Empire and First Nations
June 21st marks First Nations Day of Prayer in North America. Gretta Vosper considers our relationship with First Nations peoples in the context of “empire.” Empire is a notion that ecumenical bodies like WARC (World Alliance of Reformed Churches), and the United Church of Canada, have considered in some depth. The movement to globalization includes imperial aspirations that work to move wealth and power into the hands of a privileged few at the expense of what might be termed the “underclass.” The story of First Nations people is one instance of Empire systematically dominating and impoverishing one such underclass. It is worth noting that Gretta’s daughter is Métis. Her own family illustrates that we live in an integrated world in which we cannot evade responsibility for our acts of oppression because, ultimately, the people we have oppressed become our own.
Gretta observes that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission “just isn’t working” and asks what it is that just isn’t working? Maybe that we don’t want to hear this stuff – we don’t want to own our complicity in the system of Empire. She calls us to “commit our hearts to truly feeling what it is like to be in relationship with these people.” We created this relationship. The only way we’re going to improve things is to work within the relationship.
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Our vision is growth
Gretta Vosper reflects upon the 5th and final section of Visionworks (2009), a draft statement of values which the West Hill United Church community will be deliberating upon at its annual congregational meeting on Thursday June 18, 2009.
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Our gatherings are dynamic
This week we consider the 4ththird section of the draft document, VisionWorks (2009), which is titled “Our gatherings are dynamic.” Dynamic is a problematic word because it involves change, always difficult in the context of church, especially church worship. Part way through her talk, she refers to a youtube video, Mrs. Beamish, about a woman in the Church of England who is resistant to anything out of the ordinary. Follow the link below to see what she’s talking about.
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