Hi Rural Folks Across Canada!
This is our third monthly eNews, which shares more information of rural ministry initiatives across Canada, mostly in the United Church of Canada.

Welcome to our new subscribers.

Past eNewsletters are archived at www.UCRMN.ca

Have a rural story you would like to share? You are welcome to submit your story to Connor at editor@UCRMN.net . Please try to keep articles 300 to 500 words. 

Catherine Christie, Eric Skillings, Donna Mann, Felicia Urbanski and Shelley Roberts

Welcome to Connor!

We have hired Connor Jay to be our "Animator". Connor is a seminary student at Martin Luther University College in Waterloo, ON. Connor grew up in rural Prince Edward Island.

Welcome Connor!



Connor is working on getting the website looking great, and including the workshop summaries. Connor will be editing the ENews.

You can contact Connor at office@UCRMN.ca

Please send Connor your articles for the ENews at editor@UCRMN.ca
 

        "Grief" - The Next Online Workshop!

                   Register now at www.UCRMN.ca

 Date: Tuesday October 20, 2020 at 11 am EDT (Toronto Time)
                Place: by Zoom               Cost: $10
 
Some thoughts about grief:

- Grief can be the price to pay for love.

- Grief is having no one or nowhere to place my love.

- Grief is a natural response to loss.

This Rural Café workshop will be facilitated by author Donna Mann, who writes a blog at https://grieveandgrow.blog. 

FYI: (There is not the intention to host monthly workshops, but the Planning Team from the Workshop, "Coming Together While Apart" felt a sense of grief among the participants, and felt we needed to address this, "sooner than later".)
                 
                  Register now at www.UCRMN.ca

                   Please note: There is a $10 cost for this workshop.

Some Troubling Rural Reflections On Technology

   As a semi-technical person, I tend to try to stay somewhat informed about the technology that surrounds us in our modern world. Yes, each morning I fire up my ThinkPad and seek out the “tech” pages for information. Thus, “Mobilesyrup”, “The Verge” (technical page), “Neowin” (Microsoft’s tech page), and a number of ‘Linux” (operating systems) pages are part of my daily digital diet. I am continually amazed at the innovation happening. It was truly fortunate for us, as communities of faith, to have this technology at our fingertips during the Covid 19 crisis. We were quickly able to pivot from our usual “in person” worship and meetings to a number of video conferencing platforms. Thus, we were able to upload services to "YouTube", or live stream them on "Facebook Live" with nothing more than a modern smartphone. It is all so easy, so convenient.

   However, there is a negative side to this technology that I do not think that we have examined, or reflected upon enough, especially theologically. Romans 7:19 comes to mind, namely, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do,” (NRSV).

   Over a year ago I read Jaron Lanier’s book, “Ten Arguments To Delete Your Facebook Account Now”, and it explores much of the background story of many technology industries' methods of tracking, shadow profiling, Artificial Intelligence logarithms, and facial recognition software used to sell products and services to the viewers through third party advertisers.  This fact in itself may appear innocuous, as the “advertising model” has been with us historically through newspapers, radio and television for generations.  Yet, something is different now, according to Jaron Lanier.

   With the new technology we are being examined continually, and he proposed that we are being manipulated and changed by that scrutiny.  So, although there are many positive benefits coming from the new technology, like faster communication, a larger sense of community, etc., from which we, as communities of faith, have now benefited, there are also some extremely negative outcomes as well.  

   Lanier mentions a number of social problems such as isolation, increased sense of tribalism, anxiety, stress, low self esteem, cyberbullying, and perhaps his biggest effect, a false sense of reality. Therefore, he recommends deleting your social media accounts as an act of defiance to change the “business model” of the internet.

