What happened during the Third Sederunt?

This sederunt started off dealing with some interesting issues although not necessarily earth shattering. The History Committee reminded us that we should be setting aside February 18th, 2018 as “Heritage Sunday”. I like this idea as it is becoming increasingly important in this rapid info/multiple facts world that we pause occasionally to consider and even honour those who have come before us — those who have enabled us to be where we are today. Too often these days it seems that we are either trying to re-write the past or apologizing for it. Possibly a Sunday where the entire service is spent reflecting through word, prayer and song about our world 100 years ago or so might just give us pause.

The Committee also mentioned that the current home of the Presbyterian Museum (St. John’s in Toronto) will soon close due to major renovations to that church. Therefore we are to begin looking for a new home. I’d recommend that it be anywhere but Toronto — perhaps in Kingston at St. Andrew’s or maybe in Ottawa at Knox or in a moment of radical whimsy I’d suggest St. Columba in Marshfield PEI or St. Andrew’s Penticton. Make it a destination for Presbyterians on their vacations. Make it a place where we can invest in a truly modern, yet comfortable place to view, study and enjoy our history as a community of faith. (Even First Regina or St. Andrew’s Saskatoon bears looking at, as does A&P in Montreal!!)

A neat thing this Committee did was to acknowledge the retirees from the church. This really should be ramped up a bit. Perhaps a DVD could be made each year that introduces all of us to those who are retiring. It could include pictures and commentary and maybe a brief interview that notes what they feel to be the three highlights of their time in the church. While a copy would go to the Museum, additional copies could be provided to each congregation to be shown at an event honouring their own retirees. It would help remind people who all has helped keep the church moving forward.

While there were many reports simply noted for individual readings (and there could have been even more treated in this way), there was a “briefing panel” that focused on Canadian Ministries. It was quite energetic and it is obvious that Barb Summers in Communications is committed to making the new newspaper Presbyterian Connections an effective replacement for the lamented end of The Record. Other issues included a request to set aside the last Sunday in September for Presbyerian Sharing. Again, a good idea. We occasionally need to be reminded that we are a missional faith. Where are we helping in the world? A great many places, often in partnership with the federal government or other organizations. This ensures that our small financial contributions become magnified and so are much more impactful than if we simply tried to do everything on our own.

An example of a local program started in Canada is the “Raw Carrot”. Here marginalized Canadians are hired and trained to prepare gourmet soups that are then sold to the public. Through a neat little video we were able to meet some of the people helped by this effort. The motto is more than appropriate: “changing lives one bowl at a time”. Again it shows that sometimes we can improve the world right outside our church without a huge expenditure of time and resources.

The issues surrounding “sexual orientation” was on the agenda but I am going to deal with it in another conversation. It was during this Sederunt that the Ted Johnson Award was given. It usually is given to a church member who has shown extraordinary leadership in some aspect of social/spiritual mission, often outside the mainstream of our church. This year the award went completely outside our church — Dr. Cindy Blackstock, a member of the Gitksan Nation and Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, is the recipient. You can watch the speech in its entirely I believe on the PCC website. It was powerful, concise, deserving of the standing ovation received. It also focused less on the victimization world and more on why we need to act.

The Presbyterian Record’s Chairman of the Board had the nerve to come to GA and ask for more money. Since no one has seen any financial statements since the Record closed, the request was properly curtailed.

The sederunt concluded with a prayer by an Egyptian Canadian who talked about the need for more love in the world. He told of how many in Egypt when confronted about their Christianity and ordered to recant or even deny their faith, instead chose death at the hands of the extremists. He then prayed in his own language. Although I didn’t understand the words, I certainly understood the feeling of the Holy Spirit in the room — am I as strong that I would accept death rather than recant?

g.w.