LIVING WATERS OF SASKATCHEWAN
Submitted by Annette Taylor
Saskatchewan is known as the "Land of Living Skies." I
have come to love and appreciate that endless expanse of
blue; but for me, water has become the true symbol of this
province.
I spent my internship in the Marengo Pastoral Charge
and lived in the village of Alsask. The summer had been dry
and hot, like several before it. When I arrived in the first
week of September, the harvest was already completed.
The fields were covered in yellow stubble, the grass was
brown, the sloughs were dry and even the caraganas had
been stripped clean by the grasshoppers. That winter I
used my snow shovel a total of three times and by
April the snow was gone and the dust had
started to fly. The farmers were worried
that there wasn't enough moisture in
the soil for the seeds to germinate.
On Mother's Day it snowed. It was
a dull, cold, wet day; but when I
entered the church I was greeted
with a congregation of smiling
faces. Hope had returned with
the melting snow.
When settlement brought me
back to Saskatchewan, I felt like
an old pro. I had this prairie
climate figured out. Before leaving
Ontario I gave away the dehumidifier
that had been in constant
use in my basement in Toronto. I
knew that Living Shamrock Pastoral
Charge was in the eastern half of the province
and that Wynyard was close to the Quill
Lakes, but how different could it be?
Of course, as you are all aware, this has been the "year
of the flood" in the Canadian prairie. My basement floor has
been soaked several times and a parishioner's dehumidifier
is on permanent loan to the manse. Many of the folks in my
congregation have spent the last couple of weeks sand bagging
their cabins on Fishing Lake, and several of the local
grid roads have been washed out by the spring run-off.
The fields are dotted with pools of water and yesterday it
rained again. The farmers are beginning to wonder if they
will be able to get seed in the ground this season.
These extremes in prairie weather have also been
reflected in my pastoral work. During my first year of settlement,
there have been times when the workload has begun
to rise like a "raging river" and I have also experienced the
"thirst for the living waters" that comes when spiritual energy
starts to run dry. I have to keep reminding myself that "no"
is not a four-letter word and that taking a day off to visit my
spiritual director is not "playing hooky."
Of course it is the people that make this work worthwhile,
and the members of the Living Shamrock Pastoral Charge
AN IRREGULAR NEWSLETTER FROM THE SASKATCHEWAN WOMEN IN MINISTRY COMMITTEE
MAY 2006
GRAPHIC BY MARGARET GAMBOLD (FROM COMMON CONCERN MARCH 1994)
SPIRITUAL REFLECTION
Submitted by Celia Ricker
For me, one of God's wondrous gifts to us is our young
people; and I truly celebrate the power within their energizing,
yet unpredictable, presence in our community. This
year, again, has highlighted their growing skills in the
areas of the arts, sciences, and sports.
My particular experience--CGIT, Sunday
School, Intergenerational worship—
has found inspiration within their creativity
and vitality in worship and their
unique understanding of the HOW's
of living God's Way.
I include the following poem
as evidence of this depth of spirituality
within a fifteen year old by
the name of Katie. She wrote this
for her best friend, as she struggled
through the death of her beloved
grandmother.
YOU CAN SHED TEARS THAT
SHE'S GONE.…OR YOU CAN SMILE
BECAUSE SHE HAS LIVED.
YOU CAN CLOSE YOUR EYES AND
PRAY THAT SHE'LL COME BACK…
…OR YOU CAN OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE
ALL SHE'S LEFT.
YOUR HEART CAN BE EMPTY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T
SEE HER…
…OR YOU CAN BE FULL OF THE LOVE YOU SHARED.
YOU CAN TURN YOUR BACK ON TOMORROW AND
LIVE YESTERDAY...
..OR YOU CAN BE HAPPY FOR TOMORROW BECAUSE
OF YESTERDAY.
YOU CAN REMEMBER HER AND ONLY THAT SHE'S
GONE…
…OR YOU CAN CHERISH HER MEMORY AND LET IT
LIVE ON.
YOU CAN CRY AND CLOSE YOUR MIND, BE EMPTY
AND TURN YOUR BACK…
….OR YOU CAN DO WHAT SHE'D WANT:
SMILE, OPEN YOUR EYES, LOVE AND GO ON.
already have me under their spell. I am even starting to
understand their attachment to this beautiful, but unpredictable
land. It is snowing this May morning; but the bright
tulips, and delicate bleeding hearts in my garden remind
me that spring has arrived and the Easter promise of new
life continues to be our source of hope.
BOOK REVIEWS
" Confronting the Demon: A Gospel
Response to Adult Bullying"
by Gerald A. Arbuckle, S.M., Ph. D.
In his dedication Gerald Arbuckle quotes St. Theresa of
Avila: "In the face of so much [violence] it's not possible for
us to sit with our hands folded." Arbuckle is determined to
speak out about the demonic behaviour of contemporary
adult bullying and the harm caused by it; to examine bullies,
their victims and the surrounding culture that facilitates
bullying, and then to hold up such behaviour to the light of
the Christian Gospel.