   Now, I must confess that his arguments resonate with me, and like Jaron, I am not a Luddite. My computers have used open source software since 2010. Yes, operating systems like “Ubuntu” or “Linux Mint” instead of “Windows”, “Jitsi Meet” instead of “Zoom”, “Chromium” or “Mozilla Firefox” instead of “Google Chrome”, “LibriOffice” instead of “Microsoft Office”, and “Gimp” instead of “Photoshop” are staples now. The best part about these Open Source programs is that they are free, and as I am familiar with the financial stress faced by many rural communities of faith, free is good for our rural budgets. Still, free may not be such a “good” in regards to the “free” service of something like “Facebook Live” or “YouTube”. Indeed, ethically, we could be complicit in the negative results of them by our use of them. These platforms track, analyze, and suggest content to our viewers with the sole purpose of keeping their attention engaged, so that their “advertising business model” can be more effective. Yes, we might appear to be unconsciously participating in and aiding a model that could result in the increased addictive behaviour of our viewers, or exploiting the psychological frailties of each of us. 

   Let us be honest here. Do we not smile with approval when we see that the number of views of our last service or post have grown significantly during our Covid 19 lockdowns? Well, so too are the companies that provide these “free” platforms. It means more advertising dollars to them, as they have the statistics to show advertisers the potential “reach” they can get for their products and services. Jaron Lanier has said that the present system is similar to the time when we had lead based paint. It is not that we need to stop painting. We just need a new standard that is lead free.

   In conclusion, I hope that this brief article has stimulated reflection. It would be helpful to gather and discuss a number of viewpoints. Perhaps a video conference or other gathering could provide helpful suggestions to something more than “best practices” on dealing with our use of the social media in its present state. Maybe, something as an alternative model, even if it is subscription based, because “free" is not truly free in social media presently. We just might come upon something that might be free from some of the negative consequences of the present situation.

Blessings, Rev. Martin Dawson (retired) - Cornwall, PEI

                        Lost

Did you know that Saskatchewan planted 11.1 million acres of Canola in 2020? On our recent visit to our isolated family near Unity, Saskatchewan, we past field after field of yellow canola stretched out as far as the eye could see. Canola grows to a good height, not as high as corn sometimes grows in Ontario, but high enough to lose a small child who can't see over it. When we were visiting our six grandchildren, in mid July, they often played in a canola field near their home. One afternoon as they played our three year old grandson, Jack, got turned around and couldn't see or find his sisters and brothers. He cried out, "Help, I'm lost." His mother, ever present, shouted back, "Raise your hands Jack and we will come to you." He did and he was rescued.  

Some of us have felt "lost" this year, at least there have been times when I have felt that way. It is not a pleasant feeling. One of the ways we can deal with that feeling is by turning to God in prayer and worship. And when worshiping God, especially in the privacy of our homes, don't be afraid to raise your hands. When people raise their hands during worship at home or church, whether they know it or not, they are admitting that they are weak and without any power aside from the power they receive through the Holy Spirit. They're praising God by physically and publicly demonstrating to God that they want to be seen and rescued. It is not a bad practice. Any good mother seeing a child's raised hands goes in search of him or her, wouldn't God do at least that, if not much, much more for any one of us?

           Antidote for Prejudice
                                                 by Joyce Sasse

          Prejudice causes pain for everyone.  First Nations People know that.  Women know that.  So do so many others – both individuals who feel the pain caused by words and actions, and individuals whose words and actions cause the pain.

          But there is an “Antidote for Prejudice”.  The antidote for treating prejudiced ways of feeling the pain and also for unconsciously inflicting pain lies in broadening the spiritual ways we think of ourselves and each other.  What all of us need is help in visioning the bigger picture.

          In a sense, many of us who think about God often recognize the fact that the breadth of Godly understanding is bigger than any one can begin to comprehend.

          Imagine ourselves to be blind people who are “seeing” an elephant for the first time.  Some of us, along with our family / friends, may touch the elephant’s ear - so we feel we have a sense of what the elephant is like.  Others brush against a leg … or smell the elephant’s droppings.  If our little group examined the tail, we may talk with the group who described the trunk … Conversations take place.  Each contributes and recognizes the elephant is really far bigger than we ever imagined.

          That conversation would help us to push away the belief that there is only one correct way to think … Our knowledge about the elephant broadens our perspective.

          In a small way the elephant image helps me think about spiritual things, about recognizing the much bigger picture that is involved.  I am always keen to know more.  God’s gift is to help me push my limited “blindness”, listen for what others have experienced, and feel the excitement of trying to answer additional questions that come to mind.

