Footsteps

Christmas Eve, 2011

2011-12-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

the Advent wreath

The night was still and quiet, the lights in our little church shining out into the dark. One by one, cars pulled up, their tires crunching on the blanket of snow. Pretty soon the lot was full, and yet more people arrived.

Inside there wasn't much room left, either, as friends and families gathered together for this Christmas Eve service. Some came from this community, others came from afar, visiting relatives.

A buzz of excitement filled the sanctuary as people recognized and greeted each other. But that wasn't the only excitement there that night. It was also a sense of anticipation to hear the old story of the birth of Jesus Christ, to sing again the cherished carols, and to experience the warmth of this faith community - if only once a year.

Tenor soloist William Parker (right) and concert pianist Eugene Tchougounov (left) - with young admirer

Same as last year, we were fortunate enough to have two wonderful musicians adding their musical talents to our service: tenor William Parker and concert pianist Eugene Tchougounov. The three pieces of music they contributed were received enthusiastically!

Also, Jacomyn's recorder provided a beautiful accompaniment as it soared high over the familiar carols, together with Sharon's organ music.

And once all the candles had been lit, that magical moment came when the lights went out and "Silent Night, Holy Night" once again announced the birth of Jesus the Christ and peace on earth for all.

"Silent night, holy night..."

To repeat that night's blessing:
The Story has been told, the Baby is born.
Having heard the story and sung the songs,
we now go out to "share the good news,
which shall be for all people." Amen!

Merry Christmas to all!

2011 Christmas Tea and Bazar

2011-12-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

It was a perfect day for a Christmas Tea: a sunny blue sky over a crispy white blanket of freshly fallen snow. And inside Kakabeka Central United church: the hustle and bustle and excitement of dozens of people enjoying delectable home baking, tea (and coffee) that just kept flowing, and tables full of home made gifts, baking, knitting and crafts.

It was one of our most succesful Christmas Teas in years, thanks to not only the weather but also the many hard working volunteers, the local business support we received for our raffle prizes, and the local community itself. Folks just kept coming in until the very last drop was poured and the bake table sold out.

Old friendships were renewed, new friendships were forged. Stories exchanged, laughter shared and everyone went home satisfied.

The annual Christmas Tea is one of the bigger events for most country churches like ours. Sure, it helps raise some money for the coffers, but more importantly: this sharing of food, laughter and stories is a wonderful opportunity for community building.

Thank you everyone for your support that made it the success it was! More events will follow in January and February, so check back often for details!

Christmas Tea Nov 20

2011-11-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

We will have our Christmas Tea Sunday Nov 20 after noon,

12:00 - 2:30 pm.

Every one is welcome. Always fun to have a cup of tea, taste the goodies have a good chat and a browse through our white elephant tables. We are located on Clergue St. in Kakabeka Falls. See you there!

Adults $4.00 - Children under 8 - $2.00

Craft/Bake/White Elephant tables

Presbytery Is Fun...?

2011-10-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

Twice a year our church is part of what's called Presbytery Meetings: 28 congregations in the Cambrian region coming together to meet, think, discuss, decide and worship for 3 days. It's always a full agenda and always at a different church in this vast region (the size of Spain - except not nearly the population).

This year it was in Emo-Devlin, near Ontario's West border (a 5-hour drive from here). Usually Dayle is the person who represents us, but this time around we had a larger delegation with Jacomyn and Hubert joining as visitors.

Dayle has been our delegate for over 15 years now, a real dyed-in-the wool Presbytery rep who has seen and heard it all. Hubert and Jacomyn are relatively new to the process; Hubert had to be there to be confirmed as candidate for ministry, so he'll be back lots.

Don't think Presbytery is nothing but 3 days of talking and paperwork, though. There's meaningful worship, great presentations, good food - and lots of laughter and music. And who knew: Dayle plays not only the piano, but a mean bongo, too!

It's a wonderful opportunity to hear about other congregations, new things and technology to try out, meeting new people and making new friends - and returning home energized and inspired.

Thank you Dayle, for your commitment to this ministry and for sharing it with our congregation. May you be playing many a bongo at future meetings!

Show Time

2011-08-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week for our Central United church, even though technically we're on our 3-week summer break and not due to be back in full swing until September 4th!

On the 17th we were present at the first Rural Health Fair, together with 66 other organizations that in some shape or form are involved in physical and mental well-being. Obviously we were there for the mental well-being part, together with 2 or 3 other rural churches in the area.

It was good to see there's still interest in a faith community like ours. And it was such a treat to hear the stories of a few folks with old ties to our little church. Central Kakabeka has a long history with our rural community, with still strong ties to many people here.