Having experienced adult bullying in a church setting, I
wish I had been pointed to this resource much earlier in
order to help me understand an issue that, I am discovering,
is rather widespread throughout our society including
the church . According to Arbuckle, bullying typically
"involves the abuse of power and provides satisfaction on
the part of its perpetrators when they compel victims to
submit to them. Further it causes intimidation that can
paralyse the lives and families of victims - and even destroy
them." As an act of violence, it is not restricted to
physical violence but more frequently is a psychological
attack on one's self-image and self-esteem. Bullies "seek
to dominate their victim(s) for their own gratification and
consequently destroy the victim's sense of self-worth."
Only as folk recognize and name adult bullying for the violence
that it is can they begin to develop "no bullying" policies
in their workplaces, homes, and churches.
Through this book I have also come to reflect on Jesus'
experience of bullying, and to see that bullying lies behind
many of the injustices we try to deal with in our church mission
work, although we may know it by other names or in
other guises. Arbuckle explores how various forms of
prejudice and discrimination can be understood to lie behind
bullying.
Arbuckle identifies some of the more common characteristics
of bullies, reminding readers that "challenging a bully
… can be a costly experience." His chapter on "cultures of
bullying" helps readers to see how the context in which the
bully and the victim are found can contribute to and perpetuate
the bullying behaviour: "…every act of bullying that
remains unchallenged in families, governments, businesses,
schools, and churches contributes to the development
of a wider and more oppressive culture of violence."
Those who surround the bully and the victim have an important
role to play in stopping the behaviour. Throughout
the book, Arbuckle brings the reader back to the truth that
"every human person is made in the image and likeness of
God" and that "every act of bullying is an assault on this
dignity and the God from whom it comes." The book pragmatically
ends with five principles for preventing bullying,
five practical ways victims may respond to bullying and five
practical ways non-victims may assist victims.
The language level of this book is comfortably readable,
and close-up examples are provided to help clarify or illustrate
key points. Each of the four chapters ends with a
summary and several questions, so the book makes a nice
group study resource. Talking and listening to one another
about this matter is key to confronting it. The more we can
learn about adult bullying, the more we can counter it and
make workplaces, homes and churches safer places. One
of the difficulties with discussing it at any level is that we
need to have the willingness to search within ourselves to
uncover any of our own behaviour that might be akin to bullying.
It is far easier to keep our heads in the sand and pretend
it doesn't happen. But many have experienced great
pain as a result of it, and I believe it needs to be dealt with in
an open and truthful manner if we are to move towards diminishing
its adverse effects. This book is a good resource
to help bring about that conversation.
ISBN 0-8146-3016-2: paperback, 152pp, published by
Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, 2003, $17.95
Reviewed by Sheila Lavender
"Dynamics of Small Town Ministry"
by Lawrence W. Farris
Every now and then I discover a book that I think would
make a great seminary textbook. "Dynamics of Small Town
Ministry" is such a book. It is very down-to-earth, and would
be a wonderful book to prepare for small town ministry or to
engage in with others already ministering in small towns.
Farris is a minister of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and
draws on his extensive experience ministering in small communities.
With easy-to-understand language, he takes the
reader through a discovery of small town factors
(geography, history, culture, and values) that shape the people
who live there. And then he covers ministering in the
small town - both the minister's role and that of the congre-
gation.
The book presents a balanced approach to the pros and
cons of small town life. In discussing the values distinct to
small towns, Farris writes: "What is striking about these values
is that each of them has a paradoxical quality. There is
for each one a counterpoint that is also definitive in shaping
the contemporary small town." And from his experience
Farris offers much insight: "…the suppression of conflict for
the sake of harmony means that skills needed to deal with
conflict [in a healthy way] may not be developed. Thus,
when a serious crisis hits a small town [or small town
church], skills and resources may be unavailable to respond
creatively and non-destructively."
Although not a lengthy book, it is one that causes the
reader to pause and reflect on her own experience of small
towns and on the role of being the minister in such a setting.
It was a truly great read!
ISBN 1-56699-228-1: paperback, 89pp, The Alban
Institute, 2000, $19.95
Reviewed by Sheila Lavender
"Life Abundant: Rethinking Theology and Economy for
a Planet in Peril"
By Sally McFague
A quick browse through this life-giving book gave me a
basic framework for Sally McFague's challenging, profound
and stimulating agenda: an interconnected reformation of
our ecological way of life for all creation. She focuses intensely
on how the magnificence and awesomeness of God
is "immanently expressed" (10) within her global vision of
the significant sharing of basic needs. For McFague, such a
sharing vision includes abundant and transforming changes
in the privileges within our North American level of comfort.
