal and to be healers in our families and in our communities. Amen.

Sending Forth: (by Lee Claus, Francis Sandy Theological Centre, 2008) Rev. Kim Vidal

Return now to the circle of Life, knowing,
That the love of Creator God is with us,
The compassion of Jesus inspires us,
The hope of the Holy Spirit comforts us.
May everyone we meet, know of our praise
of God’s name, by the singing and dancing
of our hands, heart, and feet! Amen.

*Hymn: My Love Colours Outside the Lines More Voices #138

1. My love colours outside the lines,
exploring paths that few could ever find;
and takes me into places where I’ve never been before,
and opens doors to worlds outside the lines.

2. My Lord colours outside the lines,
turns wounds to blessings, water into wine;
and takes me into places where I’ve never been before
and opens doors to worlds outside the lines.

We’ll never walk on water if we’re not prepared to drown,
body and soul need a soaking from time to time.
And we’ll never move the grave-stones if we’re not prepared to die,
and realize there are worlds outside the lines.

3, 4 My soul longs to colour outside the lines
tear back the curtains, sun, come in and shine;
I want to walk beyond the boundaries where I’ve never been before,
throw open doors to worlds outside the lines

Extinguishing the Candles to the Four Directions: Lorrie Lowes, DM

1: All good things come from the East The freshening wind brings warm rain and sunshine. Each day guide us to see you in everything we do, everyone we meet. Be kind in your blessings, Lord.

2: The warming south winds bring new growth, gentle rain, healing sunshine. Bless us with enough food and the good things from the earth. As we eat nourishing food help us to know you as the giver of all good gifts, Lord.

3: The sun sets in the West giving us glorious colors in our life. Night can sometimes be scary. The darkness can also mean calming, healing sleep. May good dreams and deep sleep cleanse us from all that is bad or evil. Renew and refresh us, O Lord.

4: North winds sometimes bring stormy weather and snow. Let your warmth in our coldness wrap us as with a blanket of love to keep away all that hurts. May all our people have warm houses and full tables against winter’s chill, Lord.

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

Sunday Worship Service - June 21, 2020