Then this weekend the annual Kakabeka Street Fair came along again. We always have a booth there with a rummage sale and an ever-popular bake table full of delectables. Even though this is more of a fund raiser, it's good to have our name out and answer any questions people may have about us.

Both occasions were energizing and a lot of fun. If you weren't able to make it out to one of them: hope to see you next year!

(Re-)Baptised By Immersion

2011-08-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

It's always one of the year's highlights: the pool party at Nancy and Rolf's. We start the morning off with an informal service around the pool outside, after which the BBQ and the sauna get fired up, and wonderful pot-luck food seems to appear out of nowhere, together with bathing suits and trunks.

The location is just perfect for this annual event, and somehow we always have a hot, sunny day for it. A big thank-you to Rolf and Nancy for having us again and for sharing their wonderful home, pool and sauna with us! Also a thank-you to all who brought scrumptious food - there even was a separate table for dessert alone (for some of us an inkling of what heaven can be like...)!

Our congregation is now taking a few weeks off for the summer, we'll be back in church September 4. See you then!

Summer in the Park

2011-07-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since our last entry, reporting on a chilly Easter Sunrise service late last April. Summer's here now, though, and with a vengeance it seems. It's too hot to do anything other than trying to keep cool. Stay in the shade, go to a beach, eat ice cream.

Some of the folks attending, as seen from the "pulpit"

Still, the heat didn't deter about 25 brave folks to come out to our annual Worship in the Park service. The park being Kakabeka Provincial Park, the location being the amphitheatre behind the information kiosk.
Fortunately there were enough hats, caps, umbrellas and parasols to go around to fight the heat, and wonderful refreshing cold drinks after the service.

Keeping cool in the shade afterward

As usual, the service was informal, fun and interactive, with everyone fully absorbed by the morning's special story as shared by Hubert. After the service we shared our goodies with the visitors who had come out to join us, and, as they say, a good time was had by all.

our mobile organist Dayle

A big thank-you goes out to the park staff's wonderful hospitality for not only hosting this event, but also providing us with a good sound system and tables. Hoping to be there next year again!

He Is Risen!

2011-04-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Some 24 hardy souls braved the early morning sub-zero temperatures for our annual Easter Sunrise Service at the Kakabeka Falls. Still, we've had much worse, and even though the previous day dumped about 12cm of snow on us, most of the white stuff has gone.
We were joined by a just as hardy bunch from Pinegrove United Church, our friends at the neighbouring congregation.

Gathering at the Fals

After this meaningful worship, a light breakfast and good fellowship was awaiting us in the warm church basement, giving us plenty of time to chat, laugh and eat before the start of the 10:00 Easter Service.

Wait, where are the Knights of the Round Table...?

After the 40 days of Lent's time of shadows we celebrated the start of Easter brightness, the 50 days of hope, joy and a risen Lord Jesus. As one of our hymns put it this morning: "Hell today is vanquished, heaven is won today!"

Chili & Stew Food for the Soul

2011-03-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

To coin a phrase: cook it and they will come! Friday night we hosted our annual big Chili & Stew fundraising dinner again, and around 80 people came out to enjoy some delicious and hearty home cooking - not to mention the delectable deserts.

A steady stream of old friends, new faces, young kids and folks young at heart filled pretty much all of the available tables and chairs. The church basement was abuzz with their chatting, laughter and clatter of cutlery.

The energy was contagious. And energy we needed! Not just for the cooking and serving, but at least as much for doing all those dishes and cleaning up afterward!

So here's a big thank-you to all who made it possible and for making the success it was. Thank you, we couldn't have done it without you - and it wouldn't be nearly as much fun!

A Big and Busy Weekend

2011-03-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was the semi-annual meeting of our Cambrian Presbytery, hosted this time by our neighbouring congregation Pinegrove United Church and ourselves. Most of the activities were planned for the larger and better accessible Pinegrove sanctuary, while we hosted the entertainment Saturday night.

Pinegrove UC

On the program were the wonderful Kam Valley Fiddler and the possibly even wonderfuller (national fiddler champion) Pierre Shreyer. The night was a resounding success, thanks to the many wonderfully talented and energetic players and the indefatigable hosting, cooking and baking (and cleaning-up afterwards!) of many a church volunteer.

Central Kakabeka also helped out in feeding the many delegates with some excellent home cooking/baking over the course of the weekend, while Jacomyn chaperoned the large youth group present there and Hubert led the Saturday morning worship together with rev. Susan Ivany.