"We Christians must participate in the agenda the planet has
set before us—in public and prophetic ways—as our God,
who so loved the world, would have us do"(21). Think about
it! Reviewed by Celia Ricker
THINKING ABOUT A LOCAL GATHERING OF WIM?
Many women appreciate small local one-day gatherings as
times of support and refreshment. If you would like to plan
a gathering in your area, the Women in Ministry Committee
would be happy to work with you. Together, we can make
it happen!
WOMEN'S SPACE
It is amazing what a little creativity can do to transform a
hockey dressing room. Please plan to join other women at
the annual meeting of Saskatchewan Conference in
Women's Space, a place to relax and visit with other
women. Women's Space is located just to your left off the
foyer as you enter the conference facility. (This year's annual
meeting is being held in Preeceville, SK from May 26-
28—we hope to see you there!).
AN INVITATION TO ALL WOMEN IN MINISTRY...
Our annual Holy Days for Women in Ministry will be held
October 1-3 (beginning with the evening meal on Sunday
and ending with the noon meal on Tuesday) at Queen's
House in Saskatoon. The theme is "Come To The River"
and will be facilitated by Hazel Arbon and Elizabeth
Goodson. This will be a chance to immerse ourselves in
Living Water, exploring the depths of our relationship with
the Holy through silence, creativity and movement. Please
mark your calendars now, and watch for the registration
brochure coming to you by mail.
HELLOS AND GOODBYES
At this time of year, we welcome those women who are
new to ministry in Saskatchewan Conference, and say
farewell and God speed to those who have worked among
us and are now moving on to other places. We welcome
new ministers who have been settled here:
•
Linda Tomlinson, settled to La Fleche
•
Robin Sherman, settled to Crossroads in Good Spirit
Presbytery
We welcome the following interns and LPMiTs who are beginning
their work among us in SK:
•
Jane Jupe at Theodore-Springside Pastoral Charge
•
Wanda Bourse At Oliver Lodge and Mount Royal
Emmanuel United Church
We welcome the following ministers who have accepted
calls or appointments in SK:
•
Milo Spooner Craig, called to St. Andrew's in
Yorkton
•
Barbara Martin, called to Zion in Moose Jaw
•
Kathy Platt, called to Sunset in Regina
We say farewell to the following women who have been in
ministry among us:
•
Jeri Bjornson to Boissevain, MB
•
Shannon McCarthy to Brandon, MB
•
Jan Van Aertselaer to Virden, MB
•
Erin Klassen to Alberta and Northwest
•
Joan Rennie-Laing to Alberta and Northwest
•
Sandra Riddell to Maritimes
•
Carmen Lansdowne, returning to school in
Vancouver
•
Barbara Roberts returning to school in Vancouver
•
Margie Woods returning to school in Toronto
SOME PRE-SUMMER AND SUMMER
ENTERTAINMENT IN SASKATCHEWAN
•
Near Estevan---THE SOURIS VALLEY THEATRE in
Woodlawn Regional Park will feature two productions:
The Saturday Night Club by Bridget and Kate
Ryan---July 5-23; and A Closer Walk With Patsy
Cline by Dean Regan---July 26-August 13. For
more information and tickets call the box office at
(306) 634-0115 or
Henders Drugs in Estevan at (306) 634-3666.
•
Northeast of Big River—THE NESS CREEK MUSIC
FESTIVAL—July 13-16
•
Gravelbourg—SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN
SUMMER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL—June 30-July 2
•
Saskatoon—INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL---
August 3 to 13 with live theatre, music and family-
friendly kids shows
•
Moose Jaw—SASKATCHEWAN FESTIVAL OF
WORDS—July 20-23
Website info: www.culture.ca/festivals_sk-e.jsp
•
Yorkton Short Film Video Festival, May 25-28, 2006
http://www.yorktonshortfilm.org/main.htm
•
Regina Little Theater—June 7-10 "Table Manners"
by Allan Ayckbourn
•
Regina Summer Stage—July 13-22 "Anne of Green
Gables"
•
Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan—July 3-Aug13,
"The Taming of the Shrew "and "The Two Gentlemen
of Verona"
Do you know of events in your area that would be of
interest to women in ministry? If so, please let us
know and we will include them in the next WHIMS.
The committee members are:
Celia Ricker (convenor)
5012 Queen St.
REGINA SK S4S 6Z9
PH: 584-0833
Sheila McLeod
Box 1171
INDIAN HEAD SK S0G 2K0
PH: 695-3838
Annette Taylor
Box 279
WYNYARD SK S0A 4T0
PH: 554-2454
Pamela Thomas (staff)
418A McDonald St.
REGINA SK S4N 6E1
PH: 721-3311
LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS!
The Women In Ministry Committee is looking for new members.
If you are interested in joining us, or would like more
information, please feel free to contact any member of the
committee.
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