Newsletter # 19

CANADIAN RURAL CHURCH NETWORK

 

Index of the 19th CRCN Newsletter

 

RURAL ISSUES

●    Looking backwards - working forwards

●   Just Being There is Half the Job - a Discussion Paper

●   Wesley's 300th Birthday Celebrated in Rome

●   Stewardship in a Culture of Generosity

 

RURAL MINISTRY (life and faith)

●   Small Towns and Big Dreams

●   Unexpected Turns

 

WORSHIP RESOURCES

●   Come and Find the Quiet Centre

●   Instead of Discontent

●   Saddle Bag Ministry

●   Everyone Fights Some Kind of Battle

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

●   Hope for Villages in the Baltic Region (part 2)

 

 

RURAL ISSUES

 

Looking backwards - working forwards

 

            "The new year is traditionally a time when we look back at the year past and look ahead to the year just beginning...," Grant Robertson of the National Farmers Union-Ontario writes.

 

            "One of the trends that carried through 2007 and will no doubt unfortunately continue through 2008, unless government gets its act together, is the downward spiral of farm family income.

 

            "A trend that appears to be emerging is that the production of food and food itself is not simply the same as other commodities - that there is a social, economic and even a spiritual side to food and its value in our society."

 

            Reflecting on looking at farm income, Robertson writes that "the term naught comes to mind  - meaning both the number zero and nonexistent....  Net farm income broke the zero barrier and became negative in this decade ... Government has tinkered around with business risk management plans that are doomed to failure from their inception because of the design approach ... "; and they are unwilling to deal with the decades long failure of agricultural policy.

 

            With regard to food, "a growing number of eaters are realizing the connections between food, health, community, local economies and our environment ... "  He notes the deceptive practices hiding behind the "Product of Canada" labeling, and applauds those consumers who "realize that highly processed foods, raised to the lowest and cheapest standards might have costs beyond their immediate grocery bills".  They are beginning to realize "how important our farmers are and how farming must be financially viable if they are going to have the kind of food system they want."

 

            "This year I resolve to take control of my food system and do what I can so that the farmers I see in my community are able to make a living providing me with food."

 

(Notes from commentary received from the National Farmers Union - Ontario, written Dec 07)

 

 

Just Being There is Half the Job - a Discussion Paper

(Part 2 of Rural Clergy:  Professional Demands and Personal Lives by Muriel Mellow)

 

            This is the second of several articles that describe my research on the lives of rural clergy, published in Defining Work:  Gender, Professional Work, and the Case of Rural Clergy (2007, McGill-Queen's University Press).  Last month I described who was interviewed and the study's context.  This month I look at how the forty clergy who I interviewed tried to define for themselves when they were working and the challenges they faced in conveying that to congregations.

 

            United Church clergy do not have to give a detailed account to congregations for everything they do, but they do report in a general way to church boards, sessions, or Ministry and Personnel Committees.   It is easy to say that clergy are ordained to a ministry of "word, sacrament and pastoral care" but describing how these are realized in daily life is somewhat more difficult.  The components of word and sacrament are easiest to describe since these are largely (though not wholly) realized through leadership in ritual, worship and preaching.   The component of pastoral care is more difficult to pin down.   Even if clergy themselves have a sense of what they count as work, it is in describing this component of pastoral care to congregations where difficulties often arise.    

 

            The clergy who I interviewed identified four issues that they considered as they tried to define what constituted professional work. These included visibility, obligation, time, and context. 

 

Visibility

As one person put it, a large aspect of pastoral care involves clergy "just being there" (p. 61):  any way of being visible in communities and available to hear people's concerns constituted part of their work.   This made it difficult to designate specific activities as work.  Pastoral care occurred in diverse settings, such as attending a potluck dinner, participating in a curling, having coffee in the local restaurant, or picking up some groceries at the store.  Clergy described the importance of "intentional loitering" (p. 64) and the dilemma of accounting for this as part of their work.  Paradoxically, however, some of the most important aspects of clergy's work had to remain invisible to lay people because of the confidential nature of pastoral work (p. 101). 

 

Obligation

The obligation to perform in a professional role meant that activities, which appeared to be leisure to others, could easily end up feeling work-like for clergy-- especially if clergy were unexpectedly presented with a pastoral concern. The notion of obligation created some ironic situations.  For example, one woman talked about how she was invited to attend a legion event as a community member; after having bought a ticket to the event, she was then asked to say grace before the meal.  In effect, this minister was paying to be in a situation where she felt obligated to work.  Another individual described being invited to a person's home for what she thought would be a "friendly" dinner and relaxed socializing, but found herself in a situation where she was expected to listen to the hosts talk only about themselves (p. 117).