Heritage Designation presentation

Icing on the Kakabeka cake was the Friday morning presentation of the Heritage Designation Certificates to congregations that have been functioning for a century or longer (see also the Dec. 6 entry). We are honoured to be part of that select group and will proudly hang the certificate on our wall!

It is good to be part of the larger faith community around us and be recognized for our small yet valuable role in it.

Good Tidings

2010-12-25T09:46:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Eve 7:00 pm and our little church is filled with familiar faces and some not so familiar ones. The service has a nice, meditative feeling, with appropriate scripture readings and lots of music instead of the traditional sermon.

A delightful addition to the service were guest soloist tenor William Parker and guest accompanist, pianist Evgueni Tchougounov. They provided 3 pieces of selected music that made everone everyone listen up, including the kids who applauded enthousiastically.

Tenor William Parker (right) and accompanist, pianist Evgueni Tchougounov (left)

As usual, candles were handed out, which were lit from the Christ Candle near the end of the service. It was followed by the carol "Silent Night" sung by candlelight, offering a sense of quietude and contemplation, an opportunity to ask ourselves the reasons we still celebrate Christmas...

Outside a snow-covered world awaited us, with all of its pressures and hustle & bustle, telling us Christmas is about buying stuff and even more stuff. Let's hope we begin to understand that in Christ's world other priorities rule; not just for Christmas Eve, but every day (and eve) of the year.

Merry Christmas.

Making History!

2010-12-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

A pleasant surprise arrived in the church's In Box last week: Central United Church has been given the nod as a "Heritage Congregation"! A few last details have to be taken care of, and once that's done an official certificate will be issued honouring this congregation's history that reaches back for over a hundred years now.

Central United Church as it looked in 1951

A Heritage Congregation Certificate gets issued to any congregation that has existed as a faith community for at least 100 years, not pertaining to the historical designation of any church building. Central United is one of 16 such congregations in Cambrian Presbytery ("Presbytery" is the next level up of United Church governance, in our case covering a region larger than Spain and Portugal combined!).

It's extremely gratifying and humbling to realize this congregation has been around for so long - almost right from the first settlers and homesteaders in the Kakabeka area. Not many congregations have that long a history; we're proud to continue the work our forefathers (and foremothers!) have started over a century ago.

2010 Advent and Christmas Tea & Bazaar

2010-11-28T12:34:00.000-08:00

Today is the first week of Advent, the beginning of a new church year, as our newly decorated santuary windows tell us. Thank you Jackie, Melanie and Mary-Ellen for bringing your gifts of creativity and making the windows as beautiful as they are. These small pictures don't do them right, you'd have to see them "live".
The Christmas tree is up and decorated, too, the banners reflect the new church year and time of advent, as well as the Christmas wreath.

Today was also the day of our Christmas Tea and Bazaar, which was originally planned for last week when a power outage decided to interfere (see previous blog entry).
This time everything worked out fine, and it didn't take long for the tables to fill up to capacity.

It was great to see the young and not-so-young work together, having fun and enjoying each other's company - and the delectable goodies, of course.

Folks lined up to get in and the Bake Table sold out fast (don't say we didn't warn you!).

Once again it was a wonderful event, bringing good friends and friendly visitors together for some socializing and a break from the daily rushing-around. A warm thank-you to all who donated their time and talents to make it happen and turn it into the success it was!

What Power Outage?

2010-11-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

Snow came down thick and dense, roads were slippery - and the sanctuary was cold and somewhat dim this morning (although not nearly as dark as in the picture!). An announced power outage put Kakabeka Fall in the dark for the entire morning, including our church.

It meant no lights, no heat, no working sound system... and no coffee. As someone remarked, it sure makes you aware of how much we depend on ever-available electricity.
Of course it didn't deter this hardy bunch who just dressed for the occasion, some even bringing thermo flasks with hot coffee and tea.

The announced power outage was the reason we decided to move the Christmas Tea and Bazaar from this Sunday to the next Sunday, November 28. It'll start at noon sharp, and if you're hoping to bring one of those delectable lemon meringue and/or apple pies home, you'd better plan to be there early!

Let It Snow...

2010-11-16T18:54:00.000-08:00

Suddenly it was there, last Sunday morning: about 10cm of snow onto an unexpected world that still felt like fall. And now it's winter! Advent, that's when it can snow, 2 weeks from now.

Fortunately, the church parking lot had already been plowed before the first cars arrived. And even though the steps leading up to the front entrance looked very much off-limits, the side entrance (the "real" entrance) was fully accessible.