          It is possible for us to stop putting limits on who we are and what we think.  Changes are constantly happening all around us.  Do we feel afraid … or hopeful?  Do prejudices limit how we think and act, or can we enjoy the possibilities?  We do have great capacity when we think spiritually!

          At the moment I’m especially thinking about my friends whose lives are centred around our “oil-patch economy”.  As changes come in the world and to the world, our carbon centred ecosphere is undergoing drastic changes.  What happens to the thinking, the economy, the attitudes and understandings of the people in the carbon-centered world?  How many prejudices affect our ways of thinking?  Are there any antidotes?  Are we able to give thanks for what has been … and not be afraid of anticipating NEW tomorrows?  Where does Our Help come from?

    Want to do your own Online Workshop?

               
** You supply the topic and the leadership
** UCRMN will supply the logistics, such as; advertising in our monthly ENews, Registration, Zoom platform and all the administration needed for a successful workshop.
 
    Email Connor at office@UCRMN.ca to talk about possibilities.


        Why a cost for the workshops?

UCRMN has been granted $5,000 from EDGE to set up the Network. One of the goals is to make UCRMN self sufficient. The token costs will help with accountability. We are not expecting the $10 cost to cover actual expenses.

We are open to any ideas how we can make UCRMN self sufficient: Please Email info@UCRMN.ca with suggestions.
 

Report on Our First Set of Workshops

                  By Catherine Christie on Wednesday September 23, 2020

Twenty some participants from across the country gathered to tell stories of challenges and opportunities during this time of the Covid cloud.

After welcome to participants, worship was presented based on the Transfiguration comment, “Let’s build 3 booths here”. Donna Mann reflected, it feels good to sit with friends with whom we have prayed and worked as we experience the glory of God.  It is tempting to exercise control when things make us uneasy, but we cannot get stuck in the old, no matter how attractive – our community has changed in these months we have been through.

Then Dr. Marvin Anderson led in a process called Rural Café, a group of 4 sharing responses to questions (which today were on the challenges and opportunities we have experienced).  Stories were told of the steep learning curve of learning to operate technology for worship, study, meetings and fellowship; dislocation coming from not being able to mingle with congregational members (what is a minister without a community?); anxieties over congregational finances; loneliness and fear at not being able to see family; disruption of studies; new ways discovered of doing outreach and being community.

We made two rounds of Rural Café, the first chosen at random from across the country, the second more geographically based to be more with neighbours.

Marvin finished with a reflection on what had been raised through our workshop.  In times of tragedy, he said, we are usually urged to come together to support one another, but this time is different and enforced distance is very unsettling.  The church is about community, looking out for one another, and so our call now is to find ways to help community and mission thrive even with the reality of social distancing.  Perhaps we will learn to see ‘church building’ not as a noun, but as a verb, ‘building church’.

Thanks to all who came and shared so richly.  A second workshop is being offered based on demand (see below).

                         By Eric Skillings - Tuesday September 29, 2020

Fifteen participants - mostly lay folks, gathered from across the country to share their stories of challenges and opportunities with COVID-19

We started with the Opening Worship from Donna Mann. Marvin lead us into the Rural Cafe Break Out Rooms to discuss the questions. Although some of the responses were the same, the focus was on; returning to church with unclear guidelines, and with folks who do not want to follow the protocols, and missing the music and fundraisers. Some churches are closing or just hibernating.

Some of these lay folks were in charge of getting worship resources and they recorded some, which we can find on YouTube. One recording is of her two sons doing "The Lord of the Dance" for the Easter Service. Fantastic!

We talked about how French Congregants can Zoom in a French Church Service versus driving distances to get to a French Church. Also we shared about New Age folks checking out Christianity because they won't be judged when joining electronically. There are opportunities to share with others our services and resources - "We do not need to do it all".

People are decluttering their homes and have creatively held yard sales on the front lawn of the church - or a market garden.