 

Time

The need to always be ready to function professionally made it difficult for clergy to say how much time they spent working.  One female minister described the challenge of discussing this with her Ministry and Personnel committee; even though the committee was supportive, this minister and her clergy husband felt awkward accounting for the extensiveness of their work time since it sounded "like we were wanting [the committee's] sympathy" (p. 95).  It is not surprising then that most clergy interviewed felt that time off was only realized by "escaping" or leaving the pastoral charge.  Clergy also tried to find inventive ways of signaling whether they were working to congregational members; one man answered the manse phone by using the name of the pastoral charge when he felt he was at work, but only said "hello" when he was trying to be "off duty." 

           

Context

Finally, context played a role in shaping how clergy defined certain things as work or as stressful work.   Bumping into a parishioner who wants to chat when picking up the mail may not seem arduous in a week with relatively few other demands.  But it may feel very much like work if it is sandwiched between planning a funeral with a grieving family, a hospital visit, and rushing to get to a committee meeting.   Individuals talked about the demands of "emotional switching" between situations where they had to move rapidly between empathizing with people in sorrowful and joyful situations (pp. 98 and 108).  The stress of emotional switching may be far more difficult to account for than even the number of hours spent working.    

 

            These four dynamics help to explain why the work of ministry can feel ubiquitous, crowding out private time, leisure, and volunteering.  For three quarters of my informants, any involvement with community organizations was an extension of their ministry, rather than volunteering, even if they were not asked to take on a leadership role.  Only ten of the forty participants stated that they did volunteer work in the community in addition to what they considered to be ministry. Just five individuals defined some of the things that they did within the church as volunteer activity. 

 

            As professionals, clergy have more discretion over how they do their work than most lay people; they can justify certain activities as professional work while others must define the same tasks as volunteering or leisure activities.  In addition, clergy recognize the emotional care-giving which is embedded in so many other activities as a central part of their work.  This is at odds with how the application of intellectual expertise defines the work of many other professions and with the physicality of farm and other types of rural work.  Historically, ministry was a masculine profession, but its focus was (and is) on a different kind of work than that done by other traditionally masculine occupations.  From a sociological perspective, the difference in discretionary power combined with the emotional element of the work may underlie some of the difficulty that clergy have in accounting for their work to lay people. 

 

(Notes written by Muriel Mellow, Department of Sociology, University of Lethbridge, Jan. 08)

 

Wesley's 300th Birthday Celebrated in Rome

 

            "Catholics, Anglicans and Methodists filled Rome's Basilica of St. Paul Out-side-the-Walls with some of the most famous hymns written by Charles Wesley at a service marking the 300th anniversary of the Methodist reformer's birth.

 

            "The songs, featured in hymnals across denominational lines, were the focal point of the Dec. 3/ 07 ecumenical evening prayer service in the Catholic basilica.

 

            "Rev. John Barrett, president of the World Methodist Council said, 'It was mind-blowing really' to celebrate Wesley and sing is hymns 'in Rome with an ecumenical gathering.'

 

            "'I think Charles Wesley would be thrilled.  He did not write these hymns just for Methodist people, but because they expressed Christian truths,' Barrett said.

 

            "Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, presided over the prayer service and told the congregation it was appropriate to celebrate the anniversary of Wesley's birth with his songs because it is 'through these hymns that Roman Catholics have come to know and appreciate' him.

 

            "Charles and his older brother, John, were Anglican minister who began the reform movement that eventually became the Methodist church.  While John's break with the Church of England was almost total, Charles continued to serve as an Anglican minister until his death.

 

            "The younger Wesley wrote some 6,000 hymns, including Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing, Christ the Lord Is Risen Today and Love Divine, All Love Excelling.

 

            "Kasper said the 'eloquent language and theological depth' of Wesley's hymns address the basic truths of Christian faith that Catholics and Methodists hold in common.

 

            "They speak of  'God's universal love made known in Jesus Christ, the call to scriptural holiness and renewal of life, the sacramental life of the church, Christian hope and the presence of the Holy Spirit,' the cardinal said ...."

 

(quoted from the Prairie Messenger, Dec. 12 / 07)

 

Stewardship in a Culture of Generosity

 

            Living from a stewardship identity within a culture of generosity is core to the mission of congregations of all sizes, no matter where they are located. Making this connection is especially important for small churches and those in rural communities.