Soon this little church will be humming with Advent and Christmas activities again. The first big activity being the Christmas Tea and Bazaar. Please note it has been moved up by one week to November 28 (due to a scheduled routine power outage the week before).
Check our church website www.kakabekaunitedchurch.org for more information as things move along!

Thanksgiving and Baptism!

2010-10-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

This Sunday (October 10) was a double-joyous occasion with the baptism of 6-week young Jaydyn Eileen Graham on Thanksgiving Sunday - a wonderful combination.

It's been a while since we had a baptism service in this congregation, so it was good to have one again. It was also good be reminded again of our own baptism, the promise God extends to all of us, and our parents who accepted that promise on our behalf. It's not just a formality, but a timeless and powerful symbol of God's grace that resonates deeply with all who are present at the occasion.

Kakabeka United Church doesn't have a paid ministry person and depends on guest ministers and (licensed) lay worship leaders to lead most Sunday services. For Holy Communion and Holy Baptism we have what's called a "sacraments elder" who can take care of those important parts of the service. In this case it was Sharon who capably took us through the ritual of Holy Baptism, and Hubert who shaped the overall form of the service.

There's so much to be thankful for, as some congregants shared with us during the service: this new life and the knowledge that here in Canada this child will grow up relatively safely and healthy, as well as the many freedoms we have here which we sometimes take for granted.

Of course we had lots of yummy goodies afer the service which we enjoyed in fellowship and getting to know the new parents a bit as well as their relatives.
It was truly a good morning full of thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, too!

Summertime!

2010-08-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

Summer is all too brief up here in NW Ontario. But when it's here, we sure know how to enjoy it. Sunday Aug. 1st Nancy and Rolf hosted their annual Pool Party and Pot Luck again. Their place has a wonderful pool and patio, around which we had our Sunday service.

Somehow this annual event always turns out to be a very hot day, and this day was no exception. The (solar heated!) pool was absolutely bliss to cool down in, the sauna even blisser to heat up in and the food, well, let's just say "blissest" comes close.

A big thank-you to Rolf and Nancy for having us again and for sharing their wonderful home and pool with us! Also a thank-you to all who brought scrumptious food - there even was a separate table for dessert alone (for some of us an inkling of what heaven can be like...)!

This Sunday, Aug. 8, we had the members and minster from Pinegrove United Church visit us for the return joint service (see last week's blog about the first service). It was fun, relaxed, with a lot of singing. We're glad to know our neighbouring congregation a little better now and look forward to having more joint events!

Not many events for the next 3 weeks, though, as we'll be closed for the summer break. Folks are off to their camps, relatives and barbecues. We'll be back September 5 - have a wonder-filled summer!

Goin' Places

2010-07-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

Central Kakabeka United Church is going places, in a literal sense this time. This Sunday we joined our neigbouring congregation Pinegrove United Church in Rosslyn for a joint service. Pinegrove's minister rev. Scott Gale and Kakabeka's licensed Lay Worship Leader Hubert Den Draak led the service communally, which even included a baptism.

Afterwards we had coffee, (baptism) cake and good conversation in the basement hall. It was good and fun to get to know each other a bit better this way, and we're looking forward to host the Pinegrovers for the August 8 return visit!

Outdoor Service in the Park

2010-07-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

Last year, after many years, we decided to have an outdoor service again. It turned out to be sunny, hot, and a lot of fun. So much fun in fact, that the response was: we should do this again! So there we were, exactly 1 year later with another outdoor service in Kakabeka Provincial Park, the second year in a row.

Early morning started with a downpour and an impressive thunderstorm; things weren't looking too good. But when we got to the church's parking lot to decide whether to be outside or inside, the skies opened up to show nothing but blue and sunshine. We'd have an outdoor service after all!

Most of our own congregation were there, together with a few new faces joining us. Dayle (on keyboard) and Jacomyn (recorder) provided the accompaniment, and the Kakabeka Provincial Park graciously provided us with a full sound system, tables and any help we needed.

Hubert led the fun and informal worship at a good pace (it was getting pretty hot out there!), and we learned to sing "Like A Rock" with all the actions.

And it wouldn't be Central United if there hadn't been some mouth watering goodies to share after the service, together with ice cold lemonade and iced tea. We sure needed something cold to drink, the sun was beating down on us; it was no surprise that the most popular places were in the shade!

Thank you all for coming out for another very enjoyable outdoor service and for helping in making it happen. Who knows, we may start a tradition and be back next year...!

Pentecost 2010

2010-05-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday, the day that Jesus' followers received the Holy Spirit; it changed them from a small bunch of scared people who were afraid the world would find out about them into a courageous group that stepped out into the world and changed it forever.