Marvin shared again the idea of using the verb of "building church". He shared how much we are missing the relationships that we value in our churches. We are dragging our Churches into the 21st Century, by necessity, and we are learning from our younger generation. We are all ministers, both lay and clergy. "Live and Walk the Talk" to foster our faith to the younger generation. Look to and listen to, those stories - Biblical or the hardship stories of our ancestors, to gain strength from the stories. We are the ones to bring the Kingdom of God among us.

Very good conversations that help to spark that, "We Are Not Alone". Thanks be to God.

                             
                                                - by Joyce Sasse

(It may take quite a while for a person to find real purpose for their life, but never give up.  Dreams can bring healing!)

          Pioneer artist Annora Brown faced a lot of ups and downs during the first 25 years of her life. 

          Two of her sisters had died by the time she was 5 years old, and her own health crashed so it was years before she could walk without wobbling.

          She had a good ear for music, and would have enjoyed school classes if her teachers hadn’t insisted she always do things their way. 

          Although “of an age”, she had little interest in getting married and raising children.  But several Fort Macleod villagers kept suggesting she just needed to meet someone who understood what “Back East” or “The Old Country” was all about.  On the other hand, her mother taught her to be content with where she was planted.

          She thought maybe she could be a good school teacher, but the rules set out by the School Board members and the Principal were stifling.  The children who joined her private art lessons enjoyed learning how to be young artists.  They were encouraged to express themselves, and they appreciated the way she helped them share their art displays with the community.

          Annora, who was shy and introverted, loved learning about the lessons taught by nature and listening to the music played by the wind and clouds.  She very much enjoyed the landscape she observed from the roof of her home, and was always curious to learn what she could about the Native people who lived near her community.

          She visited an Aunt in Toronto when she was 25 years old.  That Aunt told her about possibly attending classes at the Ontario College of Art.  She later confessed that OCA was “where her real life began”.  The mentors and activities associated with the School sparked her creativity and taught her many skills.  She graduated with Honours.

          After Annora graduated, fate once again interfered.  She had signed a contract with Mount Royal College (Calgary) to help develop their Art Program.  But within a year she was called back home to Fort Macleod.  Her invalid Mother and exhausted Father needed her to be their nurse and caregiver and manage the finances they didn’t have. And it was 1930!

          However, despite all her set-backs, Annora’s spirit started to blossom.  The important thing was that she now knew she was an artist.  Where better to work than in her own home-place – in the natural landscape she so loved?  She would find a way?  She did find her way – based in Fort Macleod, she became one of the Province of Alberta’s first financially self-sustaining artists.

          Given moments of respite from her nursing tasks, sketchbook at the ready, her hands had known what to do with pencil and colour.  Practise and resilience compelled her to keep learning.  Time brought healing.  She had found purpose and she felt compelled to use her gifts to the fullest.  We are only now beginning to realize how prolific she was in so many endeavors!

          Reflecting on Annora’s spiritual journey can encourage an awareness of healing in each of us.  She showed how we can turn from doubt and despair … to hope and promise. 

          As we proceed through the current Covid-19 experience, if we dare to develop our dreams, we too can experience healing.  The Spirit of the Lord is in our midst!

(Look for stories of her life, her work and her legacy at www.annorabrown.ca )

                   The Veggie Burger Church

An interesting article by Michael Gulker. 

Michael envisioned an online church to be something like a veggie burger; “There are good veggie burgers out there, maybe even some better than a hamburger. But a veggie burger is not a hamburger. And if you order one and get the other, you will be disappointed. 

Michael suggests that we may be trying to make services “taste” just like in-person worship, but that online services are simply different. Let us embrace the positives. 

Here are some positives of the “new normal” of “veggie burger church:

1. We have simplified our order of services.
2. We cannot do many of those church activities – and I doesn’t seem like they are missed. 
3. Churches have had to embrace technology, and we are reaching a younger generation, that is much more comfortable with online learning, who are receiving messages of peace and hope. 
4. Families are worshipping together – not sending the kids out to Sunday School.

So, if you are feeling a bit tired of worship not as we are used to it - its not all bad, but it is different!

For the full article see: https://colossianforum.org/2020/05/07/the-veggie-burger-church/ 

Contributed by Eric Skillings