 

            Faithfulness, not growth, is what we are called to as communities of Jesus' followers - to become faithful, healthy communities of good stewards who know who and whose we are. Nevertheless, financial concerns are often an undercurrent in the life of rural congregations, especially when they are small. When asked for help with funding challenges, as if a new program idea might resolve the situation, I ask what ongoing stewardship strategy is in place.

 

            A stewardship emphasis will be most effective within the context of established activities in the church. In relational small churches, the best opportunities for stewardship education - in addition to worship - are group activities where people interact, such as Bible study or discussion groups with fun, friendship, and food! Many texts offer opportunities to discuss the meaning of money, our relationship with it, and how our money choices both reflect and affect our relationship with God and others. Be vulnerable with each other about everyday personal and congregational money decisions. Caring discussions at Bible study or during devotions at a board or committee meeting open the way to new levels of trust. When meaningful conversations happen in a safe, beloved community, Sunday sermons on difficult texts are heard differently. Share your ideas through http://communities.united-church.ca/stewardshipnetwork .

 

(Notes written by Barbara Fullerton, Coordinator for Stewardship Development, United Church. Jan. / 08)

 

Editor's Notes on Thinking about Stewardship

●    "In the end, we conserve only what we love.  We love only what we understand.  We understand only what we are taught."  Baba Diuom, Senegalese Poet

●    I want to live responsibly so I never have to say "I wish I'd done more".

●    "A civilization flourishes when people plant trees under which they will never sit."  Greek Proverb

 

 

 

RURAL MINISTRY (Life and Faith)

 

Small Towns and Big Dreams

(written and sung by Paul Brandt)

 

I grew up in a small town,

Wheat fields for a downtown kind of place.

There was really not much around.

You blink and you miss it.

 

I never knew what life would bring,

But I always had big dreams ...

 

That's where I come from.

That's who I am:

Hard workin' and God blessed,

"Yes sir", "thank-you ma'am".

The best things around that I have ever seen

Came from small towns and big dreams ...

 

Been around the world.

Don't matter, anywhere I go,

Small town stars to city lights,

I find my kind of folks.

It's about you and who you are.

It's all a state of mind -

And as I'm giving you my heart,

I hope you find that's who I am.

Small towns and big dreams ...

 

Unexpected Turns

 

            Shortly after David Giuliano was elected Moderator of the United Church, the doctors informed him that he had cancer.  It was a staggering blow, both for David and the Church.

 

            But through the past year, as we accompanied him on his journey (through the generosity of his blogs and memos), we have a deeper understanding of the meaning of St. Paul's words "When I am weak, then I am strong".

 

            While recently giving an accountability report to the Church's governing Executive, he said this -

 

            "I had hoped, when elected Moderator, to use my strength, my cleverness, my energy, to serve God through our Church.  Instead, I got cancer.  Instead, God has been using not my strength but my weakness, not my power but my powerlessness.  What has stirred my heart and imagination, and that of our community it seems, has not been my vitality and excellence, but my brokenness.  It seems that the best I have offered over the past few months, what has most served our common body, has been my weakness and imperfection."

 

            Giuliano feels he hasn't accomplished very much in terms of deliverables, but he had wondered aloud whether his illness might be seen as a metaphor for a church that no longer enjoys strength, status and superiority within our culture.

 

            In the shadow of such weakness, with a deeper sense of humility, we are invited to look on the world through a new lens, and see how a living God helps us move in new directions.

 

            An old Sufi question asks "Is it a miracle when God does the will of the people?  Or is it a miracle when the people do the will of God?"

 

            In the stillness that surrounds our dark moments, is it then that we become more open to hearing the will of God?

(Written by Joyce Sasse, Jan. / 08)

 

 

WORSHIP RESOURCES

 

Come and Find the Quiet Centre

Come and find the quiet centre

in the crowded life we lead,

find the room for hope to enter,

find the frame where we are freed;

clear the chaos and the clutter,

clear our eyes that we can see

all the things that really matter,

be at peace, and simply be.

 

Silence is a friend who claims us,

cools the heat and slows the pace,

God it is who speaks and names us,

knows our being, face to face,

making space within our thinking,

lifting shades to show the sun,

raising courage when we're shrinking,

finding scope for faith begun.

 

In the Spirit let us travel,

open to each other's pain,

let our loves and fears unravel,

celebrate the space we gain;

there's a place for deepest dreaming,

there's a time for heart to care,

in the Spirit's lively scheming

there is always room to spare!

         - hymn written by Shirley Erena Murray