Traditionally, this day is regarded as the official start of the Christian church, so here's a happy birthday to the worldwide church, in its colourful mosaic of shapes and forms. May "the Force" be with you!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today Kaija and Nancy led our Mother's Day Sunday worship, both well-versed in the tricky art of being a mother.
If it wasn't for the women/mothers, most congregations simply wouldn't exist; so in a sense it's also the congregation saying thank you to all these women who do the real work and keep things on track and moving along.

It has become a bit of a tradition to hand out spring geraniums to all the ladies in the congregation, and this year was no different. It always makes the occasions feel extra festive and spring-like (thank-you for picking them up, Nancy!).
And the few plants that were left over? They went to the men, hoping they'll remember to water them... ;-)

Camping Sunday!

2010-04-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

The United Church of Canada has a long and proud history of camping ministry; over the years tens of thousands of youth have spent many happy days in one of the church's camps.
Each year, the final Sunday in April is designated as National Camping Sunday. This year it was Sunday, April 25.

The worship service and activities on this Sunday are designed to increase awareness of the church's ministry of residential camping, give visibility to local United Church camps, and help people recall their memories and experiences of church camping.

Around the "campfire"

At Kakabeka Central United we also have a long and happy history of celebrating this special Sunday. For the past few years, Grant Arnold has been leading that service. It's a movable service, starting in the sanctuary. About halfway through we move to the church basement which is set up like a camp, where we continue with a sing-along around a "real" (well...) campfire.

We're blessed with lots of musical people in our congregation, having Grant, Vince, Marilyn, Jacomyn and Herman to lead the singing on guitars, recorder and mouth organ. Peggy added a lot to the happy camping mood with a few fun campfire games, and it all was rounded off by a steady stream of hotdogs, sadads and delectable desserts.

A good time was had by all, as they say; thank you to all who helped out!

Happy Campers...!

He Has Risen, Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

On Saturday at 8:00 a.m. a group of 18 faithful got together at the Kakabeka Falls for the traditional Easter Sunrise Service. Okay, technically speaking the sun had already risen 30 minutes earlier, but it was still early -and chilly- enough. The group included some guests from Pinegrove United who joined us for this brief meditation.

After that we headed to the cozy church basement where breakfast (with plenty of colourful boiled eggs) and coffee awaited us in anticipation of the 10:00 a.m. Easter celebration. We were very happy to see our dear friend Donna back, who was visiting us from her new place in Southern Ontario.

"The Breakfast Club"

More familiar faces joined us as it got closer to 10:00, a few others left us for the Easter service at their own church, tables were cleared, dishes were done, more goodies brought in, all in a festive atmosphere.

Easter service was a delightful communal effort to which many contributed, from music to readings and from prayers to the message - and anything else in between. This congregation is truly blessed with so many people capable of so many and diverse froms of leadership!

Easter and Christmas, the two big celebrations observed by all Christians… On the outside, Christmas is where it all started and Easter seems where it finished. But we were here this Easter morning to boldly proclaim: no, it’s only just begun!

Spring Has Sprung

2010-03-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

Today's the first day of spring as well as the last Sunday of the period of Lent, next week being Palm sunday. An interesting tension of new life (spring) and impending death (Lent and Good Friday). But isn't life like that?

Today we also welcomed some dear friends back, Herman and Hilda, whom we had to miss for a number of weeks. It was great to hear Herman's jokes again, and possibly even better to taste Hida's baking again (no offense, Herman)!

With Easter coming up soon, we also published another newsletter with the dates for the different services and much more. The newsletter can be found at different Kakabeka Falls stores & locations and will be mailed out to selected areas.
If you're just looking for the dates for the upcoming services, here they are:

Sunday March 28, 10:00 am: Palm Sunday.
Friday April 2, 10:00 am: Good Friday.
Sunday April 4, 8:00 am: Easter Sunrise Service at the Kakabeka Falls (the far end of the board walk), followed by a light breakfast at the church.
10:00 am: Easter Celebration with Holy Communion, open for all.

Easter is traditionally the most significant occasion in the Church Year, a celebration of life over death; we warmly invite you to celebrate with us!

Let Everything That Has Breath Praise God

2010-03-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday it was our turn to host this year's World Day of Prayer (for more information see the blog entry from Jan. 31). This year focussed on the women of the African nation of Cameroon, the theme being "Let Everything That Has Breath Praise God".

Kakabeka Central United is part of a modest 4-church platform that has worked together organizing and celebrating this event over the past few years. The other 3 churches are St. Augustines, St. Thereasa (both Roman Catholic) and St. James (Anglican).

The service was dynamic, joyful and full of music. It was a humbling experience to read and say the words that Cameroon women prepared for this liturgy.
We also had the privilege of having Corine and Archie Hoogsteen who talked about their African experiences when they spent 4 weeks in Libya (close to Cameroon), volunteering with the non-profit organization Living Water. They spoke about the challenges and reward of working there, the things they learned and the small contributions they were able to offer.

Thank you all for participating that night, we're already looking forward to next year!

The King Lives!

2010-02-28T13:52:00.000-08:00

Funny how we always talk about reaching out to those who have less and feeding those who are hungry. It sounds so simple, almost easy... yet when push comes to shove, things suddenly can be less cut & dried.

This morning, a big van pulling a tiny rickety trailer pulled up in the church's parking lot. The van had a sign on it saying "Rocky's Elvis Tribute - the King lives!"
Rocky was an Elvis impersonator - and seriously down on his luck. He was on a cross-country trek back East to his home town; he had been robbed of most of his money and all of his sound equipment, and was literally stuck here with not enough gas left in his tank. He needed food, some rest, and a way to somehow get back on the road again.

So he knocked on our church door and asked for help - just as we were getting ready to start the service. Frankly, his timing was awkward and inconvenient. Our instincts yelled not to trust this guy. He looked somewhat off-putting, and admitted he probably didn't smell too fresh, and said he needed a shave and a change of clothes.

After the service, over coffee and lunch (we happened to have some awesome leftovers from Friday's Chili & Stew Supper), he quietly shared his story with some of us, and it it wasn't a happy one. So we decided to pass the hat around so at least he could fill up his tank and get closer to home.

Rocky offered to play us some Elvis tunes in return. He had a big, husky voice, and suddenly the church basement resonated with some country gospel classics by "the king" himself, finished off with "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Nothin' But A Hound Dog" for good measure.

Matthew 25:35 says "For I was hungry, and you fed me. Thirsty, and you gave me a drink." I guess what we learned that day is Jesus can show up in some most unexpected ways and can have most inconvenient timing. He may even need a change of clothes and not look too trustworthy.

Thinking back of the sign on Rocky's van, I can't help but smile at the irony of its double meaning.
"The King Lives!", indeed.

Happy Valentine's Day...!

2010-02-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day (cookie. With thanks to Melanie)!

Valentine's Day... There are numerous stories about Saints Valentines (yes, there were more than one!) but nobody really knows exactly where or how it all started. One thing is for sure, though: Hallmark, Hershey's and Hollywood all rely on it for a big chunk of their annual income.

So how come most churches don't make such a big deal about it? Well, maybe because it feels kind of superfluous. A vibrant faith community lives the idea of Valentine's day each week. Maybe a faith community is God's own Valentine to this world.

Kakabeka United Church donates weekly to the Mission & Service Fund which sends aid and support to a wide range of people and organizations who desperate need it. A weekly Valentine's card that says: we care about you.

Now if only this translated into weekly Valentine's cookies and chocolates...

Annual Meetings…

2010-02-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

Annual meetings… Nobody really enjoys them, but ya gotta have 'em. We like to have ours followed by a sumptuous potluck meal; the food fragrances wafting from the kitchen ensure a relative short meeting. Think of it as a secret weapon against “endless meeting fatique”.

We were very grateful to see Grant back, after missing him for a while due to health issues. Although still on the mend, he jumped right back into the fray, chairing the meeting with his usual flair and humour – assisted by Lois who added her own flair and humour.
Flair, humour and good food; they make these meetings almost enjoyable!

Welcome back, Grant!

Also, if you look back at this Blog’s entry of Jan. 19, you’ll read about our response to the Haitian earth quake disaster. It was now announced we donated a total of $1143.00 to the Haitian relief efforts via Doctors Without Borders! A pretty impressive amount for a small country country church, if I may say so…

Heads Up for March 4!

2010-01-31T13:01:00.000-08:00

It seems like a long way away, but here's a heads up for this year's World Day of Prayer on March 4. Kakabeka Central United is part of a modest 4-church platform that has worked together organizing and celebrating this event over the past few years. The other 3 churches are St. Augustines and St. Thereasa (both Roman Catholic) and St. James (Anglican). And this year it's our turn to host this event.

World Day of Prayer has a long, rich history that officially began in 1922 as an initiative of the Canadian and United States' Women's Inter-Church Council. It has since spread to over 170 countries and is observed by tens of thousands of faith communities world wide.

It has grown into a powerful sign of the unity of the global church, and as a result is associated with numerous ecumenical, social justice and peace movements.

Each year's celebration centres around a specific country, and this year it's the Central-African nation of Cameroon.

Expect some further updates as March 4 draws closer; in the mean time, feel free to have a look at the World Day of Prayer's website for more about this wonderful initiative, as well as more information about Cameroon.

Looking forward to see you on March 4, 7:30 pm!

Haiti

2010-01-19T17:44:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we voted to donate the proceeds of our collection to the relief efforts in disaster-struck Haiti. The church funds will match these proceeds, and so will the Women's Group.

Of course given the enormity of this disaster it's only a small gesture. We simply cannot imagine the huge scale of the suffering, despair and destruction. We can only do what we can, and pray for those who suffer, have lost loved ones and those who are helping there.

We ask you to join these prayers, and if you can: donate.

Different Cultures

2010-01-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

This Sunday we had two special guests: Don and Dalvana Austin. For many years this couple has been working as missionaries among Brazilian tribes, and are now on an extended leave in the Thunder Bay area; they happened to hear about us and offered to lead a Sunday worship.

Don and Dalvana sang a Brazilian song for us that we all joined in with and they showed a brief video of the native community they recently served.

Then to our surprise Don took us through the entire Bible in 40 minutes flat, the way he would when working with Brazilian tribes. It went on for pretty long, but it was kind of interesting to be in a Brazilian native's shoes and experience what it's like to be told about the Bible as if for the very first time, and from a very literal approach that most churches have moved on from.

But possibly the best part was the wonderul potluck lunch we had afterwards, sharing some amazing home-made cooking and great conversation. Nothing beats good food and inclusive fellowship, mission work Kakabeka style!

Knights Of The Round Table

2010-01-10T10:47:00.000-08:00

They're there every Sunday after church, always in the same corner: our "Six Knights of the Round Table" as they're fondly known. Shooting the breeze, talking about fishing, cars, hunting, telling a joke or two, reminiscing about the olden days. You know, guy stuff.

Some will collect the coffee cups when people are getting ready to head back home, others will do the dishes, others again take the recycling home. Less-so guy stuff.
Noble knights, we salute you. Things just wouldn't be the same without you!

Minutes For Mission - Kakabeka Style

2010-01-04T17:13:00.000-08:00

Peggy Garrett is our "Minutes For Mission" reader. Almost every Sunday Peggy reads the weekly "M&S" story of causes and people the United Church supports through the M&S Fund. Our congregation is an active supporter of the M&S Fund and commits to a certain amount each year; and each year we give a bit more.

Peggy reads with a clear, strong voice and often throws in little asides that makes the story even more interesting. This Sunday she stepped forward with a big, striped hat that she had knit herself for this occasion, although it could also have been Dr. Seuss himself who designed this funny fashion statement.

The reason? Well, read this week's installment for yourself and you'll understand!

The M&S Hat (after Dr. Seuss):
"Here’s a tall hat with colours from top down to toe.
But why all the stripes? That’s what I want to know!
There's warm hats and shade hats, for work and for play.
The hat that we have here has something to say.

This cool hat has six stripes; around it they wrap.
The stripes tell a story of spots on a map.
The stripes are all colours for countries and places
the church works, and even puts smiles on sad faces.

Our church works with partners from Cuba to Hong Kong;
in Sudan and Haiti. The list is quite long.
In Nepal and Japan, in Sudan and India,
Brazil, Chile, Kenya, and even Namibia.

This list is quite lengthy, but I’m not really done.
I know I’ve forgotten a way more than one.
We help friends plant food grains, find water that’s clean.
To say NO to their problems - how unfair that would seem!

We work with strong people with hardships to bear.
That can happen to folks when things are not fair.
We all want to stop war, to make troubles cease.
Our church supports those who try to make peace."

We were also had the great pleasure of having two special visitors from Thunder Bay, Joyce and Peter Fergus-Moore. Joyce is Current River United Church's minister, and her spouse Peter is a gifted musician who often participates in worship with voice and guitar. Peter happened to bring his guitar along just in case we wouldn't mind if he participated with a song or two. Not mind...?! Peter, you and your guitar can come back any time (okay, and Joyce, too)!

Fellowship and cookies...

2009-12-27T12:18:00.000-08:00

Fellowship is an important part of church life; cookies are an important part of life, period.
Put the two together, and you got yourself an unbeatable combination. Can we say: a heavenly combination...?

At Kakabeka Central United we're blessed with folks who posses amazing baking skills. And not only that, they prove it pretty much every week. A big thank-you to all who provide us with the heavenly baking we enjoy week after week. It's the perfect accompaniment for sharing great after-church company and conversation...

Tearing the Heavens

2009-12-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

A friend sent us this Christmas card which struck a chord with me. It’s from a painting by Beate Heinen, a German artists. It’s called “O Saviour, Tear Open the Heavens” (“O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf” for those who can read German), after a well known choral by Johannes Brahms.

copyrigth Beate Heinen, 1993 (click to enlarge)

It’s another powerful example of how a picture can say more than a thousand words. Looking at it, it shows a crowd of dull, faceless people; and right in the middle, as if appearing from behind fabric that’s torn away, we see Mary holding the new-born Jesus. Look at little closer, and there’s Joseph, protectively embracing the two.

Look again, and you realize that these three aren’t appearing out of nowhere, but are part of the crowd itself, part of us. God opens a crack in our reality to show us the potential that’s within any of us.

Look a little closer still, and we see how God’s light that shines through this opening seems to touch the others in the crowd. Warm light stokes their cold frames. All they have to do is turn around and look. Look at Jesus, light of the world.

Once you’ve seen this light, it’s hard to go back to where you were before. God opened the heavens right here on earth. "Heaven" is not some distant, abstract place, but can be right here.
Christmas invites all of us to be part of God’s Kingdom and make God’s peace a reality. On earth, as it is in heaven...

What do you see there…?

Three Clergymen, Three Faiths, One Friendship

2009-12-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

A warm thank-you to our friend Peter Moore for bringing this interesting artice, "Three Clergymen, Three Faiths, One Friendship" to my attention. It tells how a rabbi, a minister and a Muslim sheik forged a friendship based on mutual respect, simply (well, simply...) by focussing on what they shared rather than what seperated them. And even better, it tells how they didn't keep this for themselves, but decided to share it with the world.

From left, Sheikh Jamal Rahman, Pastor Don Mackenzie, and Rabbi Ted Falcon read from their respective holy books during their presentation at the Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tenn., in October.

It's about building bridges, something that seems to have been all but forgotten after the horrific events of "9/11". Building bridges is hard work, as these men found out; it's a lot easier to just blow them up and leave it at that. Except, it doesn't get anyone anywhere...

So now we're sharing this article here, hoping it will help look at our religious differences in a different light. Somehow, it seems only appropriate for this Advent season. Enjoy!

Advent

2009-11-29T13:32:00.000-08:00

This Sunday (November 29) marks the start of the Advent season, the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas. Advent means "the coming", referring of course to the coming of Christ, as celebrated on December 24.

You can't miss this significant part of the year, with our sanctuary all decked out with some beautiful advent decorations, some traditional (like the Christmas tree), others very creative (check out our wonderful windows, with thanks to Melanie).

Advent (and ultimately Christmas) celebrates we're living in the Hope. Hope in a world full of despair. It's Good News when there's so much bad news every day all around us. Why not join us for this advent season and celebrate Christ's birth with us? You'll find all our worship dates and times on our website.

This Sunday after worship we also had our quarterly Board Meeting. At Kakabeka Central United we make it a point to keep 'em short & sweet. It definitely helps if there's a potluck lunch waiting to be shared right after the meeting. Those wonderful smells of delicious home-made food sure keep the meeting moving forward at a brisk pace!

A big thank-you to all who helped out decorating the sanctuary and all those who brought lots of good food & dessert. We at Central love to eat and laugh together!

A Whirlwind Sunday...!

2009-11-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

This Sunday (Nov. 15) was our annual Christmas Tea and Bazaar, always a highlight for our congregation - and not unlike trying to organize a whirlwind. Preparations started weeks before, setup started the Saturday before, the Sunday morning itself (lots of late arrivals for that service!) and continued until noon when the doors opened. Just about everybody was involved somehow; and although not everyone could make it for this special day, everything went like clockwork.

We were lucky with the weather: a mild and sunny November day brought out a steady stream of visitors to our festive church basement. The tea's round sandwiches were a big hit, the baking table pretty much sold out, and the Christmas gifts (most home made!) were moving fast.

It was a great team effort, and as usual an exhausting and at the same time an exhilarating day. A big, warm thank-you to all who helped making it another successful Christmas Bazaar!

And last but not least: we also released our brand spanking new quarterly Newsletter! Printed copies can be found at stores and establishments in and around Kakabeka Falls; a digital copy can be downloaded from our website http://www.kakabekaunitedchurch.org/.

The Newsletter will keep you informed on the broad strokes in Central United, and this new Blog is here to tell you about the weekly goings-on in our staunch little congregation. We hope you'll enjoy both and to see you back soon for next